Preeclampsia Experiences

[babypinkroses]

I’ve been diagnosed with preeclampsia following vision problems and protein in my urine.

I’ve been in hospital for a few days now and my blood pressure has been absolutely fine, never been high at all during this pregnancy, baby is monitoring okay and Doppler all okay.

I know things can change suddenly though. I’m 32 weeks at the moment and they’re saying I won’t make it to my due date but obviously can’t tell me how far along I will get.

Does anyone have any experience?

If baby is born before 37 weeks, will they need to go into a neonatal unit? If so is that until 37 weeks or could they leave earlier if they’re okay? And can I stay with them? Or is it just visiting times if I’m out of hospital?

Any experiences on the birth (which will either be emergency csection or induced they said) and/or what happens with baby after the birth would be much appreciated

This is my first baby so no idea, and the doctors just keep saying we have to see what happens so would be good to have real life experiences.

I've got some experience of pre-eclampsia but the circumstances were different to yours.

I was diagnosed at 35 weeks due to protein in urine and increase in blood pressure. I never had any other symptoms. I had to go to hospital every other day (pretty much) to have my blood pressure taken and urine tested. They induced me at 38+2 because my blood pressure kept going up.

Both baby and I were fine, although my labour was very fast. I had to spend 5 days in hospital afterwards because my blood pressure wasn't going down (turns out the blood pressure medication they put me on was at too low a dose, but that's another story).

I'm not sure about how long baby could go into special care at 32 weeks, but my friend had a baby at 35 weeks who didn't have to go into special care (mind u, he did weigh 7lbs). I think it depends on how developed their lungs are. They'll give u a steroid injection if you're going to be induced early, to help the baby's lungs to develop.

Thank you They don’t seem concerned about baby’s growth at this point, that seems to be on track.

They say they’ve caught it early so hopefully have some time still.

When you were in hospital, did you have baby with you by your bed? Glad you were both okay

Yeah, baby was with me all the time. We had our own room, which was nice.

They never seemed that concerned about me either to be honest. I think they only induced me because my blood pressure kept creeping up. I think they try to get you as far along in your pregnancy as they can, while keeping a really close eye on you.

Try not to worry too much - having googled the topic to death when I had pre-eclampsia, I concluded that the worst outcomes you hear about are all women who haven't been diagnosed. Now it's diagnosed and monitored, you'll be fine.

I had preeclampsia diagnosed at 36 weeks. My blood pressure was very high though and I went to get checked because I had facial swelling and a headache so slightly different experience to you.
Although in the two weeks before I’d been sent to mat assessment for monitoring for a swollen foot and leg and high blood pressure.
I was assessed and the midwife ran for the doctor and then I was admitted to delivery suite.
Basically they tried to bring my blood pressure under control all day and it didn’t work.
Then late at night I was checked again and they said they would have to induce me. I’d had a growth scan a couple of days before though and baby was breech. So they rescanned me to check and baby was still breech. I was booked for emergency section for the morning and on 15 minutes observations until that point. I was put on a drip of labetalol and mag sulphate to prevent me from fitting. I was also given a catheter so they could monitor fluids and I was given a steroid injection for baby’s lungs. Midwife sat in the room all night monitoring us.
When DS was born he wasn’t breathing as he should have been so he was taken to special care. He was also struggling with his temperature and was jaundiced. He weighed 5lbs 9oz. So was on the smaller side.
He was given a course of antibiotics as a precaution really and was kept on SCBU. He was kept on there for 4 days and then moved with me onto postnatal ward at my request. Although they did bring him to me briefly in the evening of the day he was born (as I was still numb from the section) so I could meet him but he had to go back to SCBU quite soon afterwards as his breathing worsened and temperature dropped again.
We had to stay in until he finished his antibiotics, and then his jaundice worsened so we had to stay for that. Meanwhile my blood pressure also wasn’t stabilising so I had to stay for that too - they wanted me to have so many days without a spike. I was on the medication for a few weeks afterwards too.
Think we we got home after 9 days in hospital.

Pre eclampsia with both of mine. First happened suddenly (within 1 hour) while I was waiting to go down for ELCA as he was breach. Was an amazing case of being in the right place at the right time as my reading went from normal in in the 180 and above regions in about 90 mins.
I stated I for about a week after and ended up on 3 different BP meds as it wouldn't go down. Baby stayed with me throughout in our own room. In the end I think they sent me home as they were sick of the sight of me!
Second one I was in for about 3 weeks leading up to ELCS. BP went up much earlier this time. On reflection I was also much more unwell and could barely do anything other than sleep.
I also had Gestational Diabetes which is why I was in for longer. They gave me steroids to prep DS lungs in case I couldn't make it to 37weeks. Unfortunately the steroids affect your blood sugars so that's part of the reason I was in so long before.
CS was fine, DS was fine was with me throughout in side room with door open so they can keep an eye on you.
Stayed in for a week after. I don't think my BP has ever gone back to normal however as it was always very low before.
They like to try and get you to 37 weeks as there is quite a difference in lung development between babies born before then.
Are you taking aspirin?

