Preeclamptic?

greengirl0909

Ladies, would  you share with me how/when you were diagnosed with preeclampsia? What were your first symptoms? Ddi you know something was wrong and head to the doc, or did your doc discover and inform you while you were there? TIA

bump54321

I don't have pre-e......yet.  But I do have high blood pressure and I'm being watched closely for pre-e.  I was having headaches, which I get often so I didn't really think anything about.  I was also seeing black floating spots, which I also didn't think much about.  I went in for my regular 24 week OB appointment and my bp was high.  So that earned me a trip to L&D, especially with my other symptoms.  They did blood work and had me do a 24 hour urine test.  The bw checked for things like liver functioning and everything was fine.  The 24 hr test checked for proteins in the urine and the levels were not high enough for a pre-e diagnosis (they have to be over 300 and mine were 249).  Other symptoms I'm supposed to look out for are excessive swelling, particularly in the hands and face, upper right abdominal pain, heartburn type feeling that won't go away after taking antacids, headaches that don't go away with Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol, and vision changes such as spots, flashes, or blurred vision.

bride711

I was diagnosed with Pre-E postpartum. (3days PP) I started feeling this pulsating feeling in my abdomen. And just overall felt very off. I was still in the hospital at that point because I delivered so late 2 nights prior so you get an extra day. Anyways, my first symptom was the pulsating feeling in my stomach, feeling overheated, and just very off. I knew something was not right. When the nurses came in I had a BP of 210/110. Very scary!! I was put on the magnesium for 24 hours, labs checked (liver enzymes, platelets, urine, etc) Some of my labs were a little off but not drastic. I was given Labetalol IV and then switched to the pill form. I had swelling in my feet as well. Dull headaches at times. And vision changes if my BP was high. My body would def. let me know when something was not right. The doctors followed me very closely and had given me BP medicine to control the elevations in blood pressures. Hope this helps!!!

JillAly

I believe mine started around 34 weeks but I didn't really say anything because I didn't know what it was.  I just felt like my heart was racing every now and then and I felt lightheaded and tired.  I didn't see spots which is what people told me I would see if I had it.   I just thought it was normal  3rd trimester feelings.  I also had PUPPS so I was miserable (it's an allergic reaction to the baby's DNA which feels like poison ivy). 

I finally called my doctor at week 35 and she told me to buy a digital BP kit and take my BP daily and let her know if it goes up.  I called her on Columbus Day (a Monday) because it had creeped up and I felt awful.  They were closed and I didn't want to bother them with the emergency number- really dumb looking back. 

I called the next day- the day after Columbus day (tuesday) and they had me do the 24 hour urine.  Thursday I went in for the results but the doctor took one look at me, knew I was bad with pre-e and sent me directly to the hospital for an emergency c-section.  By that time, my kidneys were shutting down (I had very little urine in the 24 hour jug and she yelled at her nurse that when I brought it in, they should have sent me to the hospital then because producing so little urine means the kidneys aren't working).  My BP at that time was something like 150/100.  I was lucky they did the c-section then- I really wasn't doing well and ended up spending a week recovering in the hospital.

If you feel any of the signs of pre-e, don't wait.  Demand to be seen.  Obviously, they are monitoring me more closely this time but even if they didn't, if I felt ANY of the things I did last time, I would be more pushy about being seen.  I'm not a complainer and I didn't want to be a pain.  Now I realize how serious it can be. 

grapeape73

With DD1 my BP started to creep up at 28 weeks.  y OB had me come back the next week for a BP check, and decided to do the steroid shots just in case.  I should have known then that it was serious.  At 30 weeks I was working (teacher) and started to see white and black spots.  I also had the worst headache of my life. My dad examined my eyes (optometrist) and had my call my OB while I was there.  I ended up in one hospital on Mg sulfate then taken by ambulance to another with a better NICU.  Once they controled my BP I was able to go home on strict/no activity at all bedrest.  I was monitored twice weekly with Blood/urine/NST/US. 

