My name is Rachel Baker and I got my PPCM diagnosis in Sept. 2000.

I had labored breathing and some pains in my chest and neck (37 weeks pregnant) but the OBs kept telling me I was short and the baby was growing and 'of course you can't breathe!!!' It seems strange now, but all I was thinking was 'if I go into labor I won't be able to push because I can't get a breath'. It never crossed my mind that it was something like this. We went to labor and delivery at my husband's urging and they did a chest x-ray and decided I had pneumonia and admitted me to stay the night. During the night I had to wake my husband to tell him I couldn't get a breath and the nurses and eventually the pulmonary person came streaming in. That's about all I remember about the night.

I woke up in ICU on a ventilator and learned we had a healthy 6 lb 12 oz daughter (Payton Elizabeth) and then came the news. I had been in pulmonary edema and required several units of blood. Then came the cardiologist to tell me all about how I probably wouldn't need a heart transplant and that I absolutely could have NO MORE kids! I was completely lost - then they brought my daughter to ICU and I felt like I could listen more once I saw her. I lost 34 pounds in ICU in 4 days, they finally were able to remove the vent then moved to maternity for another 3 days. Left the hospital with an EF of 30% and on a 2g sodium diet. Started on Lanoxin, Lasix, Aldactone, Mag, K-Dur at that time. 2 weeks later my EF was down to 20% so I began Zebeta, Ziac and Mavik. Slowly I began to feel a little stronger and not so tired and 7 months later in April my EF was up to 45%. Woohoo! :)

I completed a 12 week cardiac rehab course and now I'm still on all the medication and I'm SUPPOSED to be walking 3 X week. I still tire very easily and feel run down a good bit of the time, but all in all, I'm feeling great. I have gained a little weight back so I don't look so unhealthy anymore (After 3 months I was 15 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant). The exercise seems to help a lot.

My last visit to the cardiologist was in April and I go back in November for my yearly checkup. My next concern is getting off some of the meds if possible and finding a specialist in high risk pregnancy associated with heart disease and such to evaluate me so we can get that question out of the way. I will get my tubes tied as soon as I hear 'NO' from a specialist that has done this before!

I am so pleased about the web site and I sincerely hope that doctors will look at it. I can't believe in all the baby books, pregnancy books, web sites and even some medical sites that nothing came up (other than 'normal pregnancy discomforts that will cease when the baby is born') when I looked up shortness of breath and inability to sleep lying flat on my back. I think if I had just SEEN the words PPCM somewhere and read a description I would have at least mentioned it to my doctors. There were 7 of them and all together they had seen 4 or 5 cases of PPCM. Of course, the cardiologist is all too familiar with it. Anyway, I am open to any email!

Rachel Baker, Calhoun, GA