As a nurse at a level 1 academic medical center, I was not unaware of maternal complications however, postpartum hypertension was not something familiar to me. After my experiencing it mildly after my first son was born, I was very aware after the birth of my twins in April 2020. Despite going home with an antihypertensive, I was readmitted during the height of the covid pandemic with refractory hypertension and found myself having to fight and advocate for myself with my medical team. I was eventually discharged a week later after getting in touch with my cardiologist (I have a bicuspid aortic valve) and was sent home on massive doses of 3 different meds — which became a different issue when my blood pressure started to regulate and hypotension was occurring. The trauma of it also lingered for quite some time.

Fast forward to 2025 when I was pregnant again and luckily under the care of Maternal Fetal Medicine this time around, I was able to have a safe action plan if we were in a setting where this happened again, which it did. Despite the fear of the diagnosis again, having a care team who was prepared and proactive in managing my blood pressures made such a difference in my hospitalization and mental health. I still had a prolonged hospital stay and was discharged again on 3 different medications but being in far more of a controlled situation with the providers made the world of difference. Knowledge is power and I feel grateful I had the wherewithal to advocate for myself but know others aren’t in the same position. I feel so strongly about the need for education from providers to patients about the signs of blood pressure issues postpartum and early identification and management.