Samantha
Samantha developed high blood pressure around 28 weeks into her second pregnancy. She was started on medication and monitored more closely for the remainder of her pregnancy. At 39 weeks, she was induced and gave birth to a healthy baby. However, shortly after birth, her baby developed an infection and was admitted to the neonatal unit for antibiotics. Samantha's blood pressure medication was stopped after the birth but had to be restarted a few days later when her blood pressure rose again. Clip read by an actor.
Samantha is a 28-year-old White British woman who lives with her husband and two children (2 years, and 3 months). She is currently on maternity leave.
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Samantha’s first pregnancy was uneventful. During her second pregnancy she began to feel very tired and was experiencing headaches and visual disturbances at around 28 weeks. At her next antenatal appointment, she was found to have high blood pressure and was started on labetalol. After her diagnosis, Samantha saw her midwife twice a week for blood pressure checks, which she found difficult to manage while caring for a toddler. She also bought a blood pressure monitor so she could keep a closer eye on her readings at home. However, she was initially unsure how to interpret the results or when to seek medical advice. She later received clearer guidance, which she found reassuring, but wished she had been given this information sooner. Over time, she also learned to recognise when her blood pressure was high from the way her body felt. Samantha's blood pressure remained difficult to control, and her labetalol was increased from twice to three times a day. However, she was never clear whether she had pre-eclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension, as different doctors gave her different explanations and she felt she never received a clear explanation of either condition.
Samantha was induced t just under 40 weeks. Although her son appeared healthy at birth, he later developed an infection and was admitted to the neonatal unit for antibiotics. After the birth, Samantha's blood pressure medication was stopped and she was told she no longer needed it because her high blood pressure had been caused by the pregnancy. She was discharged four days after giving birth and the following day, a midwife visited Samantha at home, who checked her blood pressure (after Samantha mentioned that it had been high in pregnancy) and found that it was elevated again. Samantha was sent back to hospital which she found stressful as she had left her newborn at home with her husband and only a limited supply of expressed breast milk. After waiting several hours to be seen, she was told by the doctor that her medication should not have been stopped. She was restarted on Labetalol, but Samantha then had to wait for her prescription to be dispensed and for her blood pressure to improve before she could return home, which added to her anxiety.
Once home, Samantha was unsure who was responsible for managing her blood pressure. Eventually, she agreed with her GP to monitor it at home and report her readings so that her medication could be adjusted. She found regularly checking her blood pressure while caring for both a toddler and a newborn was challenging. When her prescription eventually ran out, no further follow-up was arranged. Samantha was never given information about the long-term health risks associated with high blood pressure in pregnancy or how she might reduce them.
After struggling to breastfeed her first baby, Samantha had assumed she would formula feed her second and bought formula each time she went shopping while pregnant. However, because her high blood pressure meant she stayed in hospital for longer after the birth, she received more support with breastfeeding than she had the first time. Although she continued to have some difficulties with latching, she went on to combine breastfeeding with expressing breast milk, and using formula to occasionally top-up.
Samantha found it quite stressful having to juggle work with caring for a toddler and more frequent antenatal checks because of her blood pressure and her mental health suffered during pregnancy. During a routine appointment, she opened up to her midwife about how she was feeling. Samantha said she excellent and took the time to listen. She was put on a mental health monitoring pathway but only temporarily. She also received support from Home-Start, a charity that provides practical and emotional support to families with young children, which she found very helpful. Unlike after the birth of her first child, she did not experience the baby blues following her second pregnancy. Even so, she finds the lack of sleep and the demands of caring for two young children can still be overwhelming. She also feels there is a lot of pressure on mothers to appear as though they are coping, making it difficult to admit when they need help.
Samantha thinks support from other mothers’ can be very helpful. She particularly liked a buggy walk organised by her local children's centre because it gave her the chance to get outside, meet other mums and share experiences, although she was only able to attend a few times because it clashed with her schedule. She also recalled being able to support a tearful, first-time mum when she was in hospital by watching her baby for her when she went for a shower and showing her how to prepare a bottle.
Samantha was told she could stop taking her medication after giving birth. However, her blood pressure became dangerously high. There was disagreement and uncertainty about which healthcare professionals would manage her blood pressure (read by an actor).
Samantha was told she could stop taking her medication after giving birth. However, her blood pressure became dangerously high. There was disagreement and uncertainty about which healthcare professionals would manage her blood pressure (read by an actor).
I sort of explained that I was just told to not take the medication anymore, and she [the doctor] was quite shocked to say, “Well, you can’t just go cold turkey. You know, who’s... who’s reviewing this?” And I was... sort of said, “Well, nobody really.” So, she’s: “We’re gonna have to re-prescribe you the medication.” Huh. Which was super-annoying ’cause I did sort of say to them, I was like: “Can I just self-discharge and go home?” I was like: “I have the medication at home. I’ll just go and take it.” But I had to sort of... they were like: “Well, if you discharge, you’re probably gonna have to come back wait.” So, I was like: ‘oh, I just want to be at home with my baby.’ And they re-prescribed me the labetalol, which I then had to take whilst I was there, and then I had to sit around and wait [chuckles] for another blood pressure monitor to see if it had bought my blood pressure down, and which it had, so I was then able to, like, go home at that point. So, then I was taking that again I think three times a day. And then there was kind of this, like, up in the air of, like, who’s going to manage the overseeing of that, shall we say. And they didn’t know whether it would be the midwives or the GP, or what. So, I wasn’t really sure, so I got in touch with a GP and sort of explained the situation and said, you know: “Is this something that you’re going to manage?” basically. And then luckily, like, the GP said, “Yes.”