I went into labor at 37.3 weeks and delivered a very healthy baby girl.

Mrs. Braxton

I do not have pre-eclampsia yet but I do have PIH and am being medicated and watched closely for pre-e. My blood pressure never "crept up," as people say and I never experienced any swelling, headaches, vision changes or any other symptoms. I went in for a normal OB appt one month and my blood pressure was 116/62. Next appt, it was 144/90. It was especially scary, to me, because I had no idea it was happening. It was a sudden, drastic, change and there were no other symptoms. This was around 29 weeks and since then I have had 3 24 hour urine collections, 3 sets of bw, and 1 trip to L&D. I've had some slightly elivated bw numbers but not elivated enough to be pre-e and my urine collections have all been good. I started medication at 30 weeks (250 mg of methyldopa 2x daily) weeks. Nothing. At 31 weeks my dosage was increased (250 mg 3x daily) and so far that seems to be doing the trick. I'm being seen by my OB weekly and am starting weekly NSTs next week but so far no bedrest. I've also had the shots for LO's lung devolopment just in case. Keeping my fingers crossed that the meds continue to work and all tests continue to come back ok.

SuwaneeGirl

My hypertension started right at the third trimester start. I monitored my BP at home and of course at the doctor's office.

One day I woke up and my face was all swollen. Even my eyelids. It was weird. So I went in for an exam, and had to do a 24 hour urine test for proteins.

Everything was stable for a couple of weeks. Then, I ended up having a terrible headache on mother's day weekend. On mother's day I took my BP and it was 190/100. My husband immediately took my to the ER where the BP had gone up to 200/100. That was week 31.

I stayed in the hospital for about a week. They gave me a beta-blocker to bring down my BP and I was confined to my bed (except for potty breaks). But I couldn't go outside or anything. (That was really hard on me.) I had the steroid shots.

When the headaches weren't going away after a week, the maternal-fetal medicine doctor and my obstetrician decided to deliver me. I was induced and had a successful vaginal delivery at 32 weeks. I was on the magnesium sulfate for about 3 days in all.

BTW I never had any organ problems. And my BP went back to normal about 8 weeks post-partum. I was prescribed a calcium channel blocker but only took it about 6 weeks. It went back to normal on its own.

ginleigh

I was diagnosed at 23.5 weeks last time around, and it had progressed to HELLP syndrome.  I was tremendously swollen, my BP was sky high and I felt terrible in general.  Also, had strange "heart-burny" feelings in the upper right side of my abdomen, which turned out to be a symptom of the HELLP syndrome - my liver was struggling to function.

Anyway, I was at a regular appt...I should have come in earlier but didn't want to bother anyone for no reason (thought I was getting the flu, didn't check my own BP at the time).  I had been in a couple weeks earlier for swelling and nothing had turned up, so I just thought I was still swelling and getting the flu.  I'm glad I was at the dr. when I was - I was close to eclampsia and on my way to liver failure.  I will never hesitate again.

blairsgirl

I started around 30 weeks with early symptoms.  By 35 weeks my legs and feet had swelled so bad I couldn't even get pants on by myself.  It even hurt me to wear flip flops.  I had a horrible headache.  And was seeing spots in front of my eyes.  I had issues with my bp throughout that entire pg (I'm hoping this time I don't and it started about 11 weeks with my twin pg so I am holding my breath hoping I don't have that problem this time).  But, my bp was ridiculously high.  I was readmitted to the hospital after we were discharged for eclampsia which can occur after birth.  

jonsdeedee

I was incredibly swollen starting around 16 weeks.  My HBP didn't start until 28 weeks.  My platelet count had been steadily decreasing throughout my pregnancy.  I had protein in my urine at 34 weeks and ended up delivering at 35.

Its a girl

I had steadily increasing BP throughout my pregnancy. I had protein in my urine around 32 weeks and went in for a normal prego visit.  My BP was very high and turned out my platelletes had dropped to 50,000 and had lots of protein in my urine. I was admitted to the hospital and delivered via c section 3 days later!