HELLP or pre-eclampsia?

[mummycloud]

Hi,
I'm around 36 weeks and have very swollen hands and feet. My hands have been swollen during most of my pregnancy but seems much worse now.
I saw the OB yesterday and he told me my B/P was high, but didn't suggest any treatment :confused:
I also have pain in my liver region, but that only started last night , so my OB doesn't know. I'm too embarrassed to call him or the hospital, because I went into preterm labor a week ago and feel like I'm a difficult patient :o besides, he'll probably just say that it's rib pain from the baby being big, even though his head has dropped already and it's my 4th baby and this feels different.

I know with HELLP that you B/P doesn't raise, but your liver hurts and you get odema. I have high B/P, but not high enough for the doctor to worry about.
I don't know what to do.
Please...some words of wisdom would be appreiciated ;)

[Elfin]

Please call the hospital and ob straight away and tell about the liver pain if you read this tonight do it straight away like now. I don't want to alarm you but this is something that can turn nasty very quick. It is something not to be trifled with. Hopefully you just need more rest. Hospitals are used to worried mothers just ring to put your mind at ease.

Please let us know how you get on.

[madvoice]

Towards the end of my pregnancy I was really swollen (from about 35wks onwards). My blood pressure did rise but I had really low blood pressure during most of my pregnancy. It went from 105/55 up to 130/90 which is a BIG jump for me. My OB wasn't worried but I was. I was also getting those pains. I ended up opting for the c-section when I started seeing spots in front of my eyes and when raleigh decided not to descend.

[mummycloud]

I know I should call the hospital, I just feel like a real pain in the a$$.I've been in twice for preterm labour and once for a nasty UTI (at 17 weeks), I've also called him in tears after I was in contact with fifth disease (slap face) and called him when I got a really bad headache and was swollen and thought I may have pre-eclampsia. He told me to take some panadine and try and sleep, which I did and I was fine the next day.:o
I'm sure he thinks I'm a freak :p

I've also started to get itchy off and on, all over my body, I wonder what THAT is :confused: there's no rash that I can see.

[Tiffany R]

Call your OB straight away!!!

I had HELLP syndrome last October and my so called 'rib pain' was actually my liver swelling and eventually rupturing! My twins both died and I was very close to being dead myself. My husband didn't know for three days whether I was going to live or not. Very scary time and absolutely devastating. Unfortunately also very preventable had my OB known about HELLP syndrome as I had the liver pain for over twenty weeks of my pregnancy. If only my OB and I had not passed it off as normal and if only I had insisted on it being investigated at one of my many ultrasounds my twins might be here now.

Don't worry about being a difficult patient. The health of you and your baby is at stake. That gives you every reason to be a concerned and dilligent patient.

Good luck and lets us know how you get on.

Tiffany xx

[Marcy]

Call ur OB and Hospital.

My best suggestion is to call straight away and dont delay its ur health and ur babies health that is the most important and besides thats what there here for awyway.

SO PLAESE CALL UR OB AND HOSPITAL STRAIGHT AWAY.

Marcy mumy of Samuel

[JanetF]

Hugs to you, just do what feels right. You're employing the OB, he/she isn't doing you a favour for free ;) Make 'em work for their money!

Here are some links to stuff about avoiding PE and HELLP

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/...eeclampsia.html

http://gentlebirth.org/Midwife/pih.html

http://midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0102.asp

http://midwiferytoday.com/articles/nutrition.asp

http://midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0522.asp#qwr

http://midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0232.asp

http://midwiferytoday.com/articles/nutritionpreg.asp

http://midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0138.asp

http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/index.html

http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/prebirth/prebirth28.htm

[Ondine]

Sounds very similar to my symptoms when I was pregnant! I had high blood pressure, odema, protein in my urine and some stomach pains at the end of my pregnancy and at 38 weeks they admitted me to be induced since it had been going on for a little while. Although bubs had plans of her own and arrived before the scheduled induction!

Go to the hospital emergency if need be (I know I did and got admitted VERY VERY quickly since I was so pregnent). Whether it is HELLP or pre-eclampsia, it is best treated early!!! Pre-eclampsia causes the placenta to stop functioning - so for your peace of mind and the health of your baby - GO!!!

Let us all know what happens and best of luck!

[Elfin]

Mummycloud please call the hospital they won't think you are crazy. My sil is a midwife and she says she always prefers women to call the hospital when they are concerned. Even if it is nothing it is better to be on the safe side.

Doctors sometimes can be dismissive of things so if your doctor is like this then call the hospital.

[mummycloud]

I've called the hospital and they are calling my OB for me and then calling me back. I'll update as soon as I know what's going on.


