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!

Hello!
Thought the thread was dead! Great to see it alive again. Can't stop now but it should reappear on my threads I am on.

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Hello all! Hope you're well. I appear to be hanging in there - 33+4 and seemingly everything is fine. (I got a bit paranoid and went for a private growth/umbilical scan on Monday - as my NHS consultant didn't think I needed one - and all appeared normal.) More bloods next week in advance of my next consultant appointment on Thursday 31st. Which, coincidentally, is my last day at work! Can't wait (soooo tired...)

At some point I'll stalk look up the previous posters to this thread to see how many of them have now had their babies! It would be good to have some birth experience stories (with particular reference to the PE, or indeed absence thereof).

Any updates from other mums-in-waiting?

Hi all

Glad your doing well Fishandjam. I too seem to be doing not too badly 31+2 BP a little variable, but not too near the limits set by the consultant. Can't decide if I had/have some swelling or not in hands and feet. My hands are very dry and chapped so it may be that, can't move my wedding band when they are warm, and my feet seem a bit puffy too, but again, I can't decide if it's just when they're warm. Think I am just paranoid.

I'm very tired, but have finished work and LOVING maternity leave Nesting like mad, but been frustrated today as was not able to crack on with some jobs/purchases. Ideally, I would like to be sorted by clinic next Thursday so that I am ready just in case, if I don't need to be, then I will have more time to chill and relax

Does anyone know (and I know that no-one can say for sure, and hopefully it won't) when pre-eclampsia is likely to strike in the next pregnancy?

I think I read somewhere on one of the threads, or even this one, or somewhere, that it is about 2-4 weeks after the last time. And somewhere else that 28 and 32 weeks are where it can really ramp up.

Anyone got any idea, or where I might be able to find out?
I've checked APEC, NICE and one or two other sites, and can't find anything about it - maybe I dreamt it - LOL

Hi marbles - 2 different hospital consultants told me that it would be 2 week later, on average, if it's going to come again. Hopefully not for you! Can imagine how scary it is in "the danger zone" xx

Also, anyone else taking Calcium? I had a look at the evidence in the NICE guidelines & thought I'd give it a go. Am taking 1.5g - don't think it will do any harm & possibly a lot of good. Biggest risk reductions seemed to be in earliest/severe/high risk groups but all small studies so evidence not entirely compelling xx

Hi!

I'm new here, thanks for the invite fish. I'm 33+4 today. previous mild PE at 40 and 35 weeks. I feel a bit of a fraud here tbh after reading some of the horrendous experiences some of you have had with severe PE/HELLP. It makes me think I should count my blessings more IYSWIM.

I've been really negative during this pg, expecting the worst. But now I'm wondering if maybe this pg could actually be ok?

High booking in BP (massively in shock after finding out I was pg at 17 weeks ) but BP has been fine for the past couple of months.

I'm monitoring BP at home and have bought some urine strips for dipping. So far, so good!

hi marbles my hands keep randomly swelling up, but feet seem ok I think. My face looks puffy in the mornings but settles down after an hour or so. I'm not working at the moment, and with the DCs at school I amd getting plenty of opportunities to rest my ass off!

Haha Hambles I have a puffy face in the morning too, and it also goes down after a while, but actually it is quite normal to have some swelling first thing, especially if you sleep face down as I do I am quite paranoid at the minute though. Also, my right foot is swollen at the minute but it's because I have injured myself somehow and have a huge bruise on my instep/just beneath my ankle.

hello all, please can i join you? We lost our first daughter Madison in 2007 due to severe rapid onset PET at 26 weeks. Had high bp from 25 weeks with our 2nd daughter but was very closely managed and she was born by emergency section at almost 35 weeks, then our son was born at almost 36 weeks, bp had been up and down but again was rapid onset - bp ok, but some protein when checked at 8.30pm tried to send me home (but i knew things werent right), he as born by crash section less than an hour later as bp through the roof, loss of vision etc etc - he spend a week in scbu but was fine.

Now almost 12 weeks pregnant, already had 3 scans with my consultant and back for nucal on Thursday - bp was 140/88 last week, but hoping was due to stress!!

I am panicing and now wondering what the hell i have done :(

Goodness me, Fairimum! Sorry for your loss, and subsequent rough rides too The thread is a little slower than some of the others in the topic so we have to search for it, but welcome anyway

I have a hypertension appt and growth scan tomorrow (32 weeks - can't quite believe I have made it this far ). Feel slightly uneasy but with no real reason. BP creeping and fingers a bit puffy; feet are too, and throbbing, but that could just as easily be this heat. I did notice my face is a bit rounder than normal too, but I can still see my cheekbones unfortunately though, it is unlikely a swollen face can be attributed to heat, so it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.

