Stress could have killed new mum, now she prepares parents for the aftermath of having a baby
- Victoria Warnes felt chest pains six weeks after giving birth; doctors found a rare heart condition that is a major cause of pregnancy-associated heart attacks
- The experience prompted her to start Our Baby Club, which teaches couples what to expect when they have a baby and how to make the best choices for their family
When Victoria Warnes gave birth to her son Wills in the United Kingdom in 2017, everything went without a hiccup. “It was a calm, planned C-section, totally straightforward.”
A few weeks later, things started to get more difficult when her husband had to go to Australia for several weeks for work. Warnes’ eldest daughter Olivia, aged two at the time, needed a lot of attention, and with a lack of sleep due to feeding Wills at night and keeping young Olivia entertained, Warnes was under a lot of stress.
Instead of seeking extra help, she took it all on herself. She would take her children to the park during the day, pushing Wills in the buggy so Olivia could run around.
On one of these walks, about six weeks after giving birth, Warnes noticed chest pains. She experienced them again when she was running up the stairs at home. Being 35, fit, active and healthy, it was perplexing. A girlfriend urged her to see a doctor.
Her heart was under massive stress, with the collapsed arterial wall causing a 97 per cent blockage. Without surgery, she could have died.
