LetsTalk PPCM, Grand Prairie, TX (2025)

12/17/2025

🫀 Signs & Symptoms to Know

Your body has ways of letting you know when something isn’t right.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) can show up during late pregnancy or in the months after birth. Symptoms can be subtle at first and are often mistaken for normal postpartum changes.

✨ Common signs include:
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in the legs, feet, or abdomen
• Fatigue that feels different or worsens
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Trouble breathing when lying flat
• Sudden weight gain from fluid

💬 Heart sisters: if you experienced different or unusual symptoms that aren’t listed here, we invite you to share in the comments. Your experience may help someone else recognize the signs sooner.

We also want to gently remind our community: sometimes a BNP blood test alone does not tell the full story. BNP levels can be inaccurate or appear “normal” for some PPCM moms.

If symptoms persist or something doesn’t feel right, an echocardiogram can be lifesaving and is often needed to be sure.

Save • Share • Stay informed 🤍

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

12/14/2025

Meet Jessica:
Would you believe that in the photo above, she was in full-blown heart failure.

At 34, Jessica, a North Carolina mother of three, was preparing to welcome her newest child while caring for her two daughters. Her pregnancy appeared routine until 35 weeks, when she developed preeclampsia along with critically low potassium levels. Within days, her blood pressure became dangerously high, prompting her OB to make the urgent decision to deliver.

Within days, her blood pressure escalated, and her OB made the urgent decision to deliver. Less than an hour after arriving at the hospital, her baby boy was born. Shortly after delivery, she suffered a severe postpartum hemorrhage, losing nearly two liters of blood. She required immediate intervention and close monitoring but was eventually stabilized.

After several days in the hospital, she was discharged home, exhausted but grateful to be alive, and focused on caring for her newborn and family. Within three days of being home, she noticed something wasn’t right. She became increasingly short of breath, struggled to lie flat, and experienced extreme fatigue far beyond typical postpartum recovery. As her symptoms worsened, she returned to the emergency room. That return saved her life.

Doctors then diagnosed her with Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected. Her heart function was measured at just 35–40% (normal is approximately 55%).

Today, Jessica is still on her road to recovery. She believes the BNP Blood Test should be mandated for all expecting and postpartum mothers at risk, to sooner detect PPCM.❤️‍🩹

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

PPCM Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

The MAGAZINE: https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

12/10/2025

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of heart failure that develops during the last month of pregnancy or up to five months after delivery in women with no previous heart disease. It occurs when the heart muscle becomes weak and enlarged, causing it to pump blood less effectively.

Without early detection, PPCM can lead to life-threatening complications — but with timely diagnosis and treatment, many outcomes can be improved.

While the exact cause is still being researched, PPCM is believed to be linked to:

•Hormonal changes during pregnancy

•Vascular stress and inflammation

•Genetic predisposition

•Autoimmune responses

•Elevated prolactin fragments shown to be toxic to the heart in some patients

Because symptoms often mimic normal pregnancy discomforts, PPCM is frequently dismissed or missed entirely, making education and screening crucial.

•Diagnosis must be made quickly using:

•Echocardiogram (ECHO) — measures heart function

•BNP/NT-proBNP blood test — detects cardiac stress

•EKG to check rhythm issues

•Chest X-ray for fluid overload

Let’sTalkPPCM actively promotes access to free or low-cost BNP testing, because this single test can identify heart failure early and save lives.

Because symptoms look like “normal pregnancy,” PPCM is commonly ignored until it becomes an emergency. Early BNP testing, proper postpartum monitoring, and community awareness can:

•Reduce severe complications

•Decrease maternal deaths

•Improve long-term heart recovery

•Allow women to advocate for themselves before it’s too late

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

PPCM Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

The MAGAZINE: https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

12/05/2025

Meet Courtney Mitchell:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

At 36wks pregnant, Courtney showed clear signs of preeclampsia but was dismissed and told to “come back Monday.” The next day her water broke, and her son was delivered via C-section. She was discharged just two days later followed by a series of eight desperate trips back to the hospital. On her eighth visit, she arrived coughing up blood, and unable to breathe. She was placed on a breathing machine and catheterized in front of her husband and children before her family was forced to leave. She spent the next 31hrs alone in a trauma bed, waiting for an ICU room that never opened.

At 23mths postpartum, she was still fighting for proper care while managing dizziness, fainting, and ongoing heart symptoms. She was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected. She was given proper treatment and sent home after a 1wk stay. Her cardiologist later said her chest X-ray was one of the worst he’d seen in 30yrs, despite being dismissed seven times.

