Early onset pre-eclampsia diagnosis - any advice? - SECOND TRIMESTER

Early onset pre-eclampsia diagnosis - any advice?

Dear visitor, welcome to FertilityZone . If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains in detail how this page works. To use all features of this page, you should consider registering. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.

SultrySapphire

Ace

Posts: 545

Reg: Sep 23rd 2010

Location: Wakefield

Children: Crazy Jake!

Wednesday, July 20th 2011, 5:35pm

Early onset pre-eclampsia diagnosis - any advice?

Once again I turn to the knowledgeable ladies (and gents) of FZ!
I went for my routine 24 week community midwife appointment yesterday and watched in despair as my midwife went a ghastly shade of white when she dipped my pee and saw protein then did my blood pressure (3 times!) and it was 160/100.
She sent me straight to hospital, not the local one, but the big one, only allowing me via home to pick up an overnight bag and to drop my car off.
Upon further investigation at the hospital, it turns out my headaches for the past 3 weeks aren't hormone related, that the flashing lights and floaters in my vision are not a migraine and that the reason baby Jacob has not been moving quite as much is because my high blood pressure is starving my placenta.
I have only been allowed home because they were so full on the antenatal wards and because my mum has promised to spoil me rotten and ensured the docs I will be sat on my bottom permanently.
I have been told I'm not allowed to go back to work and have been told that more than likely I won't get to full term. The docs are now hoping that I can rest enough to allow Jacob to get to 30 weeks, though they have warned me that if they can't control my blood pressure then they will bring him any time, regardless of consequences.

What I'm wanting to know is has anyone else heard of such an early pre-eclampsia diagnosis? Is there anything else I can do apart from complete rest to help? Will the damage have already been done if I've had such high blood pressure for at least 3 weeks?

I'm panicking beyond belief, which obviously isn't helping my blood pressure at all.

Me - 33, PCO, high FSH

DF - 37, multiple [zx151]

problems

TTC - 5yrs,

ICSI Nov 2010 abandoned, poor response

ICSI Feb 2011 - :BFP:

11/10/11

born at 36w with extreme cardiac failure & hydrops
"a true miracle baby"

SultrySapphire's Diary

Go to the top of the page

rallygirl

Star

Posts: 1,035

Reg: Jan 16th 2011

Location: Leuchars

Children: Our beautiful angel Evie and her new baby sister Isla, our wee rainbow.

Thanks: 60 / 201

Wednesday, July 20th 2011, 7:21pm

Hi Emma

I'm so sorry you have this big worry hun. [zx127]

Pre-eclampsia does usually strike a bit later in pregnancy but it's not unheard of to occur this early. Unfortunately, the only thing you can really do is complete rest. Every day you can hold on to little Jacob will count so if you can have your mum waiting on you hand and foot then that's what you need to do. I know it's so boring and you probably feel ok in yourself but def listen to the docs on this one. I'm no expert but i'm pretty sure bubba will be absolutely fine in there, pre-eclampsia can mean bubba is slightly on the small side but as soon as he's born he can start to make up for it. If you think about it 3 weeks isn't really that long, we all go for quite long periods without any m/w appointments in the earlier part of pregnancy so in a way you've been lucky to get it picked up now.

Take care hun and get those feet up!! xxx

Rallygirl's Bletherings

Go to the top of the page

Wardie

MEMBER

Posts: 2,575

Reg: Sep 5th 2010

Children: 1 Beautiful Daughter & 1 Gorgeous Son

Thanks: 423 / 1353

Wednesday, July 20th 2011, 7:26pm

Hi hun,
I'm sorry I can not offer any advice but I just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear your going through this. Rest up hun, I'm thinking of you.
Lots of love x x x x x x x x

Go to the top of the page

Pootle

Megastar

Posts: 7,078

Reg: Mar 31st 2007

Location: By the coast

Children: 2 beautiful girls.

Wednesday, July 20th 2011, 8:47pm

Hi Hun

Sorry I can't write loads but I'm at work. However, I've had pre-eclampsia twice, the first time earlier than the 2nd and my DD1 was born at 32 weeks.

First thing is that if they were super worried you wouldn't have been allowed to go home, no matter how busy they were. I was tranferred 100 miles away - they would have found you a bed somewhere if they weren't sure it was safe for you and your baby to go home.

Secondly, and really importantly, you are now known to them, and you're in the system. Am assuming that they have a care plan for you, and that you'll be regularly monitored? If not, speak to your midwife and ask why. Are you dipping your wee every day? Ask for pee sticks if you haven't been given any as it's useful to keep an eye on it. I was told that when my protein was 2+ I had to phone then had to go in when it was 3+.

Meds can control your BP really well - I was on them for several weeks (I think about 5/6 weeks) before things started to go wrong and I was admitted at 30 and a bit weeks. Even then, with some tweaking of the meds I lasted another 9 days.

Every day your baby is inside you he's growing stronger so they will try and keep you going for as long as possible. And I expect you'll be given steroid injections within the next few weeks and that will help his lungs if he's born early.

Look at the this website (not endorsed by FZ) - PE support day. - its full of support, advice and other ladies in the same situation or who have been through something similar.

The main things are to be monitored appropriately and to be aware of not feeling great so that if you think you need to be seen, then you know who/when/where to call.

Have a look at the website but if I can answer any queries, then please let me know.

x

My family is complete...I am grateful every day

DD1, natural miracle, 2005
DD2, IVF miracle, 2008

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "Pootle" (Jul 20th 2011, 8:48pm)

Go to the top of the page

anna14

Ace

Posts: 987

Reg: Oct 19th 2009

Location: london

Thanks: 4 / 1

Wednesday, July 20th 2011, 8:50pm

Oh my gosh - Sultry, am so sorry, how stressful!

I don't know anything about it but sending you lots of love, hope you are able to relax at home and be waited on and the BP will drop and you can get to way past 30 weeks

xxx

Anna
2nd ICIS Jan 2011 :BFP:

Go to the top of the page

Elizmac

Ace

Posts: 884

Reg: Dec 6th 2010

Location: Scotland

Thanks: 3 / 0

Wednesday, July 20th 2011, 8:57pm

Hi

Did they not start you on antibypertensives??
They can't have been that worried if they sent you home. Here we normally treat people with a beta blocker or nifedipine to get the blood pressure down snd monitor the babies growth. Aiming to get you as far along as poss. I had. Patient last year who had pre eclampsia at 26 weeks. We got her to 29 weeks and then they delivered. And both did just fine!!
You will prob gets bloods done fairly regularly to check your liver and full blood count and hopefully all will be ok. At least to get you a bit further along!!

Good luck

Liz x