Pre-eclampsia mentalling thread

[Fishandjam]

A place to come and kvetch/worry/chill for anyone at risk of developing pre-eclampsia in their pregnancy. We have buckets for those still feeling sick, cushions for those who are just plain knackered, and crisps and ginger beer for everyone else. Come and say hi!

A bit of background - I developed sudden and severe pre-eclamptic liver failure in my pregnancy with DS, which nearly went undiagnosed due to my blood pressure not being that high (130/90) and no protein in urine. Now 15 weeks pregnant with DC2 and under consultant care.

I'm sorry about what happened to you. Hope this time around is better. I don't have PE, nor am I at risk, I think. I did have the odd high blood pressure reading around the 15 week mark (35 weeks now).

Can I ask you, how do they diagnose if you can have PE without a massively elavated BP and no protein in urin?

I'm 28 weeks, and was told at my OB appt yesterday that I may be at risk. NO has been fine (apart from reading at 8 weeks, but to be fair I was bricking it as I had been bleeding!). My protein was within normal limits but toward the higher end, so Doc has given me the option of 3x week monitoring of the baby.
Am a little bit worried and also wondering what I can do to help keep things in check. Doc said sleep on left side, reduce salt intake, but not much else can be done but monitor. And to cap it off, have just gone back to work after the holidays and am now getting a painful sore throat and feeling a bit sorry for myself...

Not currently pregnant (or ever likely to be again) but wanted to reassure...

I had PE with dd, that resulted in induction at 36 weeks, which led to a C section under GA.

Hated hated hated pregnancy with dd2,. wondered why on earth I was doing it plenty of times. I had a scare a week before she was born, due to high BP (bit of a back story, I was having a section with her & car broke down on way to hosp. had to wait for FIL to come get me & I was a little late for appt. BP at check was high, checked twice again, lower but still high, so advised to see GP in morn to get checked, on the high side so sent to labour & del) Panicked, worried, feared the worse (for 39 weeks really) Nothing came of it.

Dd2 was born, event free, elec section at 39 weeks. :)

Good Luck!

Hello MrsH! Don't worry about some elevated BP readings. On their own they don't necessarily mean anything (although obviously they need an eye keeping on them). You'd need some additional symptoms before the medics will press the PE panic button. In my case, it was (in retrospect) obvious that things were very wrong - I was totally exhausted (like unable to get off the sofa and make a cup of tea exhausted), nauseous, upper abdominal pain (which I thought was just heartburn ), banging headache, complete loss of appetite, miniscule amounts of dark wee, and pale beige poo (sorry TMI!) They did a blood test when I whinged about how crap I was feeling, and induced me that same night. DS born perfectly healthy (and is now a gorgeous, normal 2 year old), and I went back to normal in super-quick time.

joan, I don't think there's much you can do to prevent or minimse PE, if you're going to get it, though eating healthily and keeping salt down will all be beneficial in the general scheme of things. Trying to take it easy and stay stress-free would also be good (easier said than done, I know!) The key thing is to be monitored so that steps can be taken if your condition worsens.

Thanks for the good news story different. I'll add one - my own mum had rampaging pre-eclampsia with me, and I was born by emergency CS at 32 weeks (in, ahem, the early 1970s ). I was absolutely fine - they even kicked me out of the incubator after 24 hours as I didn't need it. 30-something years on, I am none the worse for my experience. So even early deliveries have good outcomes.

Fishandjam - I had exactly the same experience as you first time round. Sudden and severe pre-eclamptic liver failure (at 37 weeks), which almost went undiagnosed as blood pressure was OK and no protein in urine. Only symptoms were oedema (swelling in fingers and ankles) and feeling generally crap for a week or so beforehand (but I had assumed that it was normal just to feel like this in the last few weeks of pregnancy). Doctors only picked up the pre-eclampsia by doing a blood test (and then almost fell off their chairs at my liver readings). I was asked to come into hospital immediately and induced that day.

