The Hypertension Blues
“High blood pressure is a major health crisis in the black community.”
Hearing the words “you have postpartum preeclampsia” was a hard pill to swallow. For anyone who is not familiar with this term, postpartum preeclampsia is having high blood pressure after giving birth.
When I entered the doctor’s office a few weeks ago, I felt fine. I was able to get some household chores done, cook dinner for the family, and play around with my four-year-old. Nothing stressful about that, I thought.
I thought wrong.
This was a one-week check-up. It was supposed to be a breeze—go in for a blood pressure check, then go home. WRONG. My visit included readings of 178/100, followed by 183/102. After that, the words “go to the emergency room” followed.
I was in such disbelief that I convinced myself it was just anxiety. My numbers would be better at the hospital. As I drove there, my mind replayed the midwife’s words:
“Ma’am, your blood pressure is so high that you have to leave. Once you get there, they are going to start you on anti-seizure medicine. If you don’t get there right away, you could have a seizure and possibly die.”
I have heard similar words before—when I had asthma as a child, after a car accident, and after giving birth. But this time felt different.
This time, I saw sincere concern from my healthcare provider—the tone of her voice, the worry in her eyes. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, her words kept replaying in my head. I could no longer convince myself that nothing was wrong.
Something was wrong.
At the emergency room, the nurses cared for me and drew blood to rule out any other complications. Three hours later, I was officially diagnosed with postpartum hypertension and given medication to bring it down quickly. I was sent home with prescriptions—and my thoughts.
Fast forward to today: I am still experiencing anxiety from that diagnosis. I take my medication as prescribed, attend my doctor’s visits faithfully, and have added exercise into my routine. I am also learning how to let things be.
I thought my body could bounce back to my normal routine immediately after giving birth. I was only getting two and a half hours of sleep, but I felt like I had to keep going.
My body proved me wrong.
To any new mom reading this: please take it easy. Your home may look like a mess. You may have other responsibilities, but you have to care for your health and well-being too.
Use your support system if you have one. If not, find moments to rest.
During those first few weeks after giving birth, sleep and rest give your body time to heal.
Being a new mom is a challenging task, but take care of yourself during this time.
Your body—and your child—will thank you for it.
