HHELP syndrome/ pre eclampsia

[lilbitmum]

Hi

I'm pregnant with my second baby after two missed miscarriages. with last baby suffered with HHELP syndrome after the birth.
I am now 10 weeks, taking folic acid and aspirin. Dr has suggested taking Calcium (?) Does anyone have any experience of this?

Sorry I don't just wanted to wish you luck and say one of the girls I worked with had pre eclampsia with her first 2 pregnancies was given low dose aspirin with her 3rd and went to term and her blood pressure was controlled on meds

Hi I suffered from HELLP in Dec 07 - Baby was born at 31 weeks weighing 2lb 1oz (was also IUGR because of HELLP). After nine long weeks in hospital she has come home and is doing well.

I have been doing some research into the syndrome as I would like to have another child in the future. There is a consultant in fetal medicine at St Mary's Manchester has done some research into pre-eclampsia and HELLP and I understand from what I have read that he has has found that there is a problem with the blood flow to the placenta which occurs at about 20 wks gestation. He has been looking into MRI scans to look at the blood flow to detect if a pregnancy is at risk.

He has recommended the following website which has useful information

www.apec.org.uk/hellpsyndrome.htm

There are a number of MNers who have suffered from HELLP - many have posted in the premature section of Mumsnet.

Sorry just realised that I haven't answered your question re calcium. I'm sure that I remember one of the other MNer's mentioning this tho - have a look in the premature section of mumsnet under topic Why?

Done a bit of digging and from what I can see extra calcium is believed to help women who have had pre eclampsia pregnancy induced hypertension or Hellp in further pregnancies

www.fensende.com/Users/swnymph/refs/pih.html
members.tripod.com/~AnderPander/hellpp.html
clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00000534

Hiya,

I had PE/HELLP with no.1 baby (at 30 weeks) and with pregnancy #2 like you was on aspirin, but the results from the calcium trials very unclear and so my consultant didn't start me on calcium supplements. Unfortunately PE did stike again but it was a lot milder, didn't develop into full-blown HELLP and my DD was delivered at 36 weeks so a big improvement- which I put down to the aspirin and very close monitoring by the hospital from 20 weeks onwards (growth scans, doppler scans, lots of BP checks and urine checks etc.).

There is a thread on the APEC (Action on Pre-eclampsia) forum (which I really recommend) about calcium- take a look at: www.apec.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=577

Good luck with this pregnancy!
xx

I had PE/HELLP with my ds and saw my consultant for a post-natal appt last December. I asked about calcium supplements and he wasn't very keen, said that it was thought only to help mothers whose diet was very low in calcium to start with (ie didn't drink milk/eat cheese etc). Is this your gp who has recommended it or a consultant? If gp, are you seeing a consultant? Guess they are the best people to talk to about your individual situation.

My consultant also said they could do a doppler at 24 weeks which woudl give a good indication of whether I was likely to develop PE in a subsequent pg. Worth asking about that too if no one has mentioned it. Good luck

Hi all

Thanks so much for all the messages. Sorry I haven't posted since but have been away. Thanks for all of the links, I'll definitely look into them. Its just one of those things I know I need to research but so demotivated in first trimester that even getting off the sofa is an effort.

The whole thing has completely freaked me out. Prior to having my daughter nearly five years ago I had never needed anything medical. Since then its been a constant round of haemotologists (disagreeing!) Obstetricians (sometimes agreeing!) and various others. Plus I work in the NHS so am pretty sceptical about medical information at the best of times! Plus the constant 'you're an old mother' thing going on (I'm 40 in Nov)

It's really reassuring to know other people have heard of HHELP as often to speak to the medical profession you'd think I was a rarity.

I will look into Calcium, but not keen on taking things unless strictly necessary, and am already on low dose aspirin and 5mg Folic Acid.

Thanks again for all of your help and research, I'll post what the various doctors come up with!