Now pregnant with DC2, but only 9 weeks or so, so early days still. Did you get the impression that it's normal to go under consultant care if you had pre-eclampsia first time round? Do you know if you will get more regular appointments / blood tests etc?

I found out after the event that my mum had pre-eclampsia with me. I read somewhere that there might be some sort of genetic link (ie higher likelihood of developing pre-eclampsia if your mother had it), although there doesn't seem to be any conclusive research on exactly what causes it.

OMG gecko, that is exactly my experience! I had put it all down to late pregnancy (after all, everyone was telling me it was normal to be tired!) I had oedema but not that noticeable. It was only when I told a registrar at the DAU that my poo was a funny colour that they realised Something Was Up - I'll never forget how still she went when I told her that - and like you, my liver function readings were almost off the scale. (The consultant I'm under now looked at them, looked at me, and said "And you appear to be still alive - remarkable.")

I think consultant care is a given if you had PE first time round. When you book in with your midwife (if you haven't already) make sure she gets you referred, and that she herself doesn't focus too much on high BP and proteinuria as a marker (as PE liver failure often presents without either of those). My understanding is that any liver-related problems (as opposed to classic PE) merit very close monitoring. I've been told to expect weekly blood tests from week 30 onwards. That said, my consultant reckons that it is unlikely to happen again, and if it does it will be later in pregnancy and lesser in severity. (I spoke to tons of medical people before even thinking about getting pregnant again, and they were all pretty reassuring.)

Blood tests - iron count, blood count and Liver function can prove PE without other symptoms. I had HELLP with my second after a normal first pregnancy. We've decided not to risk a third.

flash, so sorry to hear of your HELLP. Truly scary stuff. Is your DC2 OK, and do you have any remaining medical issues?

I had ptsd and pnd. My son is quite small for his age despite being born at 41weeks, but is fine apart from that.
I just scares me on mumsnet when I read people seem to have PE symptoms and don't take them seriously, or worse still other posters dismiss them and tell the OP they are nothing to worry about.

Fishandjam - reassuring to know that consultant care is a pretty much a given. I'm hopefully seeing a midwife next week, so will discuss all this then. Will also ask for weekly blood tests after 30 weeks (if they're not offered automatically). Keeping fingers crossed that this doesn't happen again. TBH, I wasn't really aware at the time how serious all this was (although the 6 doctors and assorted midwives round my bed at one point, all furiously scribbling notes, should have been a hint!). Only really sank in afterwards how dangerous it was; so relieved it was picked up and all ended well.

One foot note to my experience last time: DS was much bigger than expected (95th centile for weight) and the doctor who delivered him remarked on the size of umbilical cord (the biggest / thickest he'd ever seen). DS settled down to 25th centile weight after a couple of months, and has been there ever since (now a healthy 2 year old). No idea if this was in any way linked to the pre-eclampsia, but it did seem very odd. My google research suggests that if anything, pre-eclampsia can lead to babies being underweight, so not sure what was going on here. Anyone else have the experience of a much bigger than expected baby following pre-eclampsia? I had a pretty small / average bump for most of my pregnancy and ballooned in the last couple of weeks before I gave birth.

hi
i am pg with dc2 after having severe pre-eclampsia, liver and kidney failure with +/- hellp first time around. did have high bp and proteinuria (so bad it burned my bits - i thought i had vulval thrush - nice not!). similar thing feeling generally crap but thinking it was just third trimester tiredness whilst still working full time. thought i looked a little rubbish when i caught sight of myself in the mirror at work but dismissed it really. mw picked up bp and proteinuria at routine 28 (+3)wk appt and admitted me to hospital where i stayed for monitoring getting progressively worse as they tried to keep dd inside as long as poss. she was born at 29+5 because docs felt i couldn't hang on another day and looking back i don't think i could have either. she is fine and beautiful and fantastic
so...............
i am nearly 12 weeks, in a different nhs trust waiting to see a consultant (hopefully after scan at next week's appt). i have started taking aspirin already and am a little scared as to what the care is like, here as i knew exactly what the plan would be in future pregnancies, and it involved seeing a consultant before 12 weeks.
anyhoo, think a mentalling thread is a good idea, as i am sure i will be over the next (hopefully) 6 months and whoever pointed out that the number of threads that don't take these symptoms seriously is frightening, is absolutely right - it is!

