New mom empowered to manage health through Beacon’s blood pressure monitoring program

When Kaila Duell decided she wanted to be a mom, it didn’t happen immediately.

After trying for some time, Kaila eventually conceived her daughter through a fertility treatment called IUI, or intrauterine insemination. She felt both excited and nervous about her first pregnancy.

“Going into the pregnancy was anxiety-inducing because of the fertility treatment,” Kaila explains.

As someone who dealt with anxiety even before pregnancy, Kaila worried that something might go wrong.

An unexpected challenge

During a routine pregnancy check-up with her OB-GYN, Kaila received surprising news. Her blood pressure was higher than normal, and there was protein in her urine. These are signs of a condition called preeclampsia—a serious blood pressure disorder that can happen during pregnancy. If left untreated, preeclampsia can harm both mom and baby by reducing blood flow to the placenta. which feeds the baby, damaging mom’s organs, and in severe cases, causing seizures or stroke.

Kaila had never experienced high blood pressure before.

“Having high blood pressure was nerve-wracking because it came out of nowhere,” she says.

Her doctor recommended the blood pressure monitoring program through Beacon Health System’s Community Impact team. The program would allow Kaila to check her blood pressure at home and have medical professionals keep track of her readings.

Taking control through monitoring

Within 24 hours, Missy, who runs the program, visited Kaila’s home with equipment and instructions. “It was very easy, self-explanatory, and Missy is great to work with,” Kaila recalls.

Twice a day, Kaila measured her blood pressure and sent the readings to be monitored. This simple routine gave her peace of mind. “I’m a very anxious person, so knowing I could take my blood pressure and it would be sent to be monitored was reassuring.”

Just a few days after starting the program, Kaila’s blood pressure readings became dangerously high. Missy advised her to go to triage in the maternity unit at Elkhart General Hospital immediately, as she was at risk of having a stroke.

“My preeclampsia came on quickly, but it was very quickly managed because of the program. I was able to catch it quickly, and we were never in danger,” Kaila says.

If she had not been part of the monitoring program, Kaila wouldn’t have known her blood pressure was so high or that she needed medical attention. The day she went to Elkhart General, she thought she was just feeling anxious and wouldn’t have realized her symptoms—slightly swollen feet and lightheadedness—were actually warning signs of preeclampsia.

Making informed decisions

As her pregnancy progressed, Kaila noticed her blood pressure would rise on more stressful days at her job. With this knowledge, she made the important decision to start her maternity leave two weeks earlier than planned.

“I wanted that time with my baby after delivery, but the program helped me realize it was in her and my best interest to start maternity leave early. Having that information changed my mind, which was good.”

This decision likely helped her baby stay in the womb longer instead of requiring an early delivery.

“The program gives patients a role in their care,” says Kimberly Green Reeves, executive director of Beacon Community Impact. “They have agency and can advocate for their health.”

Welcoming baby Eleanor

Due to her high blood pressure, Kaila’s care team recommended inducing labor at 37 weeks. When the induction didn’t progress as quickly as hoped, Kaila had a C-section to deliver her baby girl, Eleanor Kay, or Ellie for short, in October.

“My plan was to have a vaginal birth, but you don’t always get to pick your plans,” Kaila says. “I personally loved the C-section experience and would do it again. Ellie came out healthy and screaming. The staff and nurses were great.”

During the C-section, the doctor commented that Ellie had “the best cord they’d seen in months”—a sign that Kaila’s placenta had been feeding her baby well despite the high blood pressure challenges.

“Ellie came out crying, had great lungs, and peed all over the place, and the staff were like, ‘This is awesome!’” Kaila remembers with a smile.

After delivery: Continued vigilance

Many people don’t realize that blood pressure problems can actually worsen after giving birth, as hormone levels change dramatically. Kaila continued monitoring her blood pressure through the Beacon program for six weeks after Ellie’s birth.

“Missy reminded me to measure my blood pressure and keep taking meds after. I never would have known to do that if she hadn’t told me,” Kaila says.

Sure enough, her blood pressure did rise after delivery, requiring an increase in medication. Gradually, her blood pressure returned to normal.

Today, Kaila no longer needs medication, and her blood pressure remains in a healthy range.

The power of knowledge

Looking back on her experience, Kaila is grateful for the blood pressure monitoring program.

“I thought the program was really awesome. I didn’t know there were such programs. I’m glad Beacon does things like that. It’s so educational,” she says.

The program not only helped her physically, but it also eased her anxiety as a first-time mom. “I always feel better when I know what’s happening, and being able to read my blood pressure at home was really reassuring throughout the whole process,” Kaila says.

Perhaps most importantly, the program empowered Kaila to take an active role in managing her health during a critical time.

“I like to be involved in my health, so having all that info was very valuable. I was part of a program that helped not just me but educated my husband, too,” she says. “Knowledge is power—that was my favorite part. I was also in control and could pinpoint when my blood pressure was high and try to figure out why.”

Thanks to early detection, close monitoring, and quick medical intervention, both Kaila and baby Ellie are healthy and thriving.