stuck in hospital with preecampsia

[jellyjem]

does anyone know much about it?

my blood results have come back slightly raised and the 24 hour pee test is 0.6. the consultant said yesterday i coulonly go home if it was under 0.3 so im stuck here now over the weekend. has anyone else had this? im 34 weeks and really worried. hope im not gong tobe here for the rest of the pregnancy and scared how its effecting my baby

help.... could really do with chatting to someone else whose had it

I don't know anything about pre-eclampsia, but I just wanted to wish you well and hope you get better soon - and good luck with your gorgeous baby!

Hi

I had pre-eclampsia and my ds was delivered by c-section at 34 weeks. My kidneys were not functioning properly and my liver was starting to join them! Bloods were being taken twice a day. My ds was born at 5lbs 6oz and it now almost one. It is very scary at the time, but my advice is to do what your drs are telling you. If it does get worse, they will have no choice but to deliver your baby as then you will start to get better. I was in ante-natal ward for 7 days and then in special care for 10 days after delivery.

Get someone to bring you a good book or a magazine. Watch loads of TV and RELAX! You won't have a chance after your baby is born!! Good luck.

poor you - how boring & lonely! Hope it stays stable and you manage to hang on in there for several more weeks.

I know a little, have you looked at the apec website, and the PEts website (I'm on the committee of the PET's site)

My sisters and I haev all had P/Eclampsia 9ctually I had eclampsia as it wasn't picked up), my sister had it earlier than the rest and her LO was born at 36 weeks, he did have to go to specialc are but is fine and doing really well.

DS1 was an eclamptic baby induced at 38.5 weeks, 5lb 5 oz. We were home within 5 days, he ahs some issues now BUT none are related as far as we know to the Eclampsia itself (ASD, we think genetic as ds3 also ahs it).

P/Eclampsia is horrible and so is being in hospital, hoever I have sadly spoken to the partners of people who have died as a result of the disease and it is by far the best place to be. For both you and your baby. I ended up fitting at home and having an emergency hospital transfer after talking hospital into releasing me, it was not one of my cleverest moments.

APEC

PET's

Hi jellyjem. I'm a bit worried as my mum had pre-eclampsia with me and my blood pressure reached 151 at my 22 week check. (It's lower now).

Peachy is right - you are much better off in hospital and i'm pleased that it was noticed.

As for the boredom, i think there is a website called bored.com. Have a look.

Please try not to worry (easier said than done).

its taking me an age to post on this....

thanks ill have a look on the web site. im so bored and tired, been here a week already and getting no sleep as the woman next to me snores like a wart hog.

my scan yesterday measured the baby at 4 pounds 4 but baby hasnt grown much since the last scan. feel realy tearful about it all. really want to b home but i know this is for the best.

Hi.

I get tearful when I get tired. Can your DP/DH bring in anything from home to make you more comfortable: pillows, radio, favourite mug, favourite food etc.

How about getting some ear plugs? If you CAT me your address I'm more than happy to post some on to you

I had pre-eclampsia with ds2 and gestational hypertension/swelling/flirting with pre-eclampsia with ds1. Just remember that the main goal at this point is to get you another week or two along (ds2 was born at 36 1/2 weeks) and if the hospital is the best place to be monitored then so be it. Get some good magazines, have them bring plenty of water and maybe some popsicles and enjoy having your feet up

I was on blood pressure medicine for about 2 weeks after ds2 was born and then everything was back to normal. My doctor also put me on a 24 hour magnesium drip just after delivery. It was not pleasant but evidently it is the thing to do to help your body recover.

