Staying Healthy After Childbirth

What is Staying Healthy After Childbirth?

Staying Healthy After Childbirth is a program that helps new moms with high blood pressure safely monitor and treat their high blood pressure from the comfort of their home. We send people home with special equipment that allows for daily remote monitoring and the ability to interact in real time with health care professionals to guide and support them through six weeks after delivery. High blood pressure is common during pregnancy and postpartum. At least 20% of new moms in Wisconsin have high blood pressure, which, if left uncontrolled, can lead to seizure, stroke, organ damage, or even death.

People who use the Staying Healthy After Childbirth program go home after giving birth with a home blood pressure monitoring kit that sends daily blood pressure measurements to the healthcare team and your electronic medical record. Your blood pressure is reviewed every day by an obstetric nurse with special training in monitoring people who had high blood pressure during pregnancy or after birth. The Staying Healthy After Childbirth team can start, increase, and stop blood pressure medication under the direction of the program physician based on participants’ blood pressure readings.

People who use this program are much more likely to have elevations in their blood pressure detected early and treated, thereby preventing serious complications of high blood pressure. In addition, we help minimize trips back to the doctor’s office and readmission to the hospital, allowing new parents more time at home with their new baby.

Learn more about Staying Healthy After Childbirth from Heather Olson, BSN, RN Telehealth Nurse in the UnityPoint Health-Meriter Center for Perinatal Care:

Learn more about Staying Healthy After Childbirth

Why is this important?

  • Increasing blood pressure is common after you leave the hospital (typically five to 10 days after discharge) and often goes unrecognized until it is too high or severe and you do not feel well.
    • A clinic check-up is typically recommended around 7-10 days after delivery. However, blood pressure can rise before this visit, leading to hospital readmission.
    • The advantage of home blood pressure monitoring is you do not have to go to a clinic. We identify that your blood pressure has increased and requires treatment well before you even would have had your clinic visit.
  • After birth, complications related to high blood pressure are the most common cause for hospital readmission.
  • In a recent study conducted at our hospital, new moms using the home monitoring program decreased their chance of being readmitted to the hospital.
    • Six out of ten new moms who participated in this program experienced increasing blood pressures that required starting a new medication or increasing medications that were given at discharge to adequately control their blood pressure in the six weeks after delivery.
  • Your participation in this program will help you be in control of your own health, stay healthy at home, and enjoy more time with your new baby.

Patient Perspectives

Thank you, the program was very helpful and helped give me peace of mind while healing. I appreciate all of you! Thank you!

— Kaitlynn

Thank you to all of you who were helpful, kind and there for any questions/concerns that I had. I’m extremely thankful for this program, especially since my blood pressure did skyrocket for a little bit before returning to normal. I wish you all the best! Thank you again!

— Arienne

I am very grateful, especially during the first few weeks postpartum. I was having a hard time and the daily messages from you gave me a connection to the outside world.

— Anna

Thank you all for your continued support and monitoring of my health! My child and I are forever grateful, take care!

— Gabriella

Thank you so much for all your support! This program has been amazing to me and my family twice now!

— Methany

Thank you for all your guidance and direction as a part of this program! It truly put my mind at ease not only having access to you all but how thoroughly I was monitored in the early postpartum period!

— Kerstyn

Thank you for looking after me and for helping me navigate postpartum BP issues. What you did was more than just doing your jobs, you were hand holding me so I could confidently pass this phase in a healthy way. Thank you very much!

— Sibusiso

It was amazing to have the support of you guys! I appreciate all the advice and check-in that you guys have offered and I really feel that this program was what I needed and a time that I was very vulnerable.

— Finny

This was a very convenient program that allowed me to easily monitor my health & check in with medical professionals whenever I needed; especially in a phase of life when I’m going through so much change. Thank you, I’m glad this program existed!

— Corinne

Thank you so much for your help during the last six weeks and helping me to safely get off my blood pressure medications! It was a great comfort to know there were people to help in case there had been a change in my health the past six weeks. It is a great program!

— Elizabeth

Thank you again so much! This program was very helpful, especially with a newborn, where I could do everything from the convenience of home and not have to constantly go into the doctor's office!

— Alicia

Thanks again for all you do. You are a “vital” part of my journey to a better me. The accountability you all provided was much needed. Your follow up really showed me that you truly care for your patients. What you do is so important and valuable.

— Sheny

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