When you have a new baby, you can feel like your heart is bursting with love. But very rarely, during or after pregnancy, a mom can develop another type of heart change: a condition called peripartum cardiomyopathy, which is a weakness of the heart muscle.
With peripartum cardiomyopathy, the heart doesn?t pump as hard as it?s supposed to, which results in fluid buildup because the blood isn?t being circulated properly. This buildup can cause fluid in the lungs, which leads to shortness of breath, and can cause swelling in the legs.
Though peripartum cardiomyopathy is rare?only about one in 3,000 to 5,000 pregnant people in North America develop it?there are people who have a higher risk of developing the condition. ?Common risk factors are having had prior pregnancies, if you have multiples, or if you’re older,? says Lili Barouch, a cardiologist who specializes in cardiomyopathy and an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. ?The biggest risk factor is if you’ve had it before, then you’re at significant risk for having it happen again.? Though trouble breathing and leg swelling are the primary symptoms, some people also experience abnormal heart rhythms, fatigue and palpitations, says Barouch.

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