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!

Ladies - I was hoping for a little bit of advice here. I have just found out that I am pregnant with #2 and am trying to find out some info. I had mild pre-eclampsia with my first which was diagnosed at 37 weeks. I was induced at 38+4 and my DD was eventually delivered by emcs 2 days later. Now, my DD is 15 months and I am 6 weeks pg and hoping for a vbac as long as everything goes well.

What level of care would I get now? Would I get consultant led care, or midwife led? If consultant led, does that mean more apts etc? I see some of you mention aspirin - should i be taking it or does it depend on what midwife/doctor you speak to you? Lots of questions I know, but I have since moved to the Middle East and want to know what care I would get in the UK so I can compare it to that which is offered over here.

hi milkymilky - I ended up seeing the consultant at just over 20 weeks I think it was - and this was very much pressure on my part because I wanted elcs. At which point during the great reveal it seemed I was going to be referred at 24 weeks anyway due to my history! So why make me worry eh? Anyway, initially I was seeing the consultant approximately once every 3 weeks, then it became fortnightly then when my BP went up it was weekly then er... 10 appointments at the hospital within 7 days! I'm not in the UK either and my mw team were very confident that I wouldn't get PE twice (ha!) and told me not to bother with aspirin - others however have been told to give it a shot.

I was told however that due to being high risk and emcs last time homebirth would no longer be an option for me - if I'd chosen to VBAC it would've been monitoring all the way. :( Although no induction obviously!

Hi milky
This is my first pregnancy but I have been taking aspirin daily on orders of the consultant I saw at 14 weeks - just to reduce my risk level (I am just over ideal weight which increases the risk). This is to due 2 factors: i) a low PAPP-A score at the combined test at 12 weeks, whilst downs risk was low and ii) my mother had PE. Both are risk factors for PE.
According to studies if your own birth had PE as a factor or your mum or sister has had PE at any pregnancy your risk is increased.
The establishment are also less convinced they can tell you PE is unlikely to strike again because you have had it once (which they did use to say). in fact there is some evidence the other way.
Basically they don't know!!
So I was told to have more appointments & scans t keep an eye on the placenta & growth of the baby. Hence scans planned at 20, 24 & 28 weeks for me. Then we will regroup to agree the final weeks. St Thomas hosp in London is doing research into it & my consultant is there so she probably has a different view to other specialists though.
Good luck with dealing with a different medical system - that cannot be easy.

Hi milky, I had quite severe PE with my first pregnancy, it came on very quickly and I had to be induced with some urgency at 34 weeks as my liver and kidney function was looking rather dodge. Fortunately all was fine after the birth, my bp dropped back to normal and I have been in good health. 3 years on and I am 16 weeks pregnant with number 2! I had a consultant appointment after my 12 week scan where I was prescribed aspirin. She stressed at some length the high risk nature of my pregnancy, and I have to say that I was a little surprised at how little extra care I was going to get! In fact, apart from after 30ish weeks having to see the midwife more regularly (every 2 weeks to begin with I think?) for bp checks, I think the only difference is that I am due a scan at 30 weeks and then at 36 weeks, though the consultant didn?t seem to think for a moment that I?d get that far! The rather gloomy predictions and the care plan didn?t really seem to fit together, but I suppose it?s early days? Hoping I can will the dreaded PE NOT to strike anyway!
Best of luck.

Hi
Missing I don't know why I'm not on aspirin either. I haven't seen the consultant yet (have a scheduled appointment at 20ish weeks) and GP has never mentioned it. Were you prescribed aspirin by your GP or the consultant? I will definitely ask the consultant if I should take it although am I right that it may not make any difference at that stage in the pregnancy? Maybe I'm misinformed?
Alpinepony I've got a blood pressure machine at home which I used last time so I will start using that to monitor my own bp readings as it seems no one else is that interested at this point!!
Thanks again for all your advice and sorry for the delay in getting back to you!

Well well well. Today I am 38+4 and just back from another successful hospital visit. So good was it that the consultant smiled! ;)

BP still high for me but under control with the meds.

I never thought I'd make it this far and I never thought I'd have a full-term baby of a proper size who didn't need scbu. I feel quite overwhelmed!

Final check-up on Friday and section on Monday. I wish everyone else the very best of luck.

Well done Alpine! Good luck for Monday.

I'm now 35 weeks and no sign of PE making an appearance. Fantastic!

I've also got a home bp machine and find it reassuring, although my right arm always gives a higher reading than my left. No idea why. Any ideas?

Yay, alpine hope all goes well Monday. Btw, there is always a little difference between your two arms, unless it's a big difference, that's perfectly normal.

toomany opinion is mixed on whether or not aspirin works, I guess because they don't know for sure that if you didn't take it you might not get it anyway if that makes sense, rather than it being a placebo. They do think, iirc, that it needs to be started by 12 weeks because if how the placenta develops. Some say earlier. I guess we all just have to wait and see, because they still don't know that much about the hows and whys. Tis a nasty thing though and the research in Australia looks promising (see the link someone posted upthread).

This piece of research too: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15694021

Apline, fabulous news. 38+4 is better than I managed (38 on the nose) and my little lad was absolutely fine. Good luck for Monday (though who knows, you may get a surprise before then!)

biccies, I know what you mean about the gloomy predictions not matching up to the care plan. I was quite taken aback when my consultant told me not to darken her doors until 32 weeks! Still, I guess hope they know what they're doing.

dinosaurs, I second what marbles said - the aspirin doesn't do much if any harm and it may do good, so I think they err on the side of caution. But it's my understanding that it has to be started by 12 weeks at the latest because it needs to be in your system for the placenta forming (all to do with those funny little spiral artery things).

jaffa, great news for you too!

that's very interesting, fish.