Just caught this thread, I'm ttc no2 and had severe rapid onset pe with my first at two weeks overdue. No symptoms other than severe swelling. Had been in and out the maternity assessment unit the preceding two weeks fir monitoring as high bp but no protein. I was in hospital the day before I was diagnosed but because no protein they sent me home to let nature take it's course. Just over 15 hours later I was back again on the verge of fitting with protein off the scale. Baby was born within the hour by emergency cs under a ga. Horrendous experience that's taken me three years to get over. I gave been told if I get pregnant again I'll be closely monitored but what really scares me is how rapid and severe mine came on.
It's nice to hear others' experiences though

Currently pregnant with baby #3, scan showed normal baby developing yesterday and I am now at 12 weeks and 5 days.

Had No PE/HELLP with #1, but developed PE/HELLP after 32 weeks with 2nd baby who was born early at 32 weeks and 6 days (3 pound 5 ounces) but is a normal healthy 4 yr old now. I went into seizures with the HELLP and had massive blood losses and needed 2 bags of Platelets to recover from illness. Was told I could have 30% chance of having it again but Maternal Fetal specialist is convinced I won't have it as bad this time round.

Everything looking normal and I am feeling much better at this stage of pregnancy compared to last pregnancy at 12 weeks. I am under a Obstetrician and a Maternal Fetal Specialist and won't be allowed to be monitored by the GP as that is who monitored me last time.

I am nervous and Hoping for a better outcome this time around.
Wish me luck!!!

Interesting that a number of us on here didn't have the standard symptoms of high blood pressure and protein in urine. Most of the pre-eclampsia websites I've looked at really focus on these two symptoms, almost giving the impression that as long as you go to your ante-natal appointments and have your bp and urine checked, any problems will be picked up. I know this will probably be the case for most people who develop pre-eclampsia, but (judging from this thread anyway!) clearly not for all. I think I was lulled into a false sense of security by this sort of information.

Relieved that I will be under much closer monitoring this time, but I think this thread is a great idea (particulary for those on their first pregnancy / who haven't had pre-eclampsia before) if it increases awareness about some of the other possible markers of pre-eclampsia and the importance of getting properly checked out if you feel something isn't right.

Just marking my place ladies as this thread is of lots of interest to me as a first time mum. I have been taking aspirin since 14 weeks on consultant advice as my PAPP-A test was low at the 12 week screening AND my mum had PE with all 4 of us so we are all prem (although she also had other health conditions) .... I read that if your mum or sister had PE you are twice as likely as other women to get it.....
Am now 20 weeks so fingers crossed tis merely a risk factor and not actually going to happen to me..
Good luck to you all and am so pleased this thread has been started as there is not much info out there and the drs cannot tell you how high your actual risk is at any point (as the stories above show). I feel slightly reassured there are others out there trying not to worry about PE but keeping an eye out for the symptoms!!!

I went overdue with DD1 and protein was picked up at m/w appointment. BP was high for me but not high-I have low BP usually. I'd been feeling a bit crappy for a few days before but like others put it down to late pregnancy like others. 2 failed inductions and c/s followed but overall not too bad!

27 weeks with DD2 now and under consultant care- said I have a 20% chance of developing it again but no other special monitoring.

Redgecko, I agree. It's shocking really of the amount of ladies on here had none of the classic symptoms. My feet swelled from a size five to a size nine yet because I was in the late stages of pregnancy and felt otherwise okay the midwife brushed it off by saying lots of women get swelling towards the end. Of course she is correct but if I'd been seen consistently by the same midwife on my routine appointments then I'm sure they would have been pretty horrified at the difference in my calves ankles and feet. I never saw the same midwife twice which I found very frustrating. My GP has told me that they won't diagnose PE until there is protein in your urine. I just hope that next time because of my history if I present with similar symptoms (high bp and or swelling) they will deliver the baby rather than just wait for protein to appear, leave me to go overdue and risk death like last time.

