SPONSORED CONTENT -- (StatePoint) As you prepare for the arrival of your new baby, there’s likely one item on the top of your wish list: optimal health for you and your newborn.
A new study in the American Heart Association’s Circulation journal reports that cardiovascular-related complications during pregnancy may occur in as many as 1 in 7 pregnancies, even among people with no previous heart disease. This prevalence is on the rise due to increases in health risk factors for cardiovascular disease like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Because risk factors sometimes go undetected, it’s critical to engage with a health care provider about heart health before, during and after pregnancy, regardless of health status.
Being a Self-Advocate
Getting proper care during pregnancy may require some self-advocacy. At 33 weeks pregnant, Molly McGuire experienced swelling, severe headache, vomiting and pain on the right side of her body. Her doctors dismissed her symptoms as a normal part of pregnancy and possibly the flu. While attending a class on gestational diabetes, the instructor hooked McGuire up to a fetal heart rate monitor. She soon learned that her baby had died and she was suffering from severe preeclampsia that had morphed into HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening pregnancy complication involving destruction of red blood cells, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count. Doctors told her family she may not survive, and if she did, could be at risk of stroke or seizure that could lead to life-long disabilities.
Today, McGuire is part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Class of Survivors, a group of national volunteers who share their stories to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women. She advises any woman who is pregnant, or planning a pregnancy, to practice self-advocacy throughout her term and beyond: “I knew something was wrong, but my concerns were not heard. You know your body best. Advocate for yourself and don’t be afraid to get a second or even third opinion.”
Supporting Healthy Policies
Beyond individual heart-healthy choices women can make during pregnancy to reduce their risk of cardiovascular-related complications, advocates say that changes need to be made at all levels of government.
April Wallace, the National Strategy and Partnerships Senior Manager for the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers (NCIT), knows firsthand how governmental policy decisions can support healthy moms and babies. After both her pregnancies, her blood pressure spiked to dangerously high levels.
“I was fortunate: I’ve worked for the American Heart Association for a decade, so I already knew the basics of blood pressure monitoring. Most new moms don’t have that background and they deserve clear, consistent education and support,” says Wallace.
According to Wallace, navigating common, yet dangerous health risks is easier with the full support of the health care system. This includes strengthening Medicaid coverage so that all parents can access the postpartum checkups, medications and monitoring that save lives; passing policies like Paid Family and Medical Leave, so that new parents have the time to heal and attend critical follow-up appointments without risking their jobs or income; and investing in programs that make home blood pressure monitors, community-based doulas, and culturally responsive care accessible to every family, not just those who can afford it.
To learn more, visit ncit.org.
No matter your age, background or health status, connecting with a clinician can help you understand your risks for cardiovascular-related complications during pregnancy, and what steps you can take to reduce them.
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