Her son was born severely and profoundly deaf. While the exact cause is unknown, she will forever wonder whether untreated preeclampsia and delayed recognition of heart failure contributed.

Today, Courtney is considered fully recovered. She believes the BNP Blood Test should be mandated for all expecting and postpartum mothers at risk, to sooner detect PPCM.❤️

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

PPCM Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

The MAGAZINE: https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

12/03/2025

🧬 Important News for PPCM Survivors & Families 🫀

LetsTalkPPCM x Dilated Cardiomyopathy Foundation = FREE Genetic Testing

Did you know that Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) can sometimes have a genetic link?

That’s why we’re excited to share that LetsTalkPPCM has partnered with the DCM Foundation to offer FREE genetic testing or re-testing for those affected by cardiomyopathy, including PPCM.

💡 Why does this matter?
Because genetic testing can help detect inherited heart conditions, shape your care plan, and alert family members who might also be at risk, especially daughters, sisters, and future mothers.

This partnership gives YOU access to:

✅ Free genetic testing for PPCM or other cardiomyopathy-related risks
✅ The opportunity to protect your family with knowledge
✅ Better treatment options informed by your unique genes

🔗 Learn more and get started: https://geneticcardiomyopathy.org/testing/get-tested/

Your story might just save someone else’s life. 💖

Let’s break the silence around inherited heart disease and advocate for early detection.

11/29/2025

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected.

What PPCM Looks Like:
The signs can seem “normal” during pregnancy or postpartum, which is why so many women dismiss them or are told they’re just part of motherhood.

Some symptoms include:

•Shortness of breath that feels worse than pregnancy-related fatigue

•Swelling in the feet, legs, or face

•Rapid weight gain from fluid, not food

•Chest pain or pressure

•A racing or irregular heartbeat

•Feeling faint, weak, or unable to catch your breath when lying flat

• A chronic cough that does not go away

These are warning signs that the heart is struggling, and they should never be ignored.

Why Awareness Matters:
Because PPCM is rare, many families, and even some healthcare providers, may not immediately recognize it. Every hour of delayed diagnosis can lead to worsening heart damage, long-term disability, or even loss of life.

How It Affects a New Mom:
Imagine bringing life into the world, only to be told your own life is now at risk. PPCM forces a new mother to face something she never expected - that her heart is no longer functioning the way it should because she gave life.

It can feel:

•Terrifying, wondering if you’ll survive to raise your baby

•Confusing, trying to make sense of a diagnosis you’ve never heard of

•Lonely, because many people simply don’t understand what PPCM is

•Overwhelming, juggling newborn care while fighting for your own life

•Emotionally painful, feeling like your body “failed,” even though it didn’t

And yet, with the right awareness, timely diagnosis, and proper medical care, many women survive, heal, and rebuild their lives.

A Rare Condition That Should Never Go Unseen
No mother should suffer or lose her life simply because people didn’t know what PPCM was. These stories, and the women and families behind them, are exactly why raising awareness is not optional. It’s urgent. It’s necessary. And it can be the difference between life and loss.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

PPCM Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

The MAGAZINE: https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

11/26/2025

Meet Jennifer Hernandez:
By looking at the photo above, could you believe she was in full-blown heart failure?

In the first trimester, Jennifer felt unusually exhausted and noticed her blood pressure climbing, far earlier than expected. When she shared her concerns with her OBGYN, she was told to follow up with her primary care doctor. That visit ended with advice to “get a coffee and relax.” As her pregnancy progressed, her blood pressure continued to worsen.

She was eventually admitted to the hospital for monitoring, yet each nurse and doctor reassured her that it was simply anxiety. She just needed to calm down, they said. At 36 weeks, she was induced, ultimately ending in a C-section. Once discharged she returned a day later short of breath, and elevated blood pressure. The night before, she had even called the on-call labor and delivery doctor, reporting severe shortness of breath and escalating blood pressure. Again, she was told to relax. That night, she woke up gasping for air.

When she arrived at the hospital, she was diagnosed with Covid and placed on a Covid floor. She knew something was wrong and begged for an echocardiogram. Five days after removing 30lbs of fluid, she was diagnosed with, Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected.

Today, Jennifer is considered fully recovered. She believes the BNP Blood Test should be mandated for all expecting and postpartum mothers at risk, to sooner detect PPCM.❤️

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

PPCM Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

The MAGAZINE: https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

11/23/2025

We are thrilled to celebrate our Hope & Healing giveaway winners with the incredible Lisa Schwartz, maternal health advocate, author, actress and heart warrior, leading the way!💐

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a type of dilated cardiomyopathy that can develop during pregnancy or in the months after childbirth, posing potentially life-threatening risks if not identified early.

