Trying for another baby after severe preeclampsia twice - am I mad?

[sleepysleepytired]

My DS was born at 34 weeks due to severe preeclampsia 3 years ago. I then developed it at 19 weeks with my pregnancy in 2023. It's not usually medically classified before 20 weeks but hey ho I managed it! I lost the baby at 20 weeks in June 2023. I was very unwell but after a truck load of tests I have now recovered and they haven't found any underlying issues they can detect. I wasn't told to take aspirin in this pregnancy despite asking several times if I needed it as my PLGF Test came back fine. Big mistake.

Are we mad to think about trying for another? I have such a yearning for another child. I'm 40 this year so I feel time is running out. I've been given the green light to try again if I want and have been advised 75mg aspirin from positive test then increase to 150mg after 12 weeks plus heparin injections. I would be under consultant led care. I'm currently on a low dose of nifedipine.

On one side I'm desperate for another child but feel like I would be playing Russian Roulette.

The consultant said it's the toss of a coin but I think I'm more likely to get it again than not surely?

Has anyone gone onto have a third pregnancy and got preeclampsia again or managed not to?

I had three pregnancies with pre eclampsia. All consultant led, all went just about ok. In hindsight it was reckless. But I understand the need to try.

I personally wouldn't risk it.
You have one beautiful baby who needs you.

Thanks both. I'd be prepared to get it again if it meant having another baby but who knows if the outcome would end up with a living child and what it could do to my long term health. Still quite torn.

What's your current health like in terms of bmi/bp? Is there anything that you can do to improve on these things (including diet, reducing salt etc, and increasing exercise) to put you in the best position possible before TTC?

Every pregnancy is different, and sounds like there's more which can be done to help if it does happen again (aspirin, injections, beta blockers etc) so I probably wouldn't be writing it off and can see why you want to try again x

@ellybelly123 My bmi is 27. Not perfect so a little overweight. I'd say my diet is 80% healthy.

My bp is well controlled, small amount of nifedipine.

I've reduced the amount of salt in my diet. I got preeclampsia when my bmi was 22 in 2020.

My mum also had it when pregnant with me at 21 so much younger and also slimmer so I don't think those things will increase my risk massively but I'm still losing weight also.

I did ask the consultant and she said I would be high risk regardless of weight or age.

So hard to decide though!

The consultant said it was atypical preeclampsia so I don't think the normal risk factors necessarily apply. My body just struggles to handle pregnancy for some reason. Even googling I can't find many cases where it manifests before 20 weeks unless you have a clotting or autoimmune condition. I'm also medicated for hypothyroidism

@Pinkpinkplonk when did you get preeclampsia with your pregnancies and when did you deliver? Did you take aspirin?

@sleepysleepytired
i had high blood pressure from the moment I got pregnant, so was put on beta blockers. My blood pressure just kept rising. At about 27 weeks I started to get protein in my urine. Delivered all three by CS at 36 weeks. In all three cases it took months for my blood pressure to return to normal, it was worse with each pregnancy.
No I wasn’t offered aspirin, this was quite a few years ago!
Was hospitalised for the last two weeks of each pregnancy
Remained in hospital for longer after delivery too. Just over a week with the last delivery

Just thought I’d update this. I did get pregnant again and managed to stay pregnant for 38 weeks. Now have a heathy 1 year old ds. I took aspirin from positive test and blood thinners. Stopped taking the aspirin at 36 weeks. My bp did go up a bit post partum but settled fully 7-8 months later. Nothing to the levels I’d experienced in the past. Very nervous during the entire pregnancy but it turned out ok. The aspirin seemed to do the trick for me!

That’s great news! I had preeclampsia with DS1 and I developed it really badly postpartum too (I was in hospital for ages because they couldn’t control it). I took 75mg with DS2 from 7 weeks and 150mg from 12 weeks and gave birth 3 weeks ago with no issues at all! Aspirin seemed to do the trick for me too.