I am completely ready now though. I went and sorted my bag today, and when DD is in bed I will pack it The only thing I don't have is nursing bras, but I am not buying them til my milk comes in because last time I went from a B to an F in the space of a morning - ouch!! I didn't grow that much in that area last time til then and I haven't done so far so I am hanging fire; that will be a nice little job for DH when the time comes I don't have a proper nappy bag yet as I want to see what the Boots Parenting Club one is like, when the pack finally comes through, first.

Hope everyone else well, and still cooking, babies that is, not in this weather

Hi fairimum. Really sorry to hear of your loss and the problems you had with your son and 2nd daughter. Hopefully your BP last time was just white coat syndrome!

missing, Hope your appointment and scan went OK. My fingers are a bit swollen and so are my feet - worse in the morning, oddly, and they tend to settle down if I walk around a bit. My face still looks all right though (well, as all right as it ever does! ) My bag is also packed. I've dug out my horrible grey and tatty nursing bras from last time, because like you I went from a 36B/C to a 36F in not much time at all, so before I buy a new one I'll wait (a) to see if I can actually damn well breastfeed this time (v long story about last time which I will not bore you with here) and (b) to find out what size my norks actually end up being.

Interestingly, I've had an alternative viewpoint on what happened in my last pregnancy (well, the one that went term). This was from the doctor who did my private scan last week. He asked me if gallstones had been mentioned. I looked blank and said no! He told me he'd had two women under his care who had exhibited very similar symptoms to mine, and in both cases it had been gallstones. He said that some women are totally asymptomatic when not pregnant, and only have problems when up the duff. I guess this might explain why my BP wasn't too bad (at 130/90) and I had no proteinuria. Not sure whether to mention it to my consultant next week, or just keep quiet in case she thinks I'm trying to be a smartarse!

Fairimum: can only imagine what you've been through, especially with losing your daughter. PE is such a cruel & frightening disease.

Just realised I hadn't told my story on this thread. Have always been to scared as it's still early days for me (9.5weeks) & afraid of tempting fate by posting on a pregnancy thread!

I developed severe, early asymptomatic PE in my 1st pregnancy - came as a bolt out the blue as had no risk factors. Was only diagnosed at my routine 28 week appointment - I shudder to think about what would have happened if I'd missed that check.

I was admitted straight to hospital from there & had growth scans which showed DS had severe IUGR - measuring only 24/5 weeks & absent end diastolic flow - so it was a blue light job to the nearest tertiary centre where they had a NICU cot & could care for babies weighing less than 1000g.

Had an emergency CS then spent 10 days in hospital recovering from HELLP whilst DS fought for his life - he weighed a tiny 720g. I thought I was going to die too, as my liver & kidneys were failing.

He remained in hospital for 95 days; there were times I didn't know if he'd make it through the night (Xmas eve unfortunately)

He finally came home on oxygen, for 6 months & has now finally outgrown severe reflux age 3.5.

I had pre-preg counselling from 2 consultants, thrombophilia screens & given a 30% chance of PE next time round.

So we decided to give it a shot last summer, only to have a m/c at 7 weeks - which was later diagnosed as a molar pregnancy. Thankfully I avoided the chemo & was given the go-ahead to try in February. I got pregnant in March!!!

Had an early scan last week which dated me at 8+5, so it's still early days & am terrified on a daily basis of m/c - then I'll start worrying about PE!

Have come to accept that I'm not going to enjoy this pregnancy & the PE is beyond my control.

So am on 75mg aspirin, also taking 1.5g Calcium daily & hoping it stays away.

Good luck to all you ladies, especially the ones at 30+ weeks - must be scary territory emotionally xxx

cheese, that's a really scary story. I'm glad that all ended well, and sorry that you had such a terrible time getting there. Re the recurrence risk, I guess all any of us can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best - and if you've been given a 30% chance of recurrence, those are pretty good odds!

If it helps, I was born at 32 weeks due to my mum's rampaging PE (classic in her case - tons of protein in her urine and massively high BP). I was moderately GR (3lbs on the nose) and had to spend some time in SCBU. But 38 years on, I appear to have suffered no ill effects, other than some pretty rubbish hand-eye coordination which made me a total duffer at school PE (and which may of course have nothing whatever to do with my prematurity). And I was born in the early 1970s when prem baby care was nothing like as advanced as it is today.

So in my case, I'm more worried for myself in this pregnancy than I am for DC2 (sounds selfish I know, but if I do get a PE recurrence and DS is anything to go by, the baby will be less affected than I will be).

It's funny, (or maybe not!) but I worry more about what I'm putting a baby through than myself!! I know that if I get it again, it'll be later, less severe & picked up earlier, so I won't get to the stage I did the last time. A quick section & I'll start to recover.

But DS really suffered in NICU - lumbar punctures, ventilation, blood tests etc - and I feel so guilty in advance about the possibility of putting another baby through that - by my choice, not theirs. Mother's guilt has started already!!

