PRE-ECLAMPSIA-How did you know?

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

Hi there,
With my first pregnancy i had pre-eclampsia and at every checkup was fine but i stareted feeling really odd one day so i went into hospital.The symptoms i had were Headaches,dizziness,swelling in hands feet and face,and i would get short bursts of blindness lasting about 30 mins.Luckily i had already read up on pre-eclampsia and recognised the signs.I was just wondering those who have had pre-eclampsia what signs/symptoms did you get and how/when did you find out you had it?How long after you found out you had it was your baby born?

[sugar n spice]

Well with my first i found out i had it at approx 30 wks and son was born 38 wks
same really for second child but it didn't really worsen until approx 34wks
symptoms were spots around eyes, elephent legs i called them:laughing: ( odema) gees i look back at my photos and you can hardly see my eyes my face was that swollen. the bigges clue was literally the worst headache ever.

[Elfin]

The only symptoms I had were the swelling, and a couple of times I saw shooting stars. I actually felt very well but I was surprised how quickly it accelerated. Horrible isidious thing it is.

[MummyCharmzy]

with my fisrt pregnancy I had no symptoms I could see.. I did not have ANY swelling... I went for my normal checkup thinking I was in perfect health and my bp was up to 140/90 so they did the urine test and found a few pluses of protein, sent me straight to the closest hospital and admitted me on the spot... 3 days later he was born... but until the day he was born I still felt 100% fine and couldnt understand what on earth the fuss was about.

with my daughter I had pih, I had some slight headaches and then swelling that had me in hospital a few times. the night she was born I awoke at 4am with the most shocking migraine ever.. and then it was all stations go as i was rushed to hosp with bp at 225/165.. took hours to stabilize me but finally they did for about 3 hours... when we had a repeat so I was rushed in for the c-sect

this time I've already had headaches etc as my bp gets up.. anything over diastolic on 90 and im headachey... when its 95 or above I start to feel really ill from it too... no swelling yet though though I've already taken my rings and things off cos I remember them getting stuck on with my daughter and I dont want the same problem of trying to get them off!!!

[Suzie]

I had PIH and oedema with my first and now Im 16 wks pg with my second. My bp is already 130ish over 90. Im concerned. I think mainly though that whenever I see a bp machine I get nervous. I can actually feel my bp go up.
Im scared about this as its soooo early and I dont want to end up on meds and certainly dont want to be induced when the time comes. Also Im only a temp and we literally just bought our first house so I cant afford to leave work yet.
:thumbsdown:

[newmum2one]

I had a really bad sharp headache about a week before I was diagnosed, swelling, and lightheadedness... I actually went to hospital with heavy bleeding and they diagnosed me then...
Did I see someone's post that they had it twice? Two doctors have told me I can't get it a second time?

[dieselsmummy]

i had swelling, protein in the urine, saw stars and got head aches. i was diagnosed and hopitalised for about 3 or 4 weeks i think before i got really high blood pressure, vomiting, migraine, light sensativity and was delivered by emergency c/s in a matter of hours.

[madreader]

I actually had some light blindness when i was about 12/13 weeks along but i put it down to getting up to quickly. Anyway at my 36 week check-up thats when they picked it up with me. My bp was 160/110. So it was straight to hospital for where i was closely monitered until i had baby no.3.

[BlessedWithBlue]

I was fine until my 35 week check up, i had been having headaches from about 33 weeks, slight swelling in my hands, feet and face, protein in urine , the night before my 35w ante natal i was feeling dizzy and seeing spots. Doc checked my bp and it had always been normal but went way up to 160/100 and she immediately called the hospital i was to deliver in and told me get my blood taken and get my notes and go straight to the hospital to have my BP monitored. They kept me in the hospital for a week to monitor me and found my platelets had dropped even lower than they were when i was admitted to the hospital so i was induced at 36 weeks.

[MyLittleJellyBean]

Is it a general thing to end up having a c/s with preeclampsia? or can you still have a normal delivery?

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

Is it a general thing to end up having a c/s with preeclampsia? or can you still have a normal delivery?
You can still have a normal delivery,but sometimes you have to have a c/s if its really bad.

[lizzymcfizzy]

Is it a general thing to end up having a c/s with preeclampsia? or can you still have a normal delivery?

I asked my ob the same question on Thursday and he said its a myth that you have to have a ceaser right away. phew!

Unless you or the baby is distressed or any other urgent problems arise they let you have a vaginal birth :)

my background:
I already had high BP before I fell pregnant and have been on meds since then (about 2 years). Because of this I've been closely monitored throughout my pregnancy. At first it went down to a perfect 120/80, best its ever been, but the past three weeks its started to creep up. Its now 130/90 and I'm almost 37 weeks. I don't think its anything to worry about just yet, hopefully it will stay there.

