Reassurance about possible pre eclampsia

[Ellsx6]

First time mum to be so please don't be harsh I'm aware I may be being over alert.

I'm 21+2 today and still worried that I may have pre eclampsia.

I've had headaches on and off from around 17 weeks pregnant. The days I do have them it's literally from waking up to sleep they do not go.
At around 19 weeks on 2 occasions I was 'seeing stars'

I called my midwife and asked for advice and she said headaches are normal due to hormones and I probably just got up to quick so was seeing stars. She said all I could do was contact my GP and ask for stronger painkillers for my headache. I didn't bother because I'm not one for taking painkillers and the pains not really bothering me it's just the worry of pre eclampsia.

My bmi is about 36 so I've been taking aspirin from 12 weeks as I'm high risk of getting pre eclampsia so it's precautionary.

After my 20 week scan last week I see the midwife and asked her to check my blood pressure and it was fine. I have a home bp monitor too and my average is 131/69 (normal for me pre pregnancy too)

I've been experiencing some pain under my boobs (ribs area) and read that it's another symptom of pre-eclampsia but also having under bump discomfort and a stitch like feeling in my belly (probably just growing pains I know) so perhaps the rib pains just because everything's stretching and moving. Today I had a 2 minute episode of seeing grey floaters in my eyes and headaches back again.

I went to maternity assessment unit the other day for reduced movement and my urine sample and BP was fine but I'm still worried

Is this just normal pregnancy symptoms or is there something I should be worrying about..

Oh also Forgot to mention. I'm SO thirsty recently. Is that a sign too or normal? Don't want to pester my midwife anymore I think she's had enough of me!🤣

They sound like normal pg related symptoms, if the head ache is constant or the bp increases from what it is or the pain in your ribs gets worse - contact your midwife for advice

Thirst is a sign of gestational diabetes, which is more likely if you have a high BMI

I've booked a GD test for a few weeks time..they recommended me to get one at my booking appointment at 8 weeks so I did and it was negative then although aware it may change

The thing with pre-eclampsia is that pretty much all the symptoms can also be very normal pregnancy symptoms - the thirst, headaches, pain under boobs, light headedness etc.
The ones to watch out for are when they are accompanied by high blood pressure and protein in your urine - those 2 are the biggest signs of PE.

In my first pregnancy, I started experiencing all of this from about 30 weeks (some symptoms had started earlier). I even bought urine sticks off amazon to test my own urine and would go in whenever it showed high protein.

Every time I went in, my BP would start off high but I'd sit there chilling for an hour and it would go back down so I'd be sent home again. This cycle went on for weeks and, at one point, I went into a&e as I had a headache so bad I couldn't see.

I was eventually diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks and was admitted to hospital on the spot. I had a week of steroid injections and DD1 was born at 38 weeks. She was pretty teeny but fine and she's now a very healthy 4 year old.

I'm pregnant with my second now and have been on low dose aspirin and magnesium from the start. I'm only 17 weeks but have already had terrible headaches, extreme thirst, dizziness etc from very early on which I believe have just been normal pregnancy symptoms as it's too early for PE and all my blood sugar tests for GD have been fine. I'm keeping an eye on everything though but not stressing.

I know it's easier said than done OP, but try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy - step away from Google for a start as it's the absolute worst when you are already feeling anxious.

And 21 weeks is still so early, you don't need to stress about reduced movements at this stage as baby is teeny and can easily change positions and 'hide'. You should see a proper pattern established by about 28 weeks.

Have you spoken to the midwife about your anxiety?

Headaches are normal in pregnancy, pre-eclampsia is diagnosed by high blood pressure and protein in urine. A headache plus those things would be significant.

Yes I've spoke to her about my anxiety, as it's not debilitating and I can get on with my everyday fine it was left as that.

I'm also aware I don't need to have a pattern of movement yet but I've felt the baby move every single night since 18 weeks and I hadn't for 3 days so I wanted some advice and she told me to go there asap and to never leave it 3 days again even this early..my trust will see you from 20 weeks for reduced movements although I'm aware not every trust do x

Hi OP, I hope you didn't take my post in the wrong way.

Of course you should always trust your gut when it comes to reduced movements, I was just trying to advise you that you don't need to stress about it so much this early on and give a bit of an innocent explanation as to why the pattern can change several times before the third trimester. I had an anterior placenta in my first pregnancy and barely felt movements at all even right up to giving birth so it was a constant stress and, by the end, I was on daily monitoring. I totally empathise with you, it's hard not to worry.

It's very easy to get consumed with anxiety in pregnancy, there is just so much to think about and the more you read online, the more there is to worry about it.
It's a conscious effort for me to 'chill' every day. Pleased you don't feel too overwhelmed with it all.

I’m 27 weeks and I’ve had the same as you (minus increased risk) since about 17 weeks. I don’t have preeclampsia and have been told they are just normal pregnancy symptoms. They’ll be checking your urine and blood pressure at every appointment now so they’ll pick up preeclampsia at an appointment, try not to stress yourself about it ☺️

Thankyou for sharing your experience! X

Hi OP. Please trust your gut if you feel something is wrong. In my first pregnancy, I had all symptoms of pre-eclampsia apart from protein in my urine or high BP. My symptoms started from around 32 weeks though. I had headaches, major swelling in hands, arms and legs, seeing stars and pain under my ribs. I went to triage multiple times to be told that urine and BP was fine and was sent home. I felt so unwell. For weeks. They told me they could do a blood test, but they never bothered in the end. I went for a check up at 36 weeks, my BP all of a sudden was 210/110. I was induced immediately, told my liver was failing and I deteriorated very quickly. I was in high dependency and was close to having eclampsia. I had an emergency c-section the same day.

Don't want to scare you, but I was fobbed off with my symptoms for a long time, but I knew something wasn't right. I dread to think what would have happened had I not had a check up that day. Always trust your gut and push to be checked every time you have these symptoms. I know you're earlier in your pregnancy but it can happen to people sooner.

Thanks for your reply, sorry you had such a poor experience:( ..it's so hard when these symptoms could be normal pregnancy symptoms but also may not be. I've been doing my BP at home everyday just incase but hope to think as I'm only 21+4 atm that these are just normal symptoms but I will definitely keep an eye on it. My next appointment is in about 3 weeks time. It feels like a long way to wait to have your urine and bp checked..I do wonder if the appointments are more often the further along I get? This is my first so no idea what to expect😅

Yes the appointments are few and far between in the 2nd trimester but should be more frequent as you get further along. If you are worried, you can buy urine testing strips from the chemist if you feel it's too long to wait between appointments for reassurance.

Hopefully, these are just normal pregnancy symptoms for you, but don't be afraid to call your midwife at any point if you are concerned.