Tiffany (((((HUGS)))))) I'm so, so, sorry about what happened to you and your twins.

Janet, thanks for those links, they were very helpful....and a little scarey :(

[mummycloud]

Well, THAt was a complete waste of time.

I just got a call back from the midwife who called the OB.

He said, take some pain relief and he'll see me next Wednesday :rolleyes:
So, is he reasuring me or brushing me off?

Now what?

[Deb]

Please go to see someone - maybe your GP - don't let them brush you off. My little girl died because my midwife did not get concerned and did not communicate my symptoms adequately to the rest of the medical team (Pre-ecampsia and HELLP). I know it's hard to jump up and down and make a fuss , but please, please, do it. My heart is racing now just thinking about what might happen. I'm panicking for you!!

p.s. you could go to your GP and they can run a BP check and urine test right there and then. that would at least help to determine if pre=ecamplsia is a possibility. They should run a blood test as well. It is the only appropriate thing for them to do.

[mummycloud]

I'm about to go to my local hospital and get a liver function blood test and have my urine and B/P checked :)

If it's all clear I go home and if not, they will contact my OB and I will see him over the weekend.

I will update

[Deb]

That is such a relief Genie. My fingers and toes are crossed for you!!

[mummycloud]

I just got back from my 3 day stint in hospital. ;)

Turns out I have pre-eclampsia after all. My B/P was 148/98 when I got to the hospital, I had VERY puffy hands, fingers, feet and toes (still do), and I had protien in my wizz.
I had a blood test and my liver function is a little off but nothing to worry about.
I am on bedrest and if my condition worsens or doesn't improve within a week, I will be induced.

Thanks so much for all you support and advise, if it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have gone into hospital at all and would probably had some compliactions.

Thanks again :)

[Deb]

Thanks for the update Genie.
Take care - hope to hear good news in the next few weeks.

[Elfin]

Oh mummycloud I was just thinking about you today and wondering how you got on. I can so relate to your situation as I had pe too and my doctor was quite dismissive till things got bad. Just get prepared to give birth early as PE usually gets worse but bedrest is supposed to help.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and don't forgot to jump up and down if your feel you are getting worse. The only way to get rid of pe is to have your baby.

[TwoBlue]

Mummycloud i am so pleased to hear that you went to the hospital and got things sorted.....

I just wanted to say that you should NEVER feel like a burden to your Ob, Gp or the hospital staff.... and if they are making you feel that way then you need to tell them whats what !!
You always know best if you are not feeling right or think there may be a problem. You tell them what you want them to do and if you want them to investigate something then you tell them to do it !!

This goes out to everyone..... there are TWO (or more) LIVES at risk here !!
I dont want to sound harsh but its important that people realise that they have the right to say that they want things looked into / dealt with / double and triple checked etc etc.....
Please people... who cares even if you ARE being a burden.... if you are EVER concerned about ANYTHING speak to your docs about it and get checked out

Hugs to all

[Marcy]

Hi

Good to hear i had pre-eclempcia and gestational diabetes which lead to premature labour followed by emergency c-sectin at 31 weeks prior to that i was back and forth to the Mater Mothers 2-3 times a week for monitoring (of me and bubs) endless ultrasounds and countless bloodtests.

Good Luck

Marcy mummy to Samuel :)

[starryangel]

Mummycloud, I agree with everyone that is something to muck around with I hope everything is ok and you are getting treated right. I had all the same symptoms of swelling, etc and my doctor kept saying oh thats normal dont worry about it, I was ready to leave the hospital on the 3rd day after giving birth and I went into heart failure and ended up in intensive care, the doctor said lucky it happened in the hospital and not at home or I might not have been here now. needless to say I dont go to that doctor that just brushed it all off as normal pregnancy symptoms. Please let us know how you are

[mummycloud]

OMG :eek: Starryangel, that's terrible.

I am 37 weeks now and am being induced next week if my symptoms don't improve, I think. My OB gave me a pamphlet on induction, so I'm guessing that's what the plan is. I'm sure if my symptoms got worse he will induce before then.

I have just had a really emotional and stressfull day today and have a really bad headache. I'm sure my B/P has gone up from all the tears and anger etc.
If my headache doesn't get better after I have some panadine, then I'll be calling the hospital...escpecially if I start seeing spots.

[Marcy]

Hi mummycloud,

The day before i went into labour with my son i had a really bd headache and i started seeing spots and little did i know the very next day i was having contractions and that afternoon my waters broke and Samuel was delivered early hours the next morning i wasnt as far as u r though i was only 31wks, but do ring the hospital if u have anymore problems especially if u start seeing spots.

Take Care and GOOD LUCK

MArcy mummy to Samuel 16mths :)