Serious Postpartum Complications Women Can Face

Systemic Blood Clots

The following symptoms could indicate a woman is experiencing an infection or excessive bleeding: bright red blood after the third day after birth, difficulty breathing, a high fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, severe headaches, loss of consciousness, stitches separating in the perineum or abdomen, foul-smelling discharge, and passing large clots (bigger than golf balls) twenty-four hours after giving birth. Women who have recently given birth are also at an increased risk for blood clots in their arteries, similar to what Serena Williams experienced.

These systemic clots can lead to a heart attack, a stroke, pulmonary embolism (blood clotting in the lungs), and deep vein thrombosis. Symptoms for systemic blood clots include chest pain or pressure, pain or numbness, loss of strength on one side of the body, loss of balance, swelling or pain in a leg, and trouble breathing. If a patient has a medical or hereditary history of blood clots, they should alert a doctor before and after birth so they can be closely monitored.

Cardiovascular Issues

Besides blood clotting, peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare condition affecting 1,000 to 1,300 women in the U.S. each year. It is an uncommon form of heart failure that occurs in the last month of pregnancy or five months after giving birth. The heart chambers are enlarged and the muscles weaken, which leads to less blood flow and less oxygen being circulating throughout the body, affecting the lungs, liver, and other systems.

The condition can be difficult to detect as the symptoms are similar to what women experience in their third trimester, such as shortness of breath, and swelling of the legs and feet. Causes of PPCM include obesity, a medical history of cardiac disorders, smoking, alcoholism, use of certain medications, poor nutrition, multiple pregnancies, and it is more common in African-American patients. Treatments for PPCM include angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics, digitalis, and anticoagulants.