Hannah Birch

 Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Support Network

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My name is Hannah Birch. I am 26 years old and the mother of a beautiful 6 month old, Ava. I had a wonderful pregnancy; I felt great and had only gained 10 pounds. I worked full time 40+ hours a week, on my feet all day at a fast paced job. Then at 6 months I went in for an ultrasound and they discovered that I had low amniotic fluid so I was put on bed rest for 2 weeks and told to drink lots of water. The fluid did not go back up until the end of the 6th month and then I started to swell. I went to the hospital to do my pre admission and then that's where they caught that I had high blood pressure. I was hospitalized 3 times before delivery for preeclampsia. As soon as my blood pressure would stabilize I would be sent home. Then at 34 1/2 weeks the doctor decided that it was time to induce. I was also put on magnesium sulfate due to my blood pressure being so high. I was in labor for 18 hours and had dilated only to a 2. They decided at 4:00 p.m. that they were going to do an emergency C-Section. Just before they got my baby out she started to go into distress. She ended up being fine and was on oxygen only for 2 hours. After delivery and the Mag Sulfate wore off I knew that something wasn't right. I couldn't breathe and my blood pressure still was not coming down. Every time they would lay me back I would pass out or start to have a panic attack. So 4 days later the doctor on call released me. I went home and things still weren't right. So I called the doctor on call and he prescribed me some blood pressure medicine and told me to get some cough medicine. So I did and things still weren't better after 5 hours so I called again. By this time it was 12:30 a.m. and the doctor was not happy that I called. He told me to take two percocet and get myself together. He said that I was having panic attacks because my daughter was still in NICU. A few days had passed I had not slept in days and things were not right. I called my mother one night and told her that I was going to call 911 because something was terribly wrong. She came up the next day and took me to a family physician. There I was diagnosed with and enlarged heart and fluid on my lungs. They admitted my immediately. I was given lasics and potassium. They did every test they could do and then they diagnosed me with PPCM. After diagnosis I have had a tubal ligation. I am comfortable with that decision. I want to be alive for my daughter. I have been taken off all medication, but will remain on a low sodium diet and keep exercising. It is a slow road to recovery, but I know that I will get to see my only daughter grow up. My husband through all of this has been very supportive and maybe a little hovering. I know that it tore him up when he found out what PPCM was. He was also angry that the doctor made me think that I was crazy. My whole family has been a strength throughout the entire pregnancy and post partum. I don't know what I would do without them.