DS is doing great now - still small, but if that's the worst we've got away lightly! He's starting school nursery in August, will be blubbing at gates!

wow, those are some awful stories fairimum and cheese

I've been really lucky that my previous pregnancies weren't nearly so dramatic and dangerous as those and I'm counting my blessings.

fairi my BP was also high earlier in pregnancy, but like you I also put it down to stress, having found out I was 17 weeks pregnant with an unplanned-for baby

I'm 34 weeks now so nearly there. My hands, feet and face have been swelling up and down but seem ok at the moment and so assume it must be this heat (29 degrees on the school run )

My BP also seems to be creeping up with more diastolic readings of 80+ (rather than 60 or 70+). hmmmmmmm...

Out of interest, are any of you finding you are a bit obsessive about symptom spotting and reading up? It's like I just CAN'T STAND NOT KNOWING WHAT"S GOING TO HAPPEN. GAH!

I've been using urinanalysis strips but unfortunately don't know how to read them accurately and so I'm diagnosing myself with alsorts

Mentalling is a good word for it.

BUMP - as we don't seem to be appearing in the list any more, despite recent posts!

Hi all

I also have had diastolic pressures in the rising 80's but not hit the magic 90 yet and my systolics are not too bad, Hambles.

That is a very scary story Cheese . I guess it does depend on your outcome as to how you feel about it all. Like Fish, DD was generally healthy albeit little and early and did very well, but it nearly killed me. My face is swollen but don't seem to be too bad elsewhere tonight.

I had a growth scan and consultant appointment today. Still have trace protein in wee but that is nothing new and hasn't changed since 20 weeks so no concerns there; BP still within normal so no concerns there; baby perfectly average size-wise and appears healthy in every direction, no concerns there; but now have some polyhydramnios which is good from a PET point of view, in that you would normally expect fluid to be less if PET present (although I can't remember if that happened with DD). I have to have a glucose test tomorrow although they don't think I have GD as baby normal size and no glucosuria. They did say it's probably nothing, and often they never find out why people have polyhydramnios, but so far as I'm concerned it's just another thing to worry about, in an already anxiety provoking pregnancy. Miscarriage fear at the beginning, due to recurrent losses, horrid morning sickness until around 24 weeks and still raising it's head from time to time, PET risk and now this I have to have another scan in 2 weeks to see if it has resolved, hopefully it will have done. They also said it wasn't massively over the limit. I need to not Google, but......

marbles my BP is 115/83 this morning. Does the fact that the systolic is fine make the diastolic creeping up a bit better do you think? I know if it hits 90 I'll be off to the day unit

Sorry to hear you've got new worries too. My fingers are crossed for you that it all comes to nothing at your next scan.

I'm so sick of being pregnant now, but also dreading the CS and recovery so I don't know which is worse!

Anyway, hope you're all OK fish, fairi and cheese

Hambles: from memory, it's more of a concern if your diastolic creeps up. I can't remember exactly but it might be an increase of 15mg/Hg that would alert them, not just hitting the 90. For example, if you started at 65, & you were hitting 80 it would be a concern.

I could be wrong about this!! It's very early days for me & I'm not in BP-land yet!

Hopefully someone who know more will be along to answer you soon - take care xx

Morning all

I am feeling brighter this morning. Hope everyone else is well.

I had thought they took into account your pre-preg BP as well as the actual figure, too, lots; that said I also thought that it was 20/20 above your norm that they were interested in. Mine is up 10-15/ 15-20 from my pre-preg/booking but they don't seem that bothered.

DH is off today (yay!) and we are discussing names again

glad you're brighter today. The sunshine helps doesn't it?

My booking in BP was 142/90, like I said, it was a massive shock to find out we were having another baby! It's been more like 110/70 for the last couple of months though, so no idea how that all fits in. Guess I'll learn more at our next consultant appointment next week - I'll be 35 weeks which was when PET struck last time...yikes

Anyway, DP is taking the boys camping this weekend with some mates so whilst I'm a bit jealous of the fun they'll be having, all I have to do this weekend is rest my ass off!

I don't know if anyone else has heard of this, but apparently increased protein in the diet may help/alleviate it. I've been on aspirin for this and my last pregnancy and avoided it last time and so far so good this time (33wks today).

They told me they no longer use the 20/20 rule. I have also been told eating more protein helps!

that's interesting about the protein. I usually eat a low carb/high protein diet, but for the last few weeks have mainly been eating cereal and chocolate

Do you know why they don't use 20/20 Fish?

I ate loads of protein with DD, steak, chicken, dairy especially cheese, didn't make a hapeth of difference, or maybe it did and I would have developed it even earlier . I have eaten a lot if protein this time too. Hopefully it is making a difference...