Labour after screening higher risk for preeclampsia

[Bellesjp]

Just wondered if anyone on here has been in a similar situation,

At my 12 week scan I was screened at higher risk for developing preeclampsia and put on 150mg of aspirin per day to prevent this. Now 30 weeks and blood pressure etc always been ok. At my last midwife appt at 28 weeks I was told they'd want me on the delivery ward rather than birthing centre due to me being classed as high risk so they can monitor me.

Does anyone know what this means? I should have asked at the time but am rubbish at asking questions and now been worrying about it and envision being wired up and not being able to move the whole time. I really didn't want to labour on my back and wanted a water birth if possible.

I will be asking midwife at my appt next week but just wondered if anyone been in similar situation?

I developed pre-eclampsia (such fun)! They monitor you regularly and administer meds if you start to spiral up. Then you are monitored continuously until your blood pressures stabilises after delivery - you are advised not to go home until you have 24 hours of stable readings.

(I was then set home without any medication and the pre-eclampsia reoccurred. I had no idea this could happen!)

(By monoitoring - they just take your blood pressure a lot! No reason why you couldn't have a water birth)

You are at a higher risk of developing pre eclampsia but until (if!) you develop it you are not a high risk pregnancy. Your midwife is wrong.

Thanks for your reply @catsnore sorry you had a crap time with preeclampsia! So far my blood pressure been ok, apart from a few times I've been checked at hospital where it's been borderline high - annoyingly it's always fine at home and at midwife appts, think it's the stress of hospitals that raise it 🙈 so that sounds like if if stays ok they will just monitor blood pressure regularly, really hope I can still have a water birth, been worrying about being stuck on my back!

If your blood pressure remains well controlled throughout pregnancy, I'd definitely discuss with your midwife about having a water birth - if it's only risk and you didn't develop pre-eclampsia, you won't necessarily need continuous monitoring.
Some hospitals do also have a pool on delivery suite, although this is a lot less common.

Yes, i was in this situation! I had a chat with the consultant midwife who talked through the options and risks of not being on labour ward before i made my decision. So this is def worth doing.

In the end, when i stopped taking the asprin my BP went very high and i went into labour at 38w. The birth centre was full so any decision was taken away on the day, but i had a good, positive labour on the labour ward. DD had the continuous monitoring clip on her head as the 36w scan showed she was very small (9th centile) but i could still change positions, just with a bit of help! I was allowed to take music and fairy lights, low lights in the room etc but it all happened a bit too fast for that! I asked for mattresses on the floor and could keep the upward / forward / open position for the majority of the labour (most of it on my hands and knees on the floor). I just had gas and air and did delayed cord clamping.

So all in all, it wasnt as pretty as the birth centre, but i didnt feel like i missed out in any way really. I believe some places offer wireless monitoring so you can still have a water birth but they couldn't offer this at my hospital.

Thanks @Lj8893 I did wonder that, on all my notes it has me down as high risk too 🤔 I have lost 2 baby's and wondered if that might have been why but one was an early miscarriage and the other was tfmr for abnormalities, so would have thought unrelated. I had a different midwife at my last appt as normal one was on holiday so will def check with my normal one next week

I’ve never worked at a maternity unit that would say no to you birthing in the birth centre, or even at home, for taking aspirin as high risk of PET. Depending on the reasons for you being high risk of course.

@Nejnej2 Thankyou that makes sense, the hospital I will go to has 2 pools in the birthing centre and 1 on delivery ward, so guess it's a case of if it's free at the time.

Thanks @YorkshireTeaCup that makes me feel better and sounds like you still had a positive experience even if it wasn't completely what you wanted (I imagine no birth is!) I don't have any objection to going to the delivery suite just was worried about being imobile wired up the whole time. Will def have a chat with my midwife though x

Dont worry, you won't be stuck on your back. Even though I had pre-eclampsia and was on 2 different meds I had an active birth, spent a lot of time moving about or leaning on the bed, then on all 4s on the bed, and finally gave birth on my side. They were following me round with the blood pressure machine 😂

@catsnore ah that's great, made me feel a lot better Thankyou 😊

I was on aspirin and ended up developing pre eclampsia during labour - I ended up with an emergency section but before that was on labour ward on my back - but that was because I had an epidural, if I hadn't I'd have been able to go move around as I wanted, the PET risk wouldn't have affected it. I don't think it's anything to worry about beyond taking the aspirin!