Pregnancy history is heart history · The NICU family guide
Your baby has
a care plan.
You deserve
one, too.
You have been thinking about your baby. Let’s make room for your health, too—with answers about your pregnancy, support for feeding, and a clear next step.
For mothers during a NICU stay and after coming home.
Your care.
Your plan.
A little space for your health.
A clear plan for what comes next.
Pregnancy history is heart history.
belongs in
the plan.
Your baby may spend weeks or months in the NICU. Your own appointments follow the time since you gave birth—not the day your baby goes home.
01 / Your pregnancy, remembered
What happened
during your pregnancy?
Choose a topic to see what it may mean and what to ask. A pregnancy complication is a reason for follow-up, not a prediction that you will develop heart disease.
Blood pressure still needs attention after birth.
Preeclampsia and pregnancy-related hypertension are linked to a higher chance of later high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Blood pressure can also become dangerous after delivery, even if you feel well.
Ask your team: “When is my next blood-pressure check, what readings need urgent care, and who is reviewing my readings?”
Read the clinical sources ↗This is education, not a diagnosis or a risk score. No health information is submitted or saved by this page. If you have symptoms now, get medical care rather than using this guide.
02 / Feeding without blame
Pumping is work.
You deserve support.
Preeclampsia, early birth, illness, and being separated from your baby can make establishing milk supply harder. A small amount of milk is not a measure of your effort—or proof of a heart problem.
Ask for an individualized plan with an IBCLC or your lactation team. Review your medicines with your prescriber or pharmacist, especially when your baby was born early. Many treatments can be used while breastfeeding; the specific medicine and your baby’s needs matter.
Keep taking prescribed treatment unless your clinician changes it. Ask for help with pump fit, comfort, a workable schedule, and feeding options.
SMFM and lactation resources ↗03 / A next step with a name and a date
Make your follow-up
easier to keep.
Ask the NICU team to help you connect with your own OB, midwife, primary care clinician, or cardiology team. Your maternal clinician sets your plan.
Keep the diagnosis.
Get your maternal discharge summary. Record what happened, when it happened, and which clinician is responsible for follow-up.
Check the timing.
After pregnancy-related hypertension, a blood-pressure evaluation is recommended within 7–10 days after birth; severe hypertension needs evaluation within 72 hours. Follow an earlier plan if your team gives one. If that window has passed, contact your team now.
Plan beyond the NICU.
Postpartum care should begin within 3 weeks, with a comprehensive visit by 12 weeks. After gestational diabetes, ask about a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 4–12 weeks and repeat testing every 1–3 years. Complications may require earlier or additional visits.
Bring it to future visits.
Keep pregnancy history in your ongoing health record. Ask about blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and any kidney tests your clinician recommends. Include your feeding goals and practical barriers to attending care.
My next-visit checklist
Four things to leave with.
0 of 4 checked. These are planning prompts, not a medical assessment.
Your selections stay only in this open page. Printing may save them on your device.
Pregnancy history is heart history / A HEART RESERVE initiative
Your pregnancy is part of
your heart story.
Founded by Lisa Zahakos, RPA-C, a physician assistant and NICU mother. This proposed campaign brings maternal heart-health education into the places where families are already receiving care.