Good luck for monday alpine!
I am being induced monday when i will be 38+0. Things are ok now but protien etc gradually increasing so they have saod monday induction -unless things get worse before then.

Yay! So we just both need to hang on over the weekend and we'll both get our babies on Monday! :) I'm having a little boy, any idea your end?

Morning all...just wondering whether I might pop in and ask a few questions?
I'm 24+1 with my first and have had weird flashing lights/stars on a few occassions in the last couple of weeks but put it down to it being when I've stood up suddenly (or, sorry TMI, pushed a little too vigorously when on the loo due to constipation ). At the weekend I felt utterly exhasuted and really 'down' and emotional and this week I have started feeling v queasy again in the mornings and so so so tired/exhausted particularly in the mornings but then in the evening yesterday as well. Today my eyes feel really foggy and I feel so drained and tired. My BP has been fine at previous MW checks though I the last time I saw a MW was at 16 weeks, then scan at 19 weeks and next MW app not until next Thurs - a week away. I'm under MW led care as no health issues to date but wondering whether I might need to give triage a call and/or try and get myself checked out - what do you think?

PS forgot to mention that my wedding ring seems to be getting tighter on my finger by the day...had been putting it down to cake consumption but now wondering if my fingers are starting to swell slightly... metalling away here!!

From my experience I would certainly try and get to see your midwife or a GP asap. Better to waste ten minutes of their time on an unnecessary appointment than risk your health. I hope it's absolutely nothing - and I'm sure the symptoms you mention could all be perfectly harmless - but, should it be pre-eclampsia (heaven forbid!) it can worsen very quickly and I certainly don't think you should leave it the week to your next appointment, just in case.
Good luck - hope you can get to see someone this afternoon, take it easy in the meantime. Keep us posted x

Blue, definitely get yourself checked. Better to be told it's nothing, than to be caught out like I was!

Dishes, good luck for Monday :)

biccies, I know it's another thread's topic but I hope you get good news soon re your amnio.

Just rung triage and they want me to go in so they can check BP etc so will let you know later...

Glad to hear it, BlueCrane, always better safe than sorry. Good luck, hope it's nothing.
And bless you Fish - thank you. Aaargh, slowly going BONKERS!! x

hope all goes well over weekend and monday dirtydishes
glad they are seeing you now blue
hi everyone else.
have had some stars once or twice in the last week, mainly when i stood up quickly; have also been having mild headaches, which is unusual for me, even when i was pregnant with pre-eclampsia last time. have bp stuff at home so checked and so far it is fine. am 17 weeks so starting to keep an eye out for early symptoms. don't see mw again til 21st (19weeks) and consultant til 28th (20weeks). dh also on alert

Thanks so much for your responses. I spent ages in triage as it was v busy but they checked my bp and urine which were both fine- not high and no sign of protein. I waited ages to see the doc as well and she did a pretty thorough check of me and checked beany's heartbeat which was lovely for DH as he hadn't heard it before. She also consulted the registrar but concluded that I was fine and that if anything my bp was a little on the low side which was probably explaining my lightheadedness and the lights when I bent down and stood up. she said the chances of me getting pe were pretty low. So...a worthwhile trip and nice to have me and beany checked out again. I do wish you all the very best for your ongoing pregnancies.

Great news BlueCrane!

glad all is well blue

Great news crane!

I've just had an instance of squirmy tadpole lights in my vision after bending over to ferret out a box of printer paper. Bit alarmed as that's what happened to me at week 37 before... I'm at work so can't check my own BP. Otherwise I feel fine, a tiny bit headachy (and tired, of course!) Will see how things go the rest of the day and do a BP check when I get home.

Hi everyone, can I ask advice? I am 35 weeks pregnant and they have found one plus protein in my urine, bp was initially 154 over 94 but it came down on subsequent checks to around 138/88. I had pre eclampsia very early and very severely in my 1st pregnancy with devastating consequences so I am very anxious about these latest findings. I was just wondering if you had similar levels to mine did they induce you early or just monitor you? I feel like they aren't taking things seriously enough and they have just said to go to see the consultant on Tuesday but that feels a million miles away at the moment. They keep putting my high bp down to anxiety and that is driving me mad to be honest. Last time I had no symptoms other than swelling which I already have this time and my bp was 190 over 100 with 3+ protein. I don't want it to get to that level before they take me seriously. Any advice would be gratefully received, sorry for the me me me post, ciwi x

Hello just wondered about babies coming up small?
All along i haveneen told that my baby is a good size (last growth scan was 34 weeks) the last two weeks though the measurments they do of your tummy have stopped getting bigger and at the hospital on wednesday they commented hwo small she felt.(i am nearly 38 weeks they measured at just under 35cm which is what i was weeks ago- the baby is still high not engaged).
they put me on the moniotr as i said she was quiet and she took 45 mins to move at all i had to stay on ages because her movement was so low and her heartfate flat. She moved twice and they said oh its fine. My bp was up a little and i had 3+ protein and 3 luekocytes - they sent of sme one hour test or somthign which showed however that eh protein wasnt significant or something.

Im worried about the size of the baby? Only a coe of days to go but stll worrying me!