FreeMD® Postpartum Cardiomyopathy Home Care: Self-monitoring

Postpartum Cardiomyopathy Home Care: Self-monitoring

Self-monitoring is important in postpartum cardiomyopathy:

Monitor your blood pressure. Use home blood pressure monitoring where appropriate.
Monitor your pulse. Take your pulse daily while you are at rest. Keep a logbook of your results. Report to your doctor any pulse rates that exceed 20 beats per minute over your normal resting pulse.
Monitor your weight. Heart failure patients should weigh themselves every day. Many doctors recommend that heart failure patients use a quality bathroom scale. It is best to obtain a weight at the same time each day and record the weight on paper. Keeping a log of daily weights is especially important for patients who may have difficulty with their memory.