Horrendous heartburn, chest/rib pain and swelling

[mumtobejuly2022]

I’m 36+1 and I’m just looking for some advice. I’ve had bad swelling in my feet and ankles since around 20 weeks of pregnancy and it’s now in my hands and around the eyes. You can see the fingerprint indentation. I’ve always been dismissed by midwives as it is considered ‘normal’ but I feel there is a deeper issue. Last night I woke up with horrendous heartburn where medicine wouldn’t even take it away. It was causing me chest pain and rib pain. I was struggling to breathe and wheezing. Anyway, I phoned the labour ward today and they told me they didn’t need to see me as it all sounds ‘pretty normal for being 36 weeks pregnant’. Has anyone else had this issue ?

I think insist on being seen so your blood pressure and urine can be checked. Finger print indentation in swelling and the rib pain are potentially signs of pre eclampsia, especially if the swelling in your hands and face has come up suddenly. I hope all is ok and it is just the heat but I'm shocked the midwife dismissed you like that!

Your midwives are talking bullshit.

Go to A&E.

If the pain is to your right side please get seen asap as that can be a sign of PE. Anything that wakes you up needs to be checked.

I’ve to see the midwife today for the usual antenatal checks but they’ve never cared about my swelling before. It was 2 midwife’s yesterday that said I didn’t need to be seen as I wasn’t showing the signs they were looking for such as headache or seeing flashing lights!!

@GrowBabyGrow @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor @mathanxiety I also mentioned about that I think I may have lost a bit of my mucus plug but no I didn’t need to be seen about that either!

Midwife here - some swelling in legs can be normal, especially in the heat, but I'd be very concerned about the facial swelling. Is the heartburn pain under your ribs on your right hand side? Not everyone with raised BP has a headache/visual disturbances. Can't believe they're not seeing you. I'd tell them in no uncertain terms you're coming in for BP/urine and maybe bloods.

Mucus plus is no worry at all. Some people lose it really early, doesn't mean labour will start early. As long as you're not bleeding and your waters haven't broken then we wouldn't see you for that.

Go to the hospital and refuse to leave, this isn’t normal.

I didn’t have flashing lights, but I had awful water retention (my legs were leaking) and I had severe pe at 36+3, was kept in for a couple of days and delivered at 36+5.

Good luck!

Go to hospital.

I had pre eclampsia with these symptoms.

Facial swelling, pain under ribs, pitting oedema in my legs and bump. The swelling in my legs and face was huge. Could barely lift my legs to get upstairs.

@littlemissalwaystired the facial swelling has only recently come on but it’s around my eyes. Yes it started in the right hand side and sometimes I’ll feel it in the middle or left hand side but mostly the right. I’ve to see midwife today for checks but I don’t have much hope about getting taken seriously 😓

The pain under your right concerns me. What time is your appointment? I'd ring the hospital now and ask to be seen in their assessment unit rather than wait for your routine appointment, especially if the midwife doesn't take you seriously.

@user2908143823142536475859708 totally sympathise about the pain in the legs I can hardly walk up and down stairs either.

@littlemissalwaystired my appointments at 12 today

@MuchTooTired oh my gosh, did you have high blood pressure or any protein showing in urine?

@mumtobejuly2022

Glad to hear you're going in today.

Sorry to read you're having trouble with stairs too. I found my legs swelled again after the birth and that with exhaustion made it very difficult to get in and out of bed for a few weeks. They very slowly went back down.

Do not leave until you're taken seriously.

This sounds like signs of PE. It's so so dangerous if left untreated. Tell them they have a duty of care and your concerns and your welfare and your babies welfare are not being taken seriously so you're going to take it further to PALS and the GMC. Do not leave until they have done tests for PE.

@PinkButtercups 100% I will be saying this if they don’t do any sort of check or I’m not taken seriously. All I ask for is to be reassured and tested it’s not hard. Mums know when something isn’t right and this is one of those times

I didn't get headache until really late (day before emergency section and had been on hospital for 3 weeks already) and didn't have flashing lights at all!

I DID have eye swelling though. Get yourself checked,insist on it.

100% you know when something doesn't seem right. Don't be fobbed off.

Not the same scenario but I contacted PALS the night I came home from my 20 week scan at about 11pm. Had an email at 5am the next morning and head of midwifery call at 9am to be seen at 1pm.

Once they know you're serious and won't be fobbed off they have to take it seriously. They have a duty of care.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor sounds to me as if the symptoms only get worse the longer you have it and the further you are in your pregnancy. Super scary!

@PinkButtercups I’m so glad they had taken you seriously and you were contacted and seen so soon.

I will be telling the midwife today how I feel and if she can’t do anything for me then I will be sending a complaint. Can’t believe you have to fight to get seen even though you are displaying dangerous symptoms.

It's a weird thing, I was very very ill and didn't realise how bad I was. Only looking back I can see how all the symptoms added up to the bigger picture.

You are being seen today so I will say I always think my swelling is extreme as it really is for me. Whenever I mention it my midwife and consultant both have had a look and been happy it's just normal swelling.

I also had extreme rib pain on my right side. I would cry with pain, my last growth scan the sonographer said I bet your ribs are really sore her feet are right up there. My baby just dropped recently and the relief, OMG!

Obviously not saying don't get checked but that if everything comes back normal I also felt concerned but everything seems to just boil down to pregnancy sucks!

@mumtobejuly2022 my blood pressure was high, every time they tested it they did it again straight after. From memory, I did have borderline protein in my urine when I went in, but otherwise felt as fine as you can do when heavily pregnant - I only rang triage on the off chance because it was a bit weird but I’d written it off as just another pregnancy thing in my head. If it is pe, they might give you steroid injections for the baby just in case they can’t get it under control and you need to deliver early.

I’m sorry if I scared you, I honestly didn’t mean to. Just pack a little bag and take it with you before going in just in case they keep you in for monitoring, stupid stuff like phone charger and things to entertain you!

Yes this - even with an apparently ‘normal’ BP you need PET bloods taking with symptoms of facial swelling and the pain you are having.