I didn't have any odema at all, I had no headaches either. I had epigastric pain from about 34 weeks which was dismissed as indigestion, and felt like shit from then too, but my mw just said it was because I was 5 years older than my last pregnancy. I had visual disturbance too which looked like sparkles in front of my eyes. The afternoon before it went critical I had some nausea and the sparkles were worse. Admitted with horrific epigastic pain at midnight, +4 proteinurea and bp 240/140. I had hellp.

It does seem that if you get PE mildly it can maybe be picked up at routine appointments but rapid onset PE, well it just doesn't happen that way does it?

I will never forget when the consultant ( who made the decision in the MAU the day before to send me home) stood at the end of my bed when I was in intensive care and baby in SCBU (that I hadn't even met yet) telling me and dh how poorly he was, had suffered HIE as a result of being resuscitated for 15 mins and had the possibility of brain damage. I remember asking if it was usual to have to work on a baby for that long and him squirming and telling me it was pretty rare .

It was a good outcome in the end but I suffered terrible PNd and bonding issues as a result.

I think people should be aware of the sense of impending doom - I had this after I gave birth and was roundly ignored by all the midwives/drs as a struggling first time mum. I was actually headed for eclampsia, funnily enough have heard since that a lot of people feel something bad is going to happen. No protein here either.

People need to be aware that it can happen after birth and that it is OK to listen to their instincts.

Also, the PRECOG (think it is) guidelines state that if you have severe PE/eclampsia then a first degree relative should be monitored closely, as their is a genetic link.

www.apec.org.uk/precog.html

PRECOG guidelines, make sure you are all being treated in accordance with these!

I am currently 15 weeks pregnant and have TB. Due to the TB and pregnancy all hitting at one time apart from being severally unwell I have a VERY high change of having pre- eclampsia. Im only 18 and this being my first child has not set me on a great open mind about having more children but it probably will happen always wanted a big family.

Ive had protein in the wee and been in and out of the hospital on a drip numerous times and will be back in many more times before the little one comes.

Could anyone give me any advise on what to expect because my midwife is rubbish and ive seen a midwife who aint actually meant to be looking after me.

Thank you :D

I was told by the doctor who administered the magnesium about the impending sense of doom. I remember bricking it!

"feeling of impending doom" is a recognised symptom of pe/hellp. it was one of the things that prompted dd's emcs delivery, that and the worsening epigastric pain i had had for a while. i didn't have headaches at all even when i actually when blind temporarily on a couple of occasions - the first time i thought it was the beginnings of a migraine, and as i have had them before i would have dismissed that as well, except that i happened to already be in the hospital. i was in 9 days from admission to delivery but i was worse after dd was born for about 48 hours. i didn't swell much either until the day before dd was born. thankfully, i became critical once already in hospital but frighteningly quickly, and i had only been admitted because i was still a long way from my due date. i also found i spiralled, in that i was really poorly then improved a little but not quite as well as before then was more critical than the first time then improved a little but not as well as before and then got worse etc, pretty much on a 36 hourly basis.

another thing that bothered me afterwards was, even once admitted, no-one told me how ill i was. i was sent from our district hospital to the city because i was so ill and my consultant told me i was very ill and would be delivered on arrival but the city wanted to hang on longer for dd's sake. i didn't know that much about pe before being ill, and being my first pregnancy, in which i had never felt well from the outset, i just thought such crapness was normal and was pottering about the ward. they let me go for walks with my dh or even down to the shop on my own - just said 'come back if you feel poorly': i felt poorly the whole time!! the midwife a couple of days before i was delivered had me admitted to hdu and told me how ill i was, but before that i had very little info.