pre-eclampsia symptoms but midwife not concerned?

[RAFWife12]

I'm 31+4 and had my 31 week midwife appointment today. Trace of protein in urine, and bp raised. Also mentioned i've been having headaches last couple weeks.
Midwife not concerned as bp still within normal limits - but i normally have a low bp. (highest bp i've ever had before is 120/74. Today was 130/82) She just told me to contact hospital if i feel unwell, otherwise see how things are in 3 weeks. I asked what i should be looking out for and she just said any change in babies movements or i feel unwell.
So went on nhs website and looked up pre-eclampsia. Headaches is on list of symptoms. As is pain below ribs, and flashing lights in vision - both of which i have.
Obviously this is concerning to me, but not to her! What would you do?

I had a similar thing. My blood pressure has always been low, when I was pregnant with DD1 it kept creeping up, and I had mad swelling.

My grandma told me I had pre-eclampsia 10 weeks before the midwife spotted it.

I was young, this was pre-mumsnet, I didn't realise. I went to my last appointment at 37 weeks, she took my bp, and called an ambulance.
At this point, I felt fine. They wouldn't even let me walk, and the ambulance went a special route to avoid speed bumps.

I think having a low blood pressure normally means they don't spot it as quickly.

Glad you're in a position to keep doing extra checks, and you've got mumsnet too ;) so you'll be fine.

Let's not confuse pulmonary embolism with pre eclampsia.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is caused by a blood clot which has travelled to the lung. Symptoms are pain on top of the shoulder! and underneath, basically where the lung is "hung up" and shortness of breath.

Pre eclampsia symptoms are the 3 mentioned - water retention, high bp and protein in urine. All of these can be a part of a normal pregnancy. All three together indicate pre eclampsia.

I'd get a bp monitor at home or have it checked at work.

I had my sis send me urine sticks to pee on, and I checked daily. BP with my pre eclampsia went up to 180/100 and my normal one is 110/60.

The headache can come from the higher than normal bp, but disturbed vision is nothing that should be ignored.

Three weeks is def too long.

Let's not confuse pulmonary embolism with pre eclampsia.

I don't think anyone has done that.

No one is confusing pulmonary embolism with pre eclampsia, but one person used "PE" as an abbreviation for pre eclampsia (because this is a discussion forum rather than a set of medical notes and things get abbreviated all the time, and when the thread is about pre eclampsia it's clear what you mean). It's like CP gets used to mean cerebral palsy or chicken pox or chemical pregnancy or Center Parcs, depending on what the thread is about.

I didn't 'confuse' pulmonary embolisms with pre-eclampsia, but I did mention I know someone with similar symptoms who was diagnosed with the former, not the latter. She's still in hospital, actually.

The risk of pulmonary embolisms is higher in pregnancy and the symptoms can include pain under ribs and general feelings of unwellness.

The reason I mention it is not to scaremonger, but just to show it's always worth getting these things checked out, as one set of symptoms can point to a variety of problems but only a doctor can diagnose.

RAFWife- my BP was always low pre and during pregnancy too- as low as 105/50 during the second trimester. So you can imagine my shock at 36 week appt (2 weeks ago) when it was 138/90!! nearly died. No other signs though. They brought me back in a week later for a full BP series, it was perfect again- 110-70. It's very common during the 3rd tri for the BP to push up a bit, even for people like us who tend to be on the low side. We are brewing a baby and pushing so much more blood around our bodies, it really is normal. Try not to worry and see what happens over the next few days. Go easy on salt and up your water intake.

Sorry, didn't want to step on anyone's toes.
I've had both.
PE is very rare. Preeclampsia not so rare. Both nasty.
Hope everything is ok, OP.

Chica - i already follow a low salt diet (have done for years due to a pre existing medical condition), never have caffeine for same reason, and drink approx 2litres a day.
BP today 133/83 and still trace protein. So no worse than yesterday!

133/83 really isnt high at all, honestly, even for us 'low BP' folk- you are carrying an almost fully formed baby and all that extra blood. It really isnt a reading to worry about. I do get your concern though as i was the same- mine was bad 2 days in a row and then perfectly normal again the week after. Just go about your business and if things start to swell or the flashing lights get worse, then act fast.

RAFWife, what do your chest pains feel like? Does it feel like really bad indigestion, in the area where your bra cups would be?

Suburban-no, its not like indigestion. Its not all the time. Its right side only, like an ache in lower ribs, well below bra line. Could just be babies position. I dont know.

yep, the rib flare, i had it for at least 10 weeks as baby was breech for ages, right up until 35/36 weeks. it has lessened in the last few weeks since he flipped. It was all on my right side, under the bra line. ROTTEN. Probably the worst pregnancy ailment i had actually. Yoga helped. Yoga teacher said to not sit for lengthy periods of time as this pushes everything UP from the pevlis and makes it worse- so in work, get up at least twice an hour and walk around. Did i listen? no, but definitely it was worse when i was in work or in the car.

It could be rib flare, it could also be epigastric pain

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/440848-omg-heartburn-from-hell-advice-please

The only answer is to NOT take it for granted one way or another.

It isn't normal to have a BP of pushing 90 as the lower figure. Yes, it does get higher, but not stupidly so.

I'm not sure the ache is a symptom then RAFWife - that's not to say that the other things you're experiencing aren't either though.