Why I Started The PPCM Pulse
- The PPCM Pulse
- Jul 10
- 3 min read
When I first heard the words “You’re in heart failure,” I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath me. I had just given birth. The delivery was fairly uneventful, even though it was a c-section. But something wasn’t right. The first night home was rough. The back pain was excruciating and I needed help getting up from a sitting position. When I woke up in the middle of the night, that first night home, I was so scared - I did not go back to sleep. The feeling of suffocation was so overwhelming and I sat in the bed until daylight. Of course, that made me more tired.
The fatigue was unbearable. My legs were swollen; my entire body was swollen. I couldn’t lie flat without gasping for breath.
Everyone said it was just part of new motherhood. But it wasn’t. It was peripartum cardiomyopathy – PPCM – a rare form of postpartum heart failure that I had never even heard of until it nearly killed me.
PPCM is a very serious pregnancy complication that you’ve likely never heard of.
I started The PPCM Pulse because no one should have to go through that feeling of isolation and confusion. No one should be dismissed when their life is on the line. And no one should have to learn about PPCM the way I did – after the fact.
In Canada:
~20% of PPCM cases involve severe complications like arrhythmia or heart failure
7-20% long-term mortality rate
20% risk of relapse in future pregnancies
10-17% risk of developing blood clots in the heart (Source: CMAJ, Heart & Stroke Foundation)
What I Wish I Had Known
If I had known that PPCM affects 1 in every 1,000–4,000 births [Canadian Journal of Cardiology], I would’ve asked different questions.
Black and Indigenous women face higher risk and slower diagnoses.
If I had known that a simple blood test (BNP) or an echocardiogram could detect heart failure, I would’ve pushed for more than reassurance.
But no one was talking about PPCM. And that silence nearly cost me my life. Once I started healing, I made myself a promise:
If I survived this, I’d make it my mission to raise awareness so other women wouldn’t suffer in silence.
That’s why The PPCM Pulse exists. It’s not just a blog. It’s a space to:
Share survivor stories
Break down symptoms and warning signs
Amplify research and Canadian-specific data
Offer digital tools for healing and advocacy
Connect women who feel invisible or dismissed
Who This Platform Is For
This is for the mother who feels like she’s “just tired” but knows it’s something more.
It’s for the partner, the doula, the midwife, the nurse—who wants to support birthing people with compassion and clarity.
It’s for the researchers and advocates fighting to close the maternal health gap.
And it’s especially for Black and Indigenous women who are too often unheard or untreated in time.
What You Can Do
Subscribe – Stay updated with new survivor stories, medical insights, and advocacy actions.
Share - Forward posts to a new mom, a birthworker, a healthcare provider.
Speak up - If you’ve experienced PPCM, your voice is needed. Your story can change someone else’s future.
The PPCM Pulse is more than a personal project. It’s my love letter to every woman who has ever felt like she was shouting into the void.
If you’re reading this and feel something resonate in your chest… please don’t ignore it.
We’re in this together. If this post resonated with you... whether you're a survivor, partner, birthworker, or advocate, I’d love to continue the conversation with you. Join us on social:
Instagram @ppcmpulse
TikTok @ppcmpulse
Facebook – @The PPCM Pulse
📲 Use the hashtag #PPCMPulse to connect or tag us in your story... we’d love to amplify your voice.
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