Stories

Stories from our Members

135 Articles

21 year old new mom of twins!!

Carrying twins was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I carried to 37 wks and 3 days and delivered via c - section. During my 3 day stay in the hospital after having them my o2 level would drop into the 80's and they would slap oxygen on me and get it back up to normal and forget about it. On day 3 they released me from the hospital.
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Thought it was nothing.

I gave birth to my daughter August 24th 2007.  She was my third live baby, delivered via scheduled c-section.  I had had several miscarriages and she was my 6th pregnancy.  She was a very healthy 9lb 15oz bundle of energy.  I felt better than ever after delivery, stayed the normal 3 days in the hospital and was released home.  Once I brought my little one home to meet her 8 year old brother and 4
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Alyssa's story

I was diagnosed after I had my first son. I was rushed to the operating room to have a c-section and just told I was having heart failure. I remember just watching the heart monitor as they were performing the c-section and just praying I would live to see my precious baby that I loved so much. After he was born I held him for less than minute before they rushed me to the icu.
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Still Scared

I'm Amanda and I am 27 years old. I became pregnant with my third child in June of 2011. To be honest I wasn't happy about this pregnany for a while because the pregnancy right before it I had a stillborn at 34 weeks and I wasn't supposed to get pregnant again for three years. And certainly not until I had undergone many tests because the reasons for my
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Diagnosed With PPCM after Having Twins

I am 22 and in March of 2014 I was pregnant with twin girls. We were ecstatic because they were our first babies and everything leading up to their birth had gone so smoothly. I was monitored very closely because they were twins and towards the end I was seeing doctors 3 times a week. They monitored my heart rate and blood pressure which were both VERY normal. I finally had my babies and it
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Sheena's PPCM

It started with my 2nd pregnancy. I knew I would have alittle trouble with my pregnancy because I had gestational diabeties with my first. Of course I developed gestational diabeties again, but it was harder to maintain. Then I gained a lot of water weight and my doctor never said he had concerns about it. He had been in practice maybe 40 years you think he would have experienced this before, but I  had no
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Faith and Strength

Only a few days ago I found out I am pregnant with my fifth - I have three live children and had one miscarriage in 2009.  My last live birth was 2006.  It was this one in which I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.  Here are the stats from my births: March 9, 2001 - healthy, born on due date, vaginal with no tears, episiotomy, or medication at all.  I was 22 December 17, 2003 -
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Fight for life

In 2007, I had just given birth to my baby boy and 3 days later found myself in the cardiac unit at Rex Hospital having difficulty breathing. My lungs were full of fluid and my LV Ejection Fraction was 6%. Nurses were telling Chad to hold the baby where I can see him! A new term was thrown at me that effects 1 in 10,00...0 pregnant women called Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. This caused me
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

heart what?? I'm only 27

Ok so this is one of the hardest things I'll ever wright. I was 27 years old pregnant with my 3rd child, my first girl. The pregnancy was harder than my prior 2. I had gestational diabetes and preclampsia. During what was to be my last month my OB doctors were watching me closely, to the point where I was in the office 2x a week and getting an ultra sound once a
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Birth of Foster ♡

For all my past, present and future heart sisters, and to those who lost the battle!! Imagine going in to the hospital to have your child... Mind you I was expecting a C-section, but wasn't expecting to be told that I had to be put under completely... Next thing I know I am waking up unable to breathe, begging for Lasix... I got to see Foster for MAYBE a minute or two and
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Heart Failure at 35?!!?

We had tried to have kids for 13 years, finally in 1995 I finally got pregnant with AI. He was born 7 weeks early and was only 3.5 lbs.  The second preganancy was a fluke. We weren't trying but we weren't trying not too either. That was 1998. My husband was in the military and was gone for a few weeks. I'd had my regular appt right before
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Seven Days

One early Sunday morning, my seven day old son saved my life. While up with him, I noticed my breathing was strained and I felt out of sorts. Myles, my little son, was my third child..joining his then nine and seven year old sisters. I was anxiety ridden and thought that I was simply fighting off the post-partum depression that had become common for me after childbirth. Later that morning, I was admitted into
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Ppcm at 17

I was diagnosed with PPCM when I was 17 years old in July of 2011, about 5 days after my son was born. I was fine during my pregnancy, just blood pressure clomplications. It was horrible, I was in the hospital close to two weeks, my heart failed and lungs collapsed. Of course, no one knows what could've caused it. I have been released from my heart doctor after a year went by,
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

The Day it went down!

From the begining of my pregnancy I wanted to do everything natural. Have a natural child birth, no pain meds or anything, and breast feed! I was so mentally ready for all of that. The begining of my pregnancy was normal... morning sickness, cravings, you know, all that good stuff. Then around month five or six I began to feel my ankles and feet get swollen... nothing shocking it was summer after all. I was
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

The Sudden and Unexplained Catastrophe of My Second Birth

My story starts at the birth of my second child in 2011. It was a long VBAC which became a transfer to hospital and a C-section. That same day I was sitting in a hospital bed in a haze of post birth hormones having cuddles and feeding and already wondering when I’ll be able to go home when a happy young nurse bimbles over to do my obs.Pulse – ExcellentBP – BeautifulOxygen Saturation – Shot-to-hell.Nurse
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

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