They said if I get to 40 weeks and it goes high they will induce me and not let me go overdue.

[bubs_and_us]

i didnt develop PE until i was in labour.... it was sudden onset, severe PE, borderline eclampsia.

TBH, i dont recall any symptoms, but i dont remember a lot of my labour. in my notes it says i had headache, dizziness, vomiting, swelling, stars in eyes, extreemly high BP and protein in urine.

it was all very panicked, and within 1 hour, my little man was pulled out of me with the vacuum....

they wanted to do a CS, but it was too dangerous for me.

not something i would wish on my worst enemy :no:

[bubs_and_us]

Did I see someone's post that they had it twice? Two doctors have told me I can't get it a second time?

that is actually untrue. i've done a lot of research, and statistically, you can get it more than once.

you have a higher risk if its your first pregnancy, and if your second pregnancy is with a different father than your first (they dont know why)

[Lastcenturymum]

I didn't know I had it - felt fine. Went for 33-34 week check up and was sent home straight to bed while they organized the hospital. (I actually went home and finished hemming my new dressing gown!!) Spent about 10 days drugged to the eyeballs, BP didn't come down and I was only allowed out of bed once a day for a quick shower.

Induced at 35 weeks (though the midwife had the theatre on standby for a ceaser) Blood pressure was thru the roof, I was on oxygen, catheter, baby had HRM monitor as getting distressed, delivered (high forceps) in about 6 hours. She was 6lb 3 (amazingly) She had to be transferred to a bigger hospital, so I didn't get to hold her for a week:crying: Had to stay on blood pressure meds for a few weeks, but being young bounced back. BP went up with the others, but not to the extent of first time. Probably these days they wouldn't muck around and do a C section, no questions asked.

[missie_mack]

I had a lot of Odemia and headaches. Didnt really think much of the headaches or stars until they asked me. The only time I started asking questions was when my blood pressure went up. I have a family history of pre eclampsia which has resulted in a couple of deaths (not recently but in my grandmas generation). I was just monitored every other day and sent home. I was promised not to let go overdue but then they let me go nearly 2 weeks. I was stressed by the end of it!
I too had read its more common in your first pregnancy than later ones. I found the PEARLS (http://www.preeclampsia.org.au/) website very helpful and still refer to it now so Im more informed next time....

[Zooby]

Hi ... this is my first entry.

I was diagnosed with preeclampsia at 20 weeks. I had no history of high blood pressure; I wasn’t seeing stars … I felt perfectly normal.

I had my blood pressure checked as I was puffy in the face and hands. It was 168 / 118. I was sent straight to hospital where the Dr’s ran multiple blood tests and urine tests. I even had kidney tests as well as heart tests. Everything seemed to be coming up clear.

Until week 23 … that’s when the monster came alive. The blood vessels behind my eyes were dangerously enlarged. We were told the heartbreaking news that our baby girl will not survive and I was in grave danger of having a stroke or seizure.

I gave birth to my baby daughter on 6 April (3 weeks ago). Sadly, she was a stillborn.

I would love to hear from other mothers who developed preeclampsia at an early stage in their pregnancy and if preeclampsia returned in their second pregnancy or not.

Thanks for listening :)

[Elfin]

Oh zooby I am so sorry to hear about your precious little angel:hugs:

I developed pre eclampsia later in my pregnancy around the 33 week mark but I did not have it in subsequent pregnancies.

[Zooby]

Thanks Elfin. May I ask, how did you know that you had preeclampsia?

I am petrified next time around ... the Dr's tell me that there is a good chance of getting it again. I was told that I'll need to be on Clexane injections and aspirin.

[Elfin]

By the way Zooby welcome to bubhub:wave: Well for me I swelled like a balloon and saw shooting stars but was so ignorant about pregnancy back then I thought it was normal as I felt good. When my blood pressure shot up my GP sent me to hospital. I had protein in my urine and my platelets were low. My bub was moving less so the hospital got concerned and I had a c-section at 35 weeks. My son was small at 2kg and spent a few days in special care but was otherwise fine.

If you get pregnant again you will be closely monitored. I was told there is about a 30% chance of getting PE again if pregnant to the same man. I didn't get PE or high BP in my second or 3rd pregnancies but I have high BP now and am on medication.

Maybe if you start a new thread in this section you might get some replies about PE in second pregnancies as this thread is now quite old.

Hope to see you around the hub:)

[DjF]

I had a really bad sharp headache about a week before I was diagnosed, swelling, and lightheadedness... I actually went to hospital with heavy bleeding and they diagnosed me then...
Did I see someone's post that they had it twice? Two doctors have told me I can't get it a second time?


Not true - in fact if you have had it with your first you are more than likely to have it again - possibly not as bad the first time round - but not necessarily so. Those doctors need some refresher training!