A pregnant Costa Mesa woman credits her Apple Smartwatch with providing critical health alerts that prompted her to seek emergency medical care, a decision she and medical professionals say saved her life and that of her unborn child. Jess Kelly, 37 weeks pregnant at the time, experienced repeated high heart rate notifications from her device, ultimately leading her to the hospital, according to an account first reported by costamesaconfidential.com.
Kelly recounted feeling unwell while resting in bed, initially attributing her symptoms to a potential resurgence of morning sickness in her third trimester or a stomach flu her son had. However, she found it "really odd" that her Apple Watch indicated her heart rate was consistently going over 120 beats per minute, especially since she was not engaged in any physical activity. Her device sent an initial alert, followed by two more notifications about her elevated heart rate within a 30-minute timeframe.
“By the third time I thought ‘Something is going on’ and maybe I should get this looked into,” Kelly stated, emphasizing the growing urgency she felt. Upon arriving at the hospital, Kelly faced a serious diagnosis. Doctors informed her that she was suffering from a placental abruption, a condition where the placenta prematurely detaches from the inner wall of the uterus before birth. She was also actively in labor and losing blood rapidly. Despite the dire circumstances, her baby girl, Shelby Marie, was born just three hours later.
Reflecting on the life-threatening experience, Kelly shared, “I literally thought I was going to die.” She further elaborated on the profound impact of the smartwatch's alert. “If I had not listened to the watch I would have stayed home and instead of celebrating her one month of birth we could of possibly been planning, or my husband could have been planning services for either myself, Shelby or maybe even both of us,” Kelly said.
Dr. Brian Kim, a medical professional affiliated with Providence St. Jude Medical Center, offered context on accelerated heart rates, explaining they can arise from various factors, including anxiety and dehydration. Dr. Kim underscored the critical importance of paying attention to alerts from personal health devices like the Apple Watch. He advised that individuals "can actually save your life by basically following your body and the rhythm from the Apple Watch,” and stressed, “If there’s something wrong I think that you should see a doctor immediately.”
Kelly reinforced this advice, urging anyone receiving similar alerts not to dismiss them. “Listen to it. It’s not just a text message, help you find your phone alert,” she advised, adding, “It’s to pay attention to it and listen to your body.”
