Pre-eclampsia

[jumpin]

Anyone suuffered from this? I got it first time round almost three years ago and am now wondering whether I'll get it again (currently eight weeks pregnant).

[MummyToSteven]

hi not had it but i'm sure that somebody will be on soon with better knowledge than me. AFAIK if you have had it once then you are a bit more likely to get it again, but it is by no means inevitable.

[hmb]

I had it twice, and both my kids have the same dad! If anything, it was worse the second time, but ds and I were fine, they just monitored me more second time around.

[jnbsmum]

Hi. I got it first time and was pretty bad. Was watched throughout my second pg and never got it. I was told it is rare to get it twice but it does happen. Just take it easy.
Oh and congratulations on the pg

[gingernut]

My Mum had it with my older sister but was OK with me. Hope all goes well for you.

[jumpin]

Sounds like a bit of a lottery, then! At least first time round there was just me to worry about but this time there's ds aged 3.5. Can't bear the thought of being away from him for weeks if I'm hospitalised again...

[throckenholt]

I would tell the midwife and say you want to have the protein monitoring wee sticks so that you can check for yourself every day - without having to worry about when your next midwife appointment is (I was given these for my first pregnancy when I had high blood pressure). You could also get a blood pressure montior - if you start early in your pregnancy you will figure out what is normal for you, and be able to tell if things change. That way you can avoid "white coat hypertension" - big problem with me ! And you are more in control.

I hope you are one of the lucky ones who don't get it a second time.

[jampot]

My mum had pre-eclampsia with her first pregnancy and so with her next pregnancy was placed on a strict diet and then when pregnant with me & twin sis - no recurrences of pre-eclampsia

[pupuce]

It is indeed rare to get it the 2nd time around... have a look here and and definitely here

[jumpin]

SO Jampot, what was the diet your mum followed?

[gingernut]

Jampot, when was that? My Mum had my sis in 1966 and at the time the pre-eclampsia was blamed on too much sodium in her diet (as they found a high level of sodium in her blood). So she always thought she brought it on herself. But IIRC it's now known that increased levels of sodium are often seen in people with pre-eclampsia but it's not thought to be the cause, although minimising salt intake is a good idea for most of us. Can't remember where I saw that info and I haven't found it by doing a quick Google though.

[throckenholt]

I vaguely remember something about sodium and pre-eclampsia and that you shouldn't limit it if you are at risk - because doing so would through the balance completely and make things worse - no idea where I read that though.

[lisalisa]

Message withdrawn

[jampot]

she was on a low sodium diet - she has died now so can't ask her but I remember she told me she had to follow a very strict low sodium diet and she was the same weight the day before my sister was born as she was before she got pregnant. Her first baby was stillborn on xmas eve at 8 months. I think the toxaemia wasn't diagnosed. This would have been about 1963/4 when they were living in Dublin

[jampot]

the toxaemia would have been in 1963/4 in Brum but they then moved back to Dublin and it was there that she was put on her diet

[jumpin]

I'm very low sodium anyway - don't EVER add it to food or when I'm cooking. And NEVER eat prepared meals etc. Husband makes our own bread so that's low salt too and eat unsalted butter. All this applied to me during last pregnancy too.
I think maybe I'm resigned to leaving it to fate...

[lolliepops]

i shall be watching this tread with intrest as i had it first time around and have often wondered the same

[mears]

This site may be helpful APEC

[1CEBITTEN]

I had it with my first baby, I was induced then had an eclamptic fit the day after on the post natal ward.

I was told there was no greater chance of it happening again with a second baby, indeed I didnt get it second time, but had a stroke 2 months after the birth which left me in hospital, away from my family for 2 months and affects me still 3 years on.
I believe the stroke was linked to the eclampsia episode. I was v trusting of my dr. - dont be, ask ?s

[imaginewittynamehere]

I had it with dd 2 years ago. Am now 22 weeks pregnant again.
Definately discuss with your midwife.
You should be refered to a consultant to discuss monitoring. (Although I did have to ring up & paster for an appointment..)

I have growth scans from 28 weeks to monitor the baby as reduced growth can be an early sign of a a failing placenta. I also have 2 weekly midwife appointments from now on in.
In addition they did a placental blood flow scan at 21 weeks.

Keeping an eye on your blood pressure is a good idea, measure weekly at home so you build up a picture of what is normal (readings can vary with home equipment - I measure 120/65 at home but 140/75 on proffesional equipment for example but self measuring should still show any changes in your trend.

Reading up on pre-eclampsia is also a good idea - I had swelling in my fingers for 3 days befor I saw the midwife last time as I knew very little - if that happened this time I would get myself seen immediately.

[rascal1979]

I had preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome last December at 30+6. I have been told that as this is classed as early onset I have a 25% chance of a recurrence in any subsequent pregnancies.

There are a number of risk factors which can put you at risk of developing preeclampsia. The best website I have found - which I was directed to by a conultant obstetrician who specialises in pre-eclampsia is

www.apec.org.uk/

[Kiwifruit]

I was induced with mild PE at 40+3 with my first pregnancy. My blood pressure started to go up at 37 weeks. Am now 31 weeks, and my BP started going up at 26 weeks. My consultant put me on low dose asprin from my first appointment (8 weeks), as there is some evidence that this can help to reduce the risk of developing PE. Since my BP shot up, am on methyl dopa and weekly blood tests and appointments with my consultant. Suspect that I won't make it to term this time, but am happy that I'm being monitored so closely (am very paranoid about every little symptom!).

It is rare for it to reoccur (and apparently I'm a bit of a freak, as BP doesn't tend to shoot up earlier than it did in a subsequent pg!).

[heron22]

hi just wondering what blood pressure reading is considered high?
i am 26+3 at the moment and my bp taken this morning was 128/85.
i had PE when pregnant with my first child and he was delivered at 37 weeks.
i was at the doctor's last week and there was protein trace in my urine.
thanks

[artichokes]

Heron - it depends what your booking BP was. They take the booking BP as your baseline and look for increases from that. In general they start to worry if the top number goes over 150 and/or the bottom number goes over 90. However, it does vary from person to person.