Don't know anything about preeclampsia but I know a lot about being stuck on an antenatal ward (I'm going back in on Monday until my baby is born). So...

earplugs definitely! Boots do foam ones that seem to work ok
can anyone lend you a portable dvd player or a laptop that you can watch dvds on?
cross-stitch
make-your-own christmas card kits off ebay
books
I guess you're accessing MN through the patientline thingy? If the games don't work, make them come and fix your machine!
phone everyone you know and organise them so you get visitors every day and not 10 at once

How many weeks are you now?

thanks girls. peachy realy nice of u to offer but ill get dh to get me some earplugs fromboots, itll be quicker.

ive managed to pursuade them to put me in a private room so i can get some sleep tonight but ill have to go back on the ward tomorrow. hopefully a good nights sleep will make me feel better.

cant bring aything electrical in as its not been tested! ive still got loads to do, none of the baby clothes have even been washed yet as this all happened so fast and i thought id still got another 5 or 6 weeks to go. ill have to get dh to do it, was really looking forward to sorting it all out to. gahhhhh

I had pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome when pregnant with dd. I had an emergency section at 32 weeks as I suddenly became very unwell one day having been monitored outside of hospital for 2 weeks with urine tests etc. I was very lucky that the day I became unwell happened to be the day I attended my maternity assessment unit to hand in a urine specimen. If not I would probably have collapsed at work and although I work in a hospital the one I was in at the time had no maternity services so I would have needed an emergency transfer etc.

Try very hard to stay in hospital and do whatever the medics ask of you. If your baby has to be deivered early then be reassured that at 34 weeks plus they should be fine.

ladida -that sounds really frightening, im glad it was all okay in th end. ive been trying to pursuade the docs to let me go home and be monitored but youve made me think twice.

i need to try and stop feeling so down about it all, hopefully itll all seem a bit better tomorrow when ive had some sleep.

the irritating thing is my maternity leave started the day i got rushed in here. wish id not finished early now i could have got signed off instead of using up my leave.

HI jellyjem, am feeling very sorry for you as I was in hospital for 4 weeks with pre-eclampsia with my ds. DO NOT try and persuade them to let you go home!! (tempting as it may be, I know). PE can come on very suddenly. I managed to get the doctors to let me go home for the weekend after being in for a week as my bp had stabilised and I had only a trace of protein. It was lovely but when I went back for my check-up on Monday my bp was 180/110 and I had 4+ protein, it was very scary and I wished I'd never left. My ds was born at 34 weeks by cs; he was in SCBU for a while but is 15 months now and a beautiful rampaging toddler!

I had been told that I had to stay in until I delivered, so got through each day by thinking the longer I could keep my baby inside, the better it was for him, even if it was another day of boredom and misery for me. I just tried to imagine him all warm and cosy inside me instead of lonely in an incubator.

Have you got people to come and visit you? (if you're in Oxford I'll come!). Try and space them out so they don't all come at once. Read lots (you will never get the chance once the baby is born!). Take up knitting. If you have a laptop at home get your dh to charge it up and bring it in to watch dvds. Ring up patientline, tell them you are a long stay patient and ask for a discount. Get a mothercare catalogue and pick things from it if you're missing anything. Make your dh come in every day with takeaways. Ask the admin staff if you can help with anything like envelope stuffing. When your dh comes to visit, ask if you can go off the ward with him (I was allowed to go to a little piece of grass within the hospital grounds, it made a huge difference to get off the ward). Reverse the charges, ring your mother and cry at her! (one of my favourite occupations whilst incarcerated). Most importantly, have a shower and get dressed every morning. Makes you feel much more human. Oh and get to know the mws if you're on an ante and postnatal ward - this will be very handy after you have given birth and they have the painkillers!

Sorry for rambling on so much . Hope everything goes well for you, lots of luck.

Oh also forgot to say (can there really be anything to add after such a long message...) don't worry about your baby - you are being very closely monitored and the doctors will be doing the best thing for both of you.

