Postpartum pre eclampsia

[newmum242]

I'm currently in hospital with a high bp and swollen feet after a c section a few days ago.

I'm so worried - did anybody have this after birth?

Stumbled across your post - I'm the same and basically got admitted the same day as you.

How are you getting on? I'm finding this all so difficult with a newborn and they're still struggling to control my blood pressure

Ah finally, somebody to talk to!

I'm finding it really difficult. I've been admitted and I'm the same. I'm so tired and anxious.

I'm currently on labetelol 3 x a day but it's spiked again today and I'm so so stressed about it. What readings are you getting?

Our daughter did. She was kept in for two days with your symptoms, which were brought under control. She was sent home with blood thinning injections to administer herself for, I think, a month. She made a full recovery quite quickly and all has gone smoothly since. This was during Covid when maternity cover wasn’t at its best but all was well.

Congratulations on your little one 💐🥂

Mine appears to have settled now - last reading was 127/79.

However I'm a lot more medicated than you - 4x labetalol and 2x another one. Unfortunately they won't up doses very quickly to avoid low blood pressure.

Where I am you need to have shown stable blood pressures for 24 hours, and any peak resets that 24 hours, which puts a lot of pressure and anxiety on the readings

I've been in a week overall post labour for various issues with this just being the last one. Really want to go home and get settled as establishing breastfeeding here is near impossible

I had preeclampsia discovered a few hours after my first c section, but I suspect it had started during my induction.

I was admitted into hospital 10 days after my second with bradycardia and high bp, enlarged spleen and fluid on lungs. They suspected post partum preeclampsia again but then I had a different doctor and it didn't get mentioned again. Gp suspects that's what was going on though as I was never given any other explanation.

Take time to recover. I felt unwell for quite a long time and had to readjust expectations of myself.

@Fipfop what treatment were you given?? That sounds scary!

@Firsttimerugbymum I'm pleased to hear your levels have dropped down again. That must be reassuring. Mine are 154/100 today so now just waiting for the doctor to review. I'm desperate to get home as I have another child I haven't seen for days.

I didn't get any treatment, I think they completely forgot about the testing for preeclampsia as one of my test results came back raised for markers of heart failure so they came at it from a cardiology perspective. Luckily my blood pressure came down by itself in a couple of days so I was discharged but I definitely had episodes of high bp for a year afterwards.

I had preclampsia at 37 weeks but it ramped up postnatally. Was kept in for a week, eventually on 4x labetalol and 1x enalapril to get pressure stable. It took three months to wean off the tablets and I wasn't tip top health wise for a while but was able to go about my normal day to day! I also had a c section and had to self inject blood thinners for a few weeks.

Despite how long it took to get off the medication, I have no long term effects at all, was able to fully breastfeed easily, and I am now 8 months pregnant again with no sign of preclampsia :)

I had pre eclampsia both before & after my emcs, ironically 20 years ago today. I also had HELLP syndrome, my liver & kidneys were failing, I was in HDU for nearly 3 days & discharged myself 2 days later due to lack of care. My BP shot up 48 hours after going home, but my lovely GP treated me at home, he gave the midwife a very high limit for my BP & changed my medication. It took a month for my BP to drop to anywhere normal & I was on medication for 3 months.

Mine spiked ridiculously after birth by section. Midwife ordered me not to move off the bed. I was on nifedapine for 6 months. Kids are now 24 and me and them are hale and hearty.

@newmum242 - yes that is still quite high - I think they generally want it under 140/90. Although I hate blood pressure testing - it's the one thing that nerves and anxiety can actually affect.

Just found out I'm heading home - I've only made it home for a few hours twice before being readmitted to ward so hoping for a few more hours this time

Just keep calm - as well as labetalol I'm also on nifedipine. Seems to control it quite well and now going to monitor it from home

Easier said than done but try and stay positive. Do you feel well in yourself?

Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

They're getting me nifedipine now to see if that brings it down.

@newmum242 - that's good. It's much faster acting than labetalol as well.

Is your partner with you? I felt fortunate initially that I got a private room but it's all very isolating no matter what. I hope you're doing well as it takes such a mental toll

@Firsttimerugbymum I have my own room too luckily. My husband is visiting but we have a toddler at home so he's not been staying 😥

It really does, I haven't been this stressed in years.

@newmum242 - easier said than done but try to stay calm. Lucky that you're in a side room - spend lots of time with your lovely baby and try not to worry

You're in the right place

@Firsttimerugbymum thank you! It's just finallly after days come down to 116/77 with nifedipine so they're swapping me to this now.

That’s really good to hear. Hope you get a decent night’s sleep. All the best X

How are you doing @newmum242 ?

Hoping you have been discharged and everything has settled?

Finally made it home and have been for a few days - blood pressure getting toward the low side now so don't think I'll be on the medication for long

@Firsttimerugbymum that's amazing, so pleased for you. What are your readings now? Hopefully you'll be off them quickly!

I'm at home now, but my readings aren't low enough yet. Still sitting at 140/90. Doctor has added enalapril 5mg today so I am hoping that works to bring it down even more.

I'm still really stressed and being resistant to the medication isn't helping :(

Hi @newmum242 and @Firsttimerugbymum sorry to bring up an old thread I’m just in a similar situation now six weeks post partum on labetalol for high blood pressure and wondering how long it took you both to come off the meds altogether and if anything helped at all in your recovery? I am so anxious about it all I’m having daily panic attacks which won’t be helping. X

Hi @northernsunshine !

Sorry that you've got the same as I had - wouldn't wish it on anyone!

If I'm honest, it's a bit of a blur and I can't remember exactly when I came off them. I certainly was cutting them down at this stage with monitoring from my GP and at home. I would have been completely off them before ten weeks, but can't say exactly when

My blood pressure however still higher than it ever was before a baby and is still borderline high. I also have a fear of having my blood pressure taken too

I was on nefedapine (s) for 3 months after birth. No issues after that and I'm 25 years down the line now!

@northernsunshine I'm really sorry you're experiencing the same thing. I was so anxious during this time and I completely sympathise.

I was on medication for about 4-6 months and now my blood pressure is completely back to normal :-) I was scared it wouldn't go back - but it has!! Give it time. Try not to check it all the time (easier said than done I know). Walking helped me a lot.