Lisa knows firsthand the frightening and unexpected journey of PPCM. She understands the worry, the pain, and the uncertainty it can bring and now uses her story to educate, raise awareness, and shed light on this rare heart condition in the maternal health space.

This giveaway is one way we get to celebrate and support the incredible members of our community.

🎊 A Huge Congratulations to Our Winners!
If your name was announced in our video, please check the email you used to apply. All mailing and gift details will be sent there. 📨

*Stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved and celebrate with us.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1 to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

The MAGAZINE:
https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

11/18/2025

What does life really look like after a PPCM diagnosis?

Here’s what many heart moms may experience:

💔 Your heart needs time to recover:
PPCM weakens the heart muscle, so recovery can be gradual. Some moms bounce back quickly, while others improve slowly over months or years. Both journeys are valid.

❤️‍🩹 Listening to your body becomes a new superpower:
Fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling, rapid weight changes, these symptoms matter. Many heart moms become experts at noticing the earliest signs their heart needs rest or medical attention.

⏳ Follow-ups and medications become part of the routine:
Medications like beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or diuretics help the heart heal and prevent fluid overload. Regular cardiology visits help track progress and adjust treatment.

🫶 Emotional healing is just as important as physical healing:
Surviving a heart condition after birth can leave behind fear, anxiety, or trauma. Many moms say the hardest part isn’t the diagnosis, it’s learning to trust their body again. Support groups and counseling can make a huge difference.

🔍 Some moms were diagnosed late, and their journey looks different:
Not because they didn’t speak up, but because their warnings were overlooked. These mothers often spend longer fighting symptoms before receiving the care they need. Their perseverance is powerful, and their stories remind us why awareness matters.

👶 Family planning is now a careful conversation:
Some moms go on to have healthy pregnancies later. Others make a thoughtful choice not to take the risk. Both paths are filled with love and courage.

💖 Many moms transform into advocates:
Sharing their story, supporting others, pushing for awareness, their voices help save lives, especially for moms who will be diagnosed in the future.

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

11/14/2025

Shout out to Grey's Anatomy!!!💐 They have highlighted Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in their latest episode, and while this is huge for awareness, it also reminds us how many moms still go unseen.

PPCM is often misdiagnosed, symptoms are overlooked, and stories aren’t shared widely enough. That’s why awareness is so important. We educate, support, and empower moms to recognize the warning signs, get help early, and share their experiences.

This moment is an opportunity: to amplify survivor voices, to grow awareness, and to make sure no mom feels invisible in her fight against PPCM. Our heart sister community is jumping for joy! ❤️‍🩹

11/13/2025

Meet Christa Marino:
Would you believe that in the photo above, she was in full-blown heart failure.

Residing in Michigan, Christa’s first pregnancy in 2023 was filled with excitement and hope. Her baby was due September 11, but by July, she began experiencing extreme swelling, symptoms that were brushed off as typical pregnancy changes. In August, her blood pressure rose, she rapidly gained weight, and breathing while lying flat became difficult. On August 18, she suffered a placental abruption and required an emergency C-section. During surgery, she went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to the ICU.

Doctors soon diagnosed her with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can strike during pregnancy or in the first year postpartum, often with life-threatening consequences if left undetected. After a week in the hospital, she was sent home on multiple heart medications. Three months later, on November 22, she began feeling sick and went to the ER. She was told it was pneumonia, but things quickly took a terrifying turn. She went into cardiogenic shock and suffered three cardiac arrests.

A Lucas device was used to keep her alive until she could be connected to ECMO life support. Her family was told she might not survive. The next day, she coded again while on ECMO and was placed on an Impella device for additional heart support. After eight days on life support, her heart miraculously began to recover. Just before Christmas, she was discharged and finally reunited with her baby girl.

Today, Christa lives with an ICD defibrillator and continues daily heart medications. Her heart function has improved but remains at 35%, and there’s still a chance she may need a transplant in the future. She believes the BNP Blood Test should be mandated for all expecting and postpartum mothers at risk, to sooner detect PPCM. ❤️‍🩹

Visit: https://letstalkppcm.org/share-your-story-1
to share your PPCM story and help raise awareness.

PPCM Workshops: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-workshops

The MAGAZINE: https://letstalkppcm.org/magazine

Support BNP Blood Testing: https://letstalkppcm.org/ppcm-screening

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