Four days after delivering my baby girl Alana I noticed a significant increase in the swelling of my legs. While postpartum swelling is expected, I found mine to be unusually severe. Concerned, I checked my blood pressure which was elevated - in the range of 140s/80s. I contacted my doctor for a follow-up. Upon visiting I saw a different OB instead of my regular OB at the time. My blood pressure was rechecked and persisted in the 140s/90s range. I had also started to develop a headache during my visit.
Despite expressing my headache to the doctor, I was advised to take ibuprofen or Tylenol for relief and assured that my swelling was typical, without a thorough assessment. I was told to follow up in a week.

Intuitively and professionally, I sensed that something was wrong. As the evening unfolded, my blood pressure escalated further to the 150s/90s, signaling an urgent need to seek care in the Emergency Department due to the risk of developing preeclampsia, considering factors such as my ethnicity, age, and gestational diabetes.
Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, my blood pressure had risen to 160s/90s, and I could feel my body swelling even more in the ED. Subsequent laboratory tests revealed abnormalities in both my heart and liver function. An emergency ultrasound of my heart was performed by the attending ED physician to rule out heart failure. Immediate administration of magnesium to prevent seizures and blood pressure medications to lower my elevated blood pressure commenced. I was diagnosed with severe postpartum preeclampsia.
Had I delayed seeking urgent medical attention and adhered to the initial advice to follow up after a week, the outcome could have been different, potentially fatal. My legitimate symptoms and concerns were unfortunately disregarded.