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April 2016 Moms
SherlockedMom
member
Make Sure You Watch For Signs of Postpartum PreEclampsia
SherlockedMom
member
This is just a little PSA because this is the SECOND time I've experienced serious Postpartum PreEclampsia and I'm finding that after my experiences there is very little information out there from doctors....and I had a pretty rough experience with the medical experts who were supposed to be helping me get better.
With my 2nd pregnancy, I had preeclampsia and I was induced. After giving birth I was released from the hospital quickly, without my blood pressure being monitored after birth. I think they just figured because I delivered I was fine. It spiked at 220/116 two days after delivery and I was rushed to the emergency room after blacking out in my living room.
With that experience I was given no indication that this was a very serious ailment....just that I needed to "rest". So, I was put on bed rest for three weeks following birth. I was not given any medication. I missed out on nearly the first month of my daughter's life because I was spending it in a darkened room trying to get my blood pressure to go down. It seemed to me that the doctors really didn't take the ailment seriously.
This time around my blood pressures were fine up until birth. 48 hours after having my daughter on April 26 I started to get short of breath, massive headaches and I was seeing black spots. I knew what this was indicative of this time. My blood pressure was 180/105 when I took myself to the emergency room. This time they put me in the hospital and on magnesium, which lowered the BP for a time, but it went right back up again after I was off. After numerous attempts at medication intervention, we finally landed on something that works.
I know this is long, but I find it really disturbing that I was given absolutely NO indication that postpartum preeclampsia was even a THING. No signs to look for, nothing from my OB. The only reason I knew I was in trouble this time around was because I had experienced it before and knew the symptoms.
So, if you experience headaches, a tightness in the chest, seeing spots or visual disturbances....PLEASE, monitor your BP and go to the ER. Postpartum preeclampsia apparently kills 76,000 women a year and if not intervened on, it just gets progressively worse until you develop seizures (eclampsia) or even stroke.
Sorry this is long, but I wanted people to be aware, if their doctors aren't telling them.
With my 2nd pregnancy, I had preeclampsia and I was induced. After giving birth I was released from the hospital quickly, without my blood pressure being monitored after birth. I think they just figured because I delivered I was fine. It spiked at 220/116 two days after delivery and I was rushed to the emergency room after blacking out in my living room.
With that experience I was given no indication that this was a very serious ailment....just that I needed to "rest". So, I was put on bed rest for three weeks following birth. I was not given any medication. I missed out on nearly the first month of my daughter's life because I was spending it in a darkened room trying to get my blood pressure to go down. It seemed to me that the doctors really didn't take the ailment seriously.
This time around my blood pressures were fine up until birth. 48 hours after having my daughter on April 26 I started to get short of breath, massive headaches and I was seeing black spots. I knew what this was indicative of this time. My blood pressure was 180/105 when I took myself to the emergency room. This time they put me in the hospital and on magnesium, which lowered the BP for a time, but it went right back up again after I was off. After numerous attempts at medication intervention, we finally landed on something that works.
I know this is long, but I find it really disturbing that I was given absolutely NO indication that postpartum preeclampsia was even a THING. No signs to look for, nothing from my OB. The only reason I knew I was in trouble this time around was because I had experienced it before and knew the symptoms.
So, if you experience headaches, a tightness in the chest, seeing spots or visual disturbances....PLEASE, monitor your BP and go to the ER. Postpartum preeclampsia apparently kills 76,000 women a year and if not intervened on, it just gets progressively worse until you develop seizures (eclampsia) or even stroke.
Sorry this is long, but I wanted people to be aware, if their doctors aren't telling them.
Re: Make Sure You Watch For Signs of Postpartum PreEclampsia
I'm pretty sure I had this happen this time, but my BP never went over 135/90. I felt my Dr just ignored the symptoms I had (crazy visual disturbances, headaches, nausea, and chest pain, feeling run down, and if lights were too bright or moving too fast, I felt I might have a seizure or pass out) because my BP wasn't 150/90 or higher. My sister had hellp with her last baby and we both have factor v Leiden, which can raise your chances of getting hellp, so I am very concerned about it. I'm going to talk to my Dr more about this at my next appointment.