Jellyjem, i was in same situation as you with DS1 (he's a strapping six yo now!)- i have to go out now, but will pop back later and chat

aww, you poor thing jellyjem, i had PE with DS, he is now 12! I went for a check up with midwife at 32 weeks, and was in hospital an hour later, stayed there until 38 weeks, when i was induced. 6 weeks of reading, cross stitch, making cards, playing game boy, writing a novel (i know! boredom!) and ringing anyone and everyone. everyone on here is saying the same thing - just think that the more rest you get, the longer your baby can stay inside you secure. and you are in the best place, being monitored by the professionals. i'll play scrabble with you on facebook if you want!!!
jbr
xxx

Hi, i'm back. I went on maternity leave at 34 weeks, looking forward to six weeks of shoppping, lunches etc, and Monday afternoon found myself in the ante-natal ward with PE. The annoying thing was that i felt absolutely fine. I was in and out every few days - they let me go out for dinner on my birthday provided i came back for the night, very romantic LOL. I did my baby shopping online whilst at home one day.
I read loads, listened to the radio, started on a funky tapestry cushion, which i finally finished a few weeks ago, had visitors, and generally loafed about. Made a good friend too. If i'd known about mumsnet i would've been delighted
TBH, because i was stuck in there i didn't have a clue how serious PE was, and so wasn't overly worried. You are in the best place to rest and be monitored. Try and make the best of it and keep posting

Hi,my first dd was delivered at 34wks becaude i had pe. I had been in for 3 wks and was feeling fine the day she was born. Had even had a roast my mum had bought in. I know it's boring but hospital really is the best place.
Dd was o.k - 4lb's and was in intensive for a wk on cpap (a kind of non-invasive ventilator) and then the neo natal nursery for a couple of wks til sah learnt how to feed and put some weight on. Good luck and try not to worry too much.

Hi.

Any chance someone can wash the baby clothes for you? My plan is that if i can't get baby stuff ready for any reason - my mother will go and buy it for me or we'll get it over the internet. My mum said to use the middle three months for looking at baby things and deciding what i want cos in the last three months (am 25 weeks now) i may not want to walk around shops. She's right - i get tired v easily.

Liegeandlief is right - another day inside you is better than being in an incubator.

Speak to you soon .

Hi there
I was in hospital from 33weeks with pre-eclampsia. Did the pee test for about 4 times - hated it! Hated being in hospital for 2 weeks! only cure was to deliver baby. i think the only threat is to yourself, not the baby. They took bloods every 2nd day and checked my bloodpressure 2/3 times a day. They put me on the baby monitor every day.
Don't know about your private room, I begged for one as I was there 2 1/2 weeks. even after DD was born I couldn't get a private room - high risk of getting seizure of the pre-eclampsia.
They induced me on 35 weeks. DD was healthy and ok.

How are you doing today?

wanted to add, I was in the same situation as you. I also didn't have my DD's clothes washed. Nothing packed. I just packed for about 2 days when I went in. didn't think I would be in there for 2 1/2 weeks.
DH took my "dirty" clothes home every evening, washed everything for me, brought some fresh clothes for me everyday! did all of DD's clothes washing. Asked them on day 7 if I could go home and pack my own hospital bag. It was lovely to get out of hospital! DH drove me to Mc Donalds, bought us some ice-cream. went home and I packed my bags and did some cleaning!

hi everyone, thanks for all the messages, it really helps to hear positive stories. i did feel like i was stuck in prison or something as i didnt and still dont feel ill. has a long and tearful chat with my mum yesterday morning and ive realised your all right, i need to remember that even though i still dont feel ill im in the best place for me and the baby. a good nights sleep really helped me se things much clearer to.

im still holding on to my pivate room at the moment to and realise im very lucky to have it.

my mums washing all the baby stuff for me and my dh has promised to bring in a mothercar catalogue as well as boots nd argos books as ive not even finished my crimbo shopping yet. im gonna write him a list so at least that'll give me something to do.

had lots of visitors so far but the hours are realy strict, only an hour after lunch and another hour of an evening though dh can stay a bit longer. im spending a small fortune on the phone and tv, have to ring em to see if i can gt a discount, hadnt even thought of that.

jane