Rebecca Smith, a 35-year-old mother of two from Lancaster, Lancashire, has been diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition that could make future pregnancies fatal. Smith is battling peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare disease that affects heart function during the final trimester of pregnancy or soon after childbirth.
The condition was first overlooked by healthcare professionals during her first pregnancy but was identified after the birth of her son, Nathan, in April 2007. Although doctors initially gave her grim prospects, Rebecca defied the odds and made a remarkable recovery. However, the illness returned during her second pregnancy in 2024, further complicating her health journey.
Following the birth of her second child, Rowan, on November 27, 2024, Rebecca now faces a lifetime of medical treatment. She is required to take nine different medications, including beta blockers, to manage her heart condition. Speaking out about her ordeal, Rebecca emphasized the importance of early detection for pregnant women and the need for greater awareness of peripartum cardiomyopathy, a disease that often goes unnoticed or misdiagnosed.
Reflecting on her first experience with the condition, she recalls being misdiagnosed with anxiety. “There’s such little knowledge of this disease – I was even told I had anxiety,” she said. “But I wasn’t anxious, I was dying.”
Rebecca’s symptoms during her first pregnancy included swollen feet, fatigue, and breathlessness—common pregnancy complaints that were dismissed by medical professionals. It wasn’t until she was rushed to intensive care that her condition became more serious. “I was still a child myself,” she said, describing the harrowing moment when she was admitted to ICU. “I was hooked up to all these machines. No one knew what was wrong with me.”
After a week in intensive care, Rebecca was discharged, only to be diagnosed with anxiety three months later and prescribed diazepam. However, her health continued to deteriorate. She collapsed during a walk with her son, Nathan, and was rushed to the hospital. A scan revealed she had clots in both her lungs and her heart, with one clot the size of a “pigeon egg” at risk of traveling to her brain. Doctors warned her of the imminent risk of a massive stroke unless she began a lifelong course of warfarin.
Miraculously, the clot dissolved on its own, sparing Rebecca from the need for blood-thinning medication. She was later diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, and with the aid of medication, her heart function gradually returned to normal. Despite doctors advising her against having more children, Rebecca defied the odds and became pregnant again in 2024.
This time, however, her heart function began to decline during the pregnancy. After a scan at 32 weeks, doctors noticed a slight decrease in her heart function, which worsened every two weeks. At 36 weeks and two days, she was re-diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Despite the complications, Rebecca gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Rowan, weighing 5lbs 12oz, at Manchester St. Mary’s Hospital.
Postpartum, Rebecca was prescribed a regimen of nine medications daily and began preparing for the worst. “I started planning Christmas in case I died,” she admitted. Yet, with her ongoing treatment, Rebecca remains hopeful and is committed to living with her condition, though she has made the difficult decision to not have any more children.
Rebecca’s personal journey has led her to take a proactive stance in educating medical professionals about the disease. She now runs workshops at Manchester St. Mary’s Hospital for junior doctors, helping them recognize the often-missed symptoms of peripartum cardiomyopathy, including swelling, breathlessness, disrupted sleep, and chronic fatigue.
Her story is a powerful reminder of the critical need for awareness and early detection of this rare and potentially fatal heart condition in pregnant women.
Related topics:
How Do You Know Your Ovulating with Pcos
