How do they know when it is pre-eclampsia?

[finallypregnant]

The reason I ask is that I have been told to let MW know if I have swollen fingers (yes), sore head (yes sometimes with floaters), swollen ankles (no) to contact them due to pre-eclampsia.

Contacted them today but just by looking at me they said I am a bit de-hydrated. Fair enough but how can you tell when it is actually PE?

There is no defintive test for pre-e. They diagnose based on a collection of symptoms. Most important are your blood pressure and whether there is protein in your urine. If you had high BP and protein plus the symnptoms you mentioned they would send you to hospital where they would get you to collect every drop of pee for 24 hours. They would then test all those lovely pints of pee to see if your kidneys were operating well. If there were signs that your kidneys were suffering they would induce you ASAP.

Did they test your BP and urine?

Floaters are not a sign of pre-e, but weird flashing lights are. Also very bad headaches and upper abdominal pain. Do go back to the GP if you have any of those symptoms.

Sorry, I should not have said they would induce you ASAP - it depends how pregnant you are.

I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia because I went to the MW for a check up (without 2 1/2 months left to the big day) and my blood pressure was "high" 140/90
I had to go back the next day to have my blood pressure done again, it was the same, or slightly higher. I was also showing proteine in the urine.
I was signed off work. I had to see a consultant at the hospital who said I was okay for monitoring and described it as "border line". I was allowed to go away for the weekend on a holiday which had been planned so long as I went directly to hospital if I felt unwell. The floarter in the eye thing is difficult for me because I have them anyway.
Anyway, it was Aug that they decided I was not well, though I stayed out of hospital and didn't go in until my section was booked, a week before my due date in Oct.
I did have to have more regular monitoring by the MW though for blood pressure to keep an eye on it all.
My section was not because of pre eclampsia, but because of the baby being breech.

Thank you. BP was 135/90 but urine was clear so I presume they were happy on that count. I am 38+3.

is your blood pressure usually around that? mine is typically 110/80 so they felt it was a jump for me.

I think the hospital described me as boarder line as they found that I had a urine infection which went someway to diagnose the protine

With BP they worried when my bottom number went about 90 and my top number went above 150.

I think at 38+ weeks it is pretty normal to have some hand swelling and some headaches. I hope you feel better soon.

I should say that my booking BP was 90/60 so 150/90+ was a big jump.

three symptoms including high blood pressure plus severe swollen hands/legs/protein in urine and another one

visual disturbnaces - thats it
if they are worried they will make you do a 24 hour urine collction

its lovely

just to add...
I had highish bp from about 20ish weeks

was admitted to hospitaL at 36 weeks after an 'inconclusive' 24 hour urine thing

bp rose to bottom number of 100 and the second that there was protein (the tiniest amount#) in my urine with bp high, they induced me

I got diagnosed at 40 + 3. Had high BP (140/90 up to 225/111 at one stage ) from about 36 weeks - hands and feet very swollen, although felt absolutely fine. PE diagnosed when had protein in my urine and a dropping platelet count (had been having BP and bloods monitoring every 2nd day at the day assessment unit - so much for relaxing maternity leave!). They induced me straight away, and my BP dropped straight back to normal (120/70 for me) when I was in labour.

Swollen ankles/hands are no uncommon any way & not a definitive sign of PE. Look for swelling in the face/neck & rapid weight gain.

Intense headaches that paracetomol doesn't touch.

Quick/unexpected onset vomiting [can be diff to diagnose, if you are still suffering MS, as I did until week 30!]

Floaters are not a sign either. As artichokes said, you are looking for flashing lights and/or streaks of colours in your vision.

Abdominal pain, well this would feel like heart burn with out the reflux in the throat.

These are YOUR signs, but as other have said, they will test you for high BP & protien. I was at 140/110 when I was induced. But other than that & protien, I felt fine. So you will not always feel sick.

Trust your instinct, if in any doubt contact your labour ward as soon as you can.

You can have protien & nothing else [I did this time] and it can mean nothing. That protein can also go away [it did with me] They are looking for it coupled with high Bp...so regular antenatal screenings are very important.

