Chester Fitness Coach Suffered a Stroke Just Weeks After Giving Birth

Becki Barratt is a 33-year-old health and fitness coach who lives in Chester, England. Just three weeks after having her second baby, she suffered a stroke while breastfeeding at home. Instead of enjoying those first weeks with her newborn, she found herself fighting to recover from a life-changing medical emergency.

Becki lives with her husband James and their two children — daughter Aréya and son Beauden. The couple had struggled to have children, and both babies were born through IVF, a medical process that helps people have children. Aréya was born in March 2024, and Beauden came just weeks later in April. 'We felt so lucky. We had our two beautiful children,' Becki said.

Then, one day while she was feeding Beauden, something went terribly wrong. Her hand suddenly started shaking and cramping, and she called out to James. As she tried to stand up, her legs felt too weak to hold her, and she slowly collapsed to the floor while still holding the baby.

Becki was taken quickly to Countess of Chester Hospital. By the time she arrived, the entire left side of her body was paralyzed — she could not walk or move her left arm or leg. Doctors confirmed she had suffered a stroke. She remembered thinking it felt so unlikely for someone her age, saying, 'Why would I be having a stroke?'

The emotional pain of the stroke was just as hard as the physical pain. Instead of bonding with her newborn son, Becki had to focus on learning how to survive. 'A part of motherhood was taken away from me,' she said. 'I felt lost. I felt alone. I felt completely useless to my children and my husband.'

Becki began her recovery one small step at a time — first learning to sit up, then to stand, and finally to walk again. She said she quickly realized she could not change what had happened, but she could choose how she responded to it. That mindset became her motivation to push forward every day. 'The only way out is through,' she said.

Doctors are still investigating exactly why the stroke happened. Becki said she never would have imagined that a healthy young mother could have a stroke while breastfeeding. 'Stroke doesn't discriminate. In a single moment, my entire life changed,' she said. Now, every small thing she can do again — like taking a step or giving a cuddle — feels like a victory.

Becki has set a big goal for herself: she wants to run the London Marathon in 2027. She watched this year's race from her hospital bed, which made her even more determined to reach that finish line one day. She wants her children to see that even when life suddenly changes, a person can keep moving forward. 'They are my reason to keep going,' she said.

A stroke expert also shared her thoughts on Becki's experience. Juliet Bouverie, the head of the Stroke Association in the UK, said Becki's story is an important reminder that strokes can happen to anyone, no matter their age or fitness level. She explained that about one in four strokes happen to people of working age, and that pregnancy can raise the risk because it increases the chances of high blood pressure and blood clots. She hopes Becki's story helps more people understand that strokes are not only something that happens to older people.