I had preeclampsia with my first. They started to be concerned from 32 weeks as I had swelling in my legs and hands and my blood pressure was creeping up. I also had traces of protein in my urine. They just did weekly checks on me until 37 weeks where my bp was very high and I had triple protein in my urine. They admitted me there and then and I was induced. The induction went on for 3 days and was ultimately unsuccessful. By the end of the three days I was showing signs of kidney and liver failure and they decided to do a section. Baby didn't need scbu but was a bit jaundiced and had a bit of an issue regulating her blood sugars initially but was fine. My bp took a few weeks to come back down but otherwise fine

Hello ladies, could anyone please let me know when doctors/midwives became concerned with your BP? What I mean is, what were your readings? Thanks.

I had pre eclampsia with my daughter
She was born at 35+3 after induction.
Honestly other than high BP and protein in urine I felt absolutely fine
Me and baby was both fine
They seemed much more worried about blood markings tbh and the bottom number of blood pressure.
Think it was about 140/95 when induced.
Was usually around 120/80

I was diagnosed with pre eclampsia last week at 35 weeks.

I'd called my midwife as I had swelling in my face, hands and ankles, along with a headache and felt a bit funny, but not terrible! When I got in i had protein in my wee, and my blood pressure was sky high, 180/105 was in for 2 days then it had gone back down so they let me go home, but had to go to midwife for urine/bp checks daily...lasted 2 days at home and had + protein and another blood pressure spike, 170/115 this time, along with visual disturbances- more blurry vision in one eye than anything else. They admitted me to hospital again and increased my medication which seems to have helped. I'm being induced saturday at 37 weeks.

Hope this helps!

There definitely seems to be different protocols for different trusts regarding pre-eclampsia. I was admitted at 36+1, and wasn't allowed home again until after the baby was born! I had (borderline) high BP, proteinuria and bloods. I was swollen as well, but we were in a heat wave at the time. I would have been massively swollen pre-eclampsia or not! Other than that, I was symptomless

Blast. Hit post too early.

@babypinkroses To answer your questions:
There is no guarantee a baby born before 37 weeks needs to to to SCBU. So long as baby is keeping their temperature and oxygen levels up, breathing ok, and in otherwise good health, there is no reason they cannot stay with their mother. If baby does need to go to SCBU, they're only kept there as long as needed. Sometimes it can only be a few hours.

I was induced at 37 weeks. Baby born at 37+1. Labour went just fine. Baby remained with me the entire time during our stay afterwards. I needed monitoring to make sure the high blood pressure resolved, and baby needed heel prick blood tests as labetalol can cause them to have low blood sugar. We stayed in for 2 nights.

So long as you and baby remain fine, the goal will be to get you to 37 weeks.

@Ags95

Hi! I was diagnosed with PE at 27 weeks. I gave birth at 30 weeks and my daughter came home at 35 weeks gestation. I couldn't stay with my daughter as my unit only had one bedroom for parents, but some NICU's have more parent spaces. I visited every day and stayed for as long as I physically could though.

35 weeks tends to be the magic number. Im currently 18 weeks pregnant with my 3rd and if I can make it to 35 weeks this time I'll be over the moon.

My PE was severe and my BP was erratic, but ultimately I was delivered early because my daughter went into foetal distress.

The birth was unusual. I had a C Section under General Anaesthetic but only because I have a disability that affects my spine so cant have a spinal block.
I was asleep, but as far as I've been told my baby went directly to NICU. This was purely down to her being so early though, so that isn't necessarily what'll happen for you.

I'm on a prem baby page on Fb and a lot of their later prems who don't need extra help are able to stay with them on the ward, so fingers crossed your baby stays put for a few more weeks :)

Good luck! Feel free to ask anything.

Thanks ladies that’s really helpful. Atm my doctor has diagnosed mild high BP and it dips up and down but usually around 140/70-90 as well as traces of protein and some swelling. Other than this feel absolutely fine. I’ll be 38 weeks on Sunday and consultant mentioned an induction next week but will be reviewing on Tuesday... midwives haven’t been worried about any results until my GP reviewed them and called my consultant so not sure what to think haha