Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare condition in which a pregnant woman experiences a severe heart failure during the last month of pregnancy, or within 5 months after the baby is born. The incidence of peripartum cardiomyopathy appears to be 1 in 1,000 in the U.S. But in countries like Nigeria and Haiti, the incidence is very high – say 1 in 100 and 1 in 300, respectively.