Pregnancy and the heart

[Kaz747]

I’ve written previously about pre-eclampsia’s link to heart problems later in life.

I had pre-eclampsia with both my pregnancies requiring bed rest in hospital for weeks and early deliveries. After my first child was born my blood pressure was so high my doctor said that it was too dangerous to move me from the delivery suite back to my room so I had to stay there overnight. For three days I could only visit my baby in the nursery by wheelchair. After having similar issues with my second pregnancy my doctor recommended not having any more kids and that was fine by me.

This article is a great reminder of the stress pregnancy puts on our bodies and the long term effects few doctors seem to talk about.

dailytelegraph.com.au/featu...

[Hilly22]

Hi Kaz, thanks for the interesting post.

In the late 70s we moved to Hong Kong for a year where I discovered I was expecting twins (made in England, produced in Hong Kong!). I spent 3 months of that year in the British Military Hospital on enforced bed rest due to high blood pressure and other symptoms of preeclampsia. Luckily it was like a 5 star hotel, and medically the best hospital I've ever experienced - I reckon I owe the life of at least one of my babies to that hospital ... long story! Second pregnancy (only one that time!), and needed an early caesarean due to similar symptoms.

I've always wondered whether I had a pre existing tendency or whether those conditions in pregnancy set my heart on the rocky road. Do you know how your blood pressure was before your pregnancies? I don't think mine was ever taken x

[Kaz747 in reply to Hilly22]

My BP was always excellent before my pregnancies. I was 27 and almost 29 when I had my kids and I was very fit and healthy. After my pregnancies my BP went back to normal and I didn’t have any more issues with it until 3 years ago when I was medicated for mild hypertension. That was around the same time (when I had major ankle surgery) that my heart started going crazy. My BP is now great - around 110/70. Sometimes it drops quite low but I am on a beta blocker.

My EP said the same as it does in the article - they don’t know if there is an underlying predisposition for heart issues that triggers in pregnancy or if having pre-eclampsia then predisposes you to heart problems later. I do have a vague recollection of my obstetrician saying that you may have BP problems later in life but I never really thought about that again until I was researching SVT, MAT, AFlutter & AFib.

[Nugger]

Yep, I still feel the stress at times lol