- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
3rd Trimester
pitting edema (swelling)? and a L&D visit...
I had to go to labor and delivery yesterday because my BP was 153/97, and I have severe swelling. My BP was lower at the hospital, but still jumped around quite a bit. It would go from 104/40 to 138/80.
Also, I'm literally swollen all over my entire body. Even my face is swollen. And not just regular swelling... if you press in on my legs/arms/face and release the dent stays there for a good 10 seconds.
The OB on call told me no more working, no shopping, no walking around the block, etc. My labwork was fine at the hospital, but the swelling is just really bad. It didn't get better overnight, or after having my feet up in the hospital bed last night.
Anybody else had this? What helped, if anything?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: pitting edema (swelling)? and a L&D visit...
I went to L&D on Wednesday and they kept me overnight. I didn't have as significant of edema as you are talking about and my BPs were 140s/100s. My swelling was primarily in my feet. My fingers are also swelled, but my face is ok and it has only pitted on occassion. The oncall doc was really induction happy. I told her I really wanted to wait until the next day at least (more lab results & my OB). Glad I held out, my OB & the high risk OB both were good with teh wait & see approach.
I was on a Magnesium drip overnight and that helped. Thursday evening they told me I had mild pre-eclampsia and I am now home on bedrest, keeping my feet up and laying on my left side as much as possible.
Are you checking your BP at home? If it is still elevated with the swelling, you should call your OB.
My OB told me not to check my BP at home or at target or something... she said those machines aren't very accurate and if I'm having any other symptoms today to call. Then I get to go in this week to get the swelling checked and my BP.
I think my OB is just worried because it's pretty early to have such severe swelling... and the pitting is really, really bad. It's so gross, it's like my skin is made of playdoh.
From my google search (which I really shouldn't do!), it said that sometimes BP will jump around a lot before the pre-eclampsia actually sets in... so who knows.
I am checking mine twice a day.
Do you know anyone in healthcare that could check your BP? I didn't trust the automatic reading I got at Walmart on Wednesday (checked it twice), but when I got home and took a manual pressure, it was the same.
Take it as easy as you can, keep your feet up, lay on your left side, and drink plenty of fluids.
I had really bad swelling like you are talking about--where you can press and still see the indention. I had swelling all over-feet, ankles, legs, hands, face. The weird thing was that I had more swelling on my left side than my right side (but still swelling on my right.) My BP was a little elevated but never any protein in my urine. My OB said that the baby was pressing on some things that were limiting my circulation.
Putting my feet up helped a little, but the swelling never went away. UNTIL, I had to go to L&D for some fibroid problems a few weeks ago and they put me on an IV and within a few days all my swelling went away. The IV was a hyper-trophic IV with higher dextrose than your body normally has so it pulled all the swelling out to equal everything out. (I hope I have all the details right on that) Its been two weeks and I still don't have any swelling. Clothes that were tight before I went to L&D were loose within a few days.
I still have a ways to go, so I don't know if the swelling will come back (the baby isn't in the correct head down position and I have two huge fibroids, so that's what was causing the problems in the first place) But for now, I'm enjoying being able to wear a few pairs of shoes that I haven't been able to wear the last couple of months.
I've actually been eating an insane amount of watermelon. I'll eat a whole watermelon in just a few days.
I asked if food had anything to do with it, or drinking enough or anything... and the doctor said with this kind of swelling it's pregnancy related not food/heat related. The OB said not to eat an entire bag of chips obviously, but nothing I ate or didn't eat would really matter much
Low sodium is encouraged but doesn't affect the swelling you are experiencing. Watermelon and drinking cranberry juice again will help to stimulate your endocrine system which you need to support. Drinking lots of water (daily 6-8 is recommended while pregnant in your case I would say 11-12 at a minimum). Watermelon is mostly water. It's just another way for you to ingest more water which will help to flush the toxins.
They often say that you can experience severe swelling 4-5 days after you've had the baby because your kidneys have slowed down with all the other drama unfolding in your body. Think of this as a way to train your body earlier to do what it needs to post delivery.?
Good info Red, thank you! Was wondering why I was actually craving watermelon throughout this pregnancy. Though swelling still here. Bummer.
Get cool now. I swell w/o fail at 77-80 degrees. Screw the savings on your A/c and pump it to atleast 70 if not 68 or lower. You gotta keep your body cool!
Getting in the water (like a pool) will push the water in your body into your organs and then kidneys and bladder so your body can remove. Dunno if you'd feel weird doing this though if your entire body is swollen - you can just hang out under water the whole time!
Drink Drink Drink! You still need a normal amount of salt to keep your selenity factor going, but just drink water like its your job. Sure juice is ok but its not gonna do the job like water will.
"pitting edema" is the offical term for any swelling - even minimal swelling and non-pre-e-related swelling. I know its gross but every pg women who swells gets this type.
Pitting edema is the most common kind of edema...pregnant or not.