Describe pre-eclampsia headache/ chest pains... ?

[ddsmummytobe]

I'm currently 20+6. I saw the midwife at 18+3 and blood pressure etc all normal.

But at 19 weeks I had the worst headache I've ever had, really sharp, shocking, drilling, type pain that would come on for a couple of minutes and completely stopped me in my tracks until it had passed. This came and went for a couple of days (including waking me up in the night leaping up with the pain), this was overlapped with about three days of pretty bad but more 'normal' constant, all over headaches.

Then on Sunday I had two bouts of really severe chest pain. The first time I can only describe as being where my heart is - it came in waves of extremely intense pain and I couldn't do anything but grasp at my chest. DP and I were absolutely convinced I was having a heart attack and dp was about to dial 999 when it suddenly passed after about 2 mins. I then had a similar thing on right side of chest the next day, but nowhere near as bad, and then I've had nothing like it since.

Anyway, I'd come to put all of this down to being nothing but then somebody on here as said chest pain could mean pre-eclampsia and I'm just a bit worried and wondered do my symptoms sound like those who have had pre-eclampsia? Can it just come and go like this, and is it poss to have a high blood pressure when it's always been normal - and if anything normal-to-low up until now?

Hiya, I think it was me who mentioned earlier this evening about chest pains and preeclampsia. I didn't mean to panic anyone, I'm just keen to make sure that people call the midwife if there may be something wrong, rather than sit on symptoms and end up seriously ill. I personally have never had preeclampsia, so I don't know how the headaches and chest pain feel, but if you are concerned at all it is really important to call the labour ward. Nobody will think you are silly or making a fuss. Preeclampsia can come on very quickly so having low blood pressure previously doesn't mean it isn't possible, have you had any other symptoms?

Thanks lalabaloo, no, I've looked at the NHS site and no other symptoms I don't think. I'd talk to my midwife, but I've tried to talk to her before about other concerns and she's always extremely dismissive. I'm just really aware that this is my first pregnancy and I've had loads of different worries since the start, so I'm sure I look like a massive hyperchondriac. I did have a cold when I had the headache, so realise it's probably just that. I just find it impossible to know what cause for concern and not these days!

I had suspected PE

I had dizziness headache White floaters in front of my eyes. Rib pain ( well under my heart). I was induced and never had PE confirmed but they told me they were the classic symptoms along with the sky high BP I had.

If you don't want to mention it to your midwife I would just call the labour ward and ask, they will ask you to go in to be checked if they are worried

Don't forget you can ring your antenatal team or labour ward anytime, and they can tell you whether to come in - you should have been given a number on your notes?

As far as the the upper gastric pain, as I understand it (and please someone correct me If I'm wrong!) it is where your liver is, at the very top of your bump, so under your boobs. However, I guess you could get pain spreading from the area, like when stomach pain makes your shoulder hurt IYSWIM.

As far as the headaches go, it sounds like you've had it bad you poor thing! In particular they say to look out for frontal headaches, so around your forehead and eyes.

There is another thread on here: pre-eclampsia mentalling thread where lots of women who have been unlucky enough to have PET describe what happened and it seems to happen very fast.

Please look out for your symptoms and don't hesitate to check with a MW

i was induced for severe pet. pre-eclampsia toxemia.
my symptoms where:
a severe headache for days straight. it only got worse never better and never went away.
floaters in my vision black dots and white flashing lights.
baaad heartburn
right sided pain just under my ribs though that could of been gall bladder related. got my gall bladder out 20 days pp.

saw the midwife at 39+2 around 11am. bad headache visual disterbances and she took my bp it was 140/90. its usally 100/60. i had trace protien in my urine. she told me to call the hospital around 5pm if the headache handnt gone.

by 6pm i was at the hospital with a bp of 160/110 and +++ protien in my urine, contracting and dilated to 1cm. the only coure for pet is delivary of the baby and placenta so off we went on that train wreck of an induction

Does anybody know whether the white spots that you get in your eyes are constant or every now and again? Past few days iv had a bit of a worry, iv had a constant headache which hasn't been severe, chest pain which just feels like a bit of an ache, as though my ribs have all been bruised and can feel it round back, last night I woke up with a really sharp pain under my right ribs which lasted about 20seconds. Then went and hasn't come back. Baby has been very active overnight, and I've had about 3 cases of white lights which don't last long but had them over a period of about a week. Laid in bed now, just had them. I am 35+3 with 2nd DS with my first I had pre-eclampsia but only at like 41 weeks. I don't feel terribly poorly.

confuzed, ring delivery suite NOW.

I started with symptoms at 35 weeks and they were able to control it until ELCS at 38 weeks.

hope you're OK.

I'm going to get ready and go round to my mums who has her own blood pressure pump, she suffers from severely high blood pressure so she has to monitor herself. If the reading is anything other then usual, which is about 90-100/60-55 I will go to the hospital.

Its ok...I think. Read 96/68

I don't know what is ok or not confused, but I think you should call hospital and give them all the info, especially as you have had preeclampsia before