Very early signs of preeclampsia

[taylor2233]

What were your very first signs of preeclampsia? How quickly did it develop?

I’m 31 weeks, been vomiting/extremely nauseous for over a week now. Pain in my tummy, sides and back. UTI-like symptoms but my pee has been dipped 3 times this week and negative each time. I feel generally unwell and today I have an annoying headache and at points have been slightly dizzy with flashing lights. My midwife did my blood pressure yesterday and it was around 100/70 which is usual for me, but today I’ve done it quite a few times and it’s generally been sitting around the 130s, highest was 147 but that was only one reading.

My GP sent me for an urgent blood test today to test liver/kidney function, protein etc, I guess I’ll have to wait until next week for the results now.

I’m not looking for medical advice as such, but moreso experiences of preeclampsia. It’s something I’m quite anxious about as my mum had it with me. Thank you :)

It's hard to say, OP, because everyone is different.

With DD1, i had a MW appt at 38w on the Weds and everything was totally normal, went into labour on the Sat and my BP was something like 150/110. I was immediately put on BP meds and DD was born the next day.

Whereas with DD2, I started with high BP at 36w (although I had been creeping up through the "normal" range for quite a few appointments before then), then over the course of the next 3 weeks, I had to take more and more BP medication and my blood tests were getting worse. Finally met the official preeclampsia diagnosis at 39+1.

To be honest, with your history and symptoms, I'd just bypass the GP and give your midwife triage line a call. They may be able to speed things up or run their own tests which will come back more quickly. Whenever the MW did my bloods / urine to check for preeclampsia, I got the results on our hospital app within 3 hrs or so. Especially with a headache, it isnt really worth the risk of waiting until next week for the GP to get back to you.

First sign was swollen ankles. Only picked up at midwife appointment at 36 weeks with urine test and high blood pressure. Sent straight to hospital from Dr's had c section same day.

I had it in my last pregnancy. Picked up at 30 weeks when I went in for reduced movements. My baby kept failing the ctg’s so they suggested I stay in for the night to get a better picture. While in at 4am I had a bp of 140/100. That was the first indication. My urine would vary and most of the time be clear. My bp only lowered to about 130/90 on bp medication. I was then checked weekly. By 32 weeks I had another stay in hospital to increase the bp meds. By 34.5 weeks when they saw my blood test they said I couldn’t leave until I had my baby, they suggested induction in a few days time once space opened up.

I would say other than high bp, eventually positive urine test, and the very bad blood tests. I felt completely fine.

At 35+0 when we both went downhill quite quickly. Well for me I couldn’t wee anymore. I had drank two pints of water, and produced a dribble for a urine sample. I had swelled up a lot. My son fully stopped moving, zero movements all day. A midwife even shook my belly and it did nothing. By 6pm the ctg trace was static. A baby is supposed to have accelerations and a zig zag pattern, his was a line. I had him 30 minutes later by csection.

He was fine, he spent 12 days in scbu. Now a happy almost 2yr old. I’m pregnant again, 35 weeks and zero signs of preeclampsia. I started asprin this pregnancy at 13 weeks and that appears to have helped.

You could call your maternity center up for a check sooner if you are concerned. They will check your bp. Good luck and hopefully it’s not preeclampsia for you.

It's so hard with pre-eclampsia as a lot of the symptoms can also just be normal pregnancy symptoms too.

I did have PE in my first pregnancy and started showing symptoms around 32 weeks but wasn't diagnosed until 37 weeks.
The first sign was the telltale swelling, initially just to my feet and ankles but over the course of the 5 weeks, it was also my hands and face. I had protein in my urine that started as a trace, then + and gradually built up. Every appointment I had my BP would be high so I'd be sent to the hospital but they'd have me chilling for an hour then recheck and it would drop back to normal levels.

So that went on for about a month, all getting gradually worse. About 36 weeks I started feeling pain in my ribs and one Sunday night ended up in A&E with the worst headache..... not like a migraine or flashing lights or anything. It's hard to describe but debilitating with black marks affecting my vision.

37 weeks on the dot, I was back on hospital and that was the day everything came together: protein ++++, BP that refused to come down, headache and horrendous swelling. I was admitted on the spot.

I spent a week in hospital then section at 38 weeks. DD was absolutely fine (she's now 4.5).

I'm 39 weeks pregnant with DD2 now and definitely no PE this time but I've been so unwell this pregnancy! I still have sickness and nausea to this day, headaches (normal pregnancy one), lots of aches and pains. I've felt awful for a lot of this pregnancy tbh so no saying from your post that it's definitely PE, just something to keep an eye on (which I'm sure they are).