what are the chances of having pre-eclampsia in second pregnancy....

[mum2sam]

i was in and out of hospital at 32wks and was on the maxiumum dose of medication with my first and went into labour 3 weeks early. I was told my chances were slim of getting it again by my GP after ds was born. But went to my first GP appointment since finding out im preganant with my second child and was told my chances were vey high. I dont know who to believe.

Hi Mum2sam

Yes i thought it was slim too, but Ob and birth centre both have me on high monitoring, and Ob even says i will get it again, Not what you want to hear, although he does admit your not meant to get it as much if you are with same partner.

have you heard of taking extra calicum, I am currently taking pre natal vitamins (with calcium) and an extra calcium supplement. My obstetrican advised this. My bp has been really low, even lower than it was a decade ago. Apparently calcium lowers BP, but works most on pg women. Much better than awful BP pressure medication too. I'm 27 weeks now, Hopefully it will stay low. How many weeks are you?

hiya im only 7 wks but was just shock
ed to hear my chances were high when before i was re-assured my chances were slim.

I'm not sure of the statistics but I had it (badly) with first baby and was told at the start of second pregnancy that I was unlikely to get it again - I was monitored a bit more closely in the second pregnancy and knew what to look out for. It all went much more smoothly second time and my blood pressure never rose too much. Good luck!

I'm not sure of the statistics but I had it (badly) with first baby and was told at the start of second pregnancy that I was unlikely to get it again - I was monitored a bit more closely in the second pregnancy and knew what to look out for. It all went much more smoothly second time and my blood pressure never rose too much. Good luck!

As with all things conception, pregnancy and birth, i don't think anyone can tell you how it will work out. I think they just like to prepare for the worst case to cover themselves and be prepared for you.

i was worried but now, i've chilled out. i haven't even been to the complex BP clinic they want me to go to, because i don't have PE right now, naughty but not up to a 3 hour wait.
Are you going to look into the calcium?

hi mum2sam. i had it with my 1st and again with my 2nd, but it was'nt as severe 2nd time and i managed to get to 39 weeks before symtoms could'nt be ignored any longer, i still had an induction though. also my sis had it with her 1st and has just had her 2nd,pre-eclampsia with both and with 2nd pregnancy equally affected as the 1st. i think you are probably more likely to develop problems compared to someone who is not affected by it,but i would'nt worry yourself too much about something that might not even happen. if it does, you are in the right hands and now know what to expect. just make sure you attend all of your ante-natal appointments. good luck

Hi Mum2sam,
I had severe PE with DS- he was delivered at 30wks as a result. I am now 30 wks in 2nd pregnancy & being monitored v closely (every week) by my consultant- I am also on low dose aspirin. I really recommend asking to see a consultant obstetrician as soon as possible to discuss your history & what monitoring you should receive this time round. A lot of info can be found on this website- Action on Pre-eclampsia There is also a messageboard which is great too: APEC forum
Re-occurrence depends a lot on when & how severely you got PE last time & whether you have many pre-disposing factors. I have a 25-50% chance of re-occurrence. Often when PE starts in a 2nd pregnancy it strikes about 2 weeks further on in pregnancy.

Good luck xx

found this on preeclampsia.org in the FAQs

Will I get preeclampsia in a subsequent pregnancy?

1. If my first pregnancy was normal?

If you had a normal first pregnancy, your risk of having preeclampsia in the next pregnancy is very low, however if you have other risk factors (such as advanced maternal age, excess weight, family history of hypertension) you should still be watchful and alert to early warning signs. A study in Aberdeen, Scotland showed that nearly 1 in 150 women whose blood pressures had been entirely normal in their first pregnancy had preeclampsia in a second pregnancy. (ref: Preeclampsia: The Facts by Redman, Walker 1992)

1. If I had preeclampsia in my first or an earlier pregnancy?

There has not been significant research looking at the rate of reoccurrence in subsequent pregnancies, however the consensus among experts is that preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy is the single largest risk factor for developing preeclampsia. It is entirely wrong to say that if you had it in your first--you will not get it again. The risk of having it again is approximately 20%, however experts cite a range from 5-80% depending on when you had it in a prior pregnancy and how severely you had it.

The risk increases if since your previous pregnancy you have developed chronic hypertension, diabetes, or if you are having IVF, twins or other multiples, as well as the risk factors mentioned above.

1. If I had it in a first but not a second?

If you do not have preeclampsia in a second pregnancy, your risk for reoccurrence in a third is low, though it can happen.

Thank you for posting this - I was worried for my next pregnancy! Congrats to Mum2Sam (soon to be mum2samplusbump I assume)?