I had hideous swelling and my Mum had p e but somehow they knew it was ok. the face is the bad one.

i had this in my first pregnancy. i had dizzy spells, sickness, headaches and vission problems. i was so bad that i had to pull over twice in the car because i couldnt see. i did have higher blood pressure. but the mw didnt check my water. anyway i had a really bad labour, baby was in distress, they tested me when i went into hospital but i didnt get the results until hours later and Pre-eclampsia was confirmed after i had given birth. they made me stay in overnight and they were supposed to check me every 2 hrs but they didnt, so i couldnt sleep worrying about all the things they said could happen to me, like strokes etc. it turned out i could have had it for months and the mw kept saying she didnt think i did but didnt check for the indicators. it is dangerous so if you think you may have it get checked out.
i am not usually unwell so i knew something was wrong. i wish i had gone to see the doctor as the mw was always running at least an hour behind and just wanted a quick in and out and didnt test me. when i read about it now i was lucky noting serious happened to me, i trusted her word.

B/P wise with me, they were concerned about the bottom number going over 90 (and I have relatively high b/p anyway).

I probably had p/e but didn't have most of the obvious signs. DD had growth issues and she stopped growing entirely at about 37 weeks and then my b/p shot up so they expect the growth issues were related to pre-eclampsia. Looking back at photos I did have lots of swelling too but it crept up slowly so we didn't notice at the time.

I've been told I've possibly/probably got the early stages of Pre-E. I have high blood pressure anyway, suffer from migranes, am short, older expecting a first baby and my mum had it too - all risk factors in getting it apparently.

So, I'm on medication for the BP and weekly/fortnightly BP, urine & blood tests which are OK so far (I am 19 weeks). My legs swell, but the midwife says so long as it only happens after lunch that's OK too. I do get a lot of headaches which is another reason they're monitoring me more intensively. No protein in my urine (yet).

Whilst I hate the fact that all this means my pregnancy feels over-medicalised (I have 4 appointments over the next 8 days for various bits and bobs connected with this), my community midwives have been great at explaining everything, although it does sometimes feel like a lot to take in.

They told me that the "average" person in my position does develop pre-e, might well be told to have compelte bed rest at some point and would have the baby early, by ceasarian.

This came as a shock to me when they fist told me, but now I've had a couple of weeks to let it sink in I'm glad they told me. Firstly, I might not be "average" and it all might go away and I'll be fine, and secondly, if it doesn't DP will have weeks to get used to the idea that a c-section is more likely, and I rather know now than be told "right you need a c-section tomorrow".

I had PET with my last pregnancy. For me I just felt a bit shit but you do at the end of pregnancy. However I had a BP of 180/120 , four +s of protein, everything swollen (TBH the swollen face was probably the biggest giveaway).

Was admitted, failed induction, caesarian and then five days later my liver went splat. I was lucky I didn't fit apparently, but they still confirmed afterwards I did have PET (I'm told lots of people never actually get a clinical confirmation which isn't great in future pregnancies because you never quite know what happened.)

But I also know:

(1) BP tends to rise towards the end of pregnancy anyway
(2) Protein can mean a number of things apart from PET
(3) Water retention in hot weather is really common.

Soooo what do you do? Well if you are getting symptoms get them monitored - I was on daily obs for a week before I finally saw a consultant who said 'blimey, you're going to the big hospital'.

If you do have to be admitted, the good news is that induction with PET tends to be 30-40% quicker that induction prior to labour in other cases (except in my case )

Oh and you will feel better eventually - though it took me several months to get over it.

I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia with ds1 at about 32 weeks and I managed to limp along for a further 4 weeks. By week 35 I was going to the day assessment unit every other day and taking a blood pressure medicine (can't remember name now).

Finally induced at 36 weeks as bp was 150/115 and climbing and ds had stopped growing (scan confirmed this). I was soooo glad as the endless uncertainty was over. I didn't know until each afternoon if I would be discharged when I was there as a "day" patient. Each day was a possible "might have the baby today!"

So - in answer to your Q - as long as they keep an eye on your bp & urine, along with reflexes, heacahes, vision etc they will stay on top of it. Good luck!

was just admitted to hospital as i had PE when pregnant last and had to be induced, i am now 34weeks and booked in for a c-section a week early but could be earlier am still unsure,i had been getting headaches for few days,funny vision shortness of breath plus pains in my stomach swollen fingers which are all symptoms so i called my mw and she said she would meet me at the hospital!!
i was then kept in over night for observation and then seen by obstertrician and docters the next morning.then let home that morning on strict bes rest conditions, but still need to be monitored by mw and hospital weekly from now till i have baby as im classed as a higher risk patient as my baby is on the smaller side aswell which i have to have regular scans to make sure she is some what growing,

am unsure how it all works over there im from newzealand and have full maternity care.

hope all goes well

goodluck