Could I have preeclampsia?
Posted by admin on Sep 12, 2009
First off I do have a dr appt tomorrow! I’m just feelin panicked! I’m 23 weeks pregnant and lately I have been gettin alot of headaches off and on! They are very mild headaches and usually go away pretty quickly when I forget about them or get busy! yesterday I was at work bent over cleanin a drain and I kinda of saw stars and the other day when I was walkin I had it happen to! I went to the ER just last Friday cause of braxton Hick contractions but my blood pressure was normal! They did check for a UTI but nothing! Do you think they checked for protein too? I’m just worried that I might be developing preclampsia! It’s my fourth pregnancy no previous cases of high blood pressure or preeclampsia! So do u think I’m just havin random pregnancy symptoms or could it be the onset of preeclampsia? oh and my nose is stuffy alot too…. Please help?
oh and by the way I’m a big time hypochondriac! If I think I have something my symptoms get worse and worse! This week I have been stressing alot about my braxton Hicks contractions and what not! So this whole headache thing started just like 2 days ago….. and I also feel like a lump in my throat when I swallow! It’s like I have built up mucus but I don’t ever cough or cough anything out…..
yes it’s been very hot ;-( i live in cali! and I work at a gas station so I have to stand for 8 hours a day everyday! and we are not given breaks at all! we just eat when we have time! So that stresses me too! I have a 5 and 6 yr old and my babies dad and I had split early on in my pregnancy ;-( So maybe everything is just way too much!!
yes it’s been very hot ;-( i live in cali! and I work at a gas station so I have to stand for 8 hours a day everyday! and we are not given breaks at all! we just eat when we have time! So that stresses me too! I have a 5 and 6 yr old and my babies dad and I had split early on in my pregnancy ;-( So maybe everything is just way too much!!
You might just be dehydrated. Just try and relax until tomorrow!
Please help! pre eclampsia risk, What can I do to have a healthy baby?
Posted by admin on Sep 9, 2009
ok- i had a 24 week prenatal visit today- I gained 13 pounds in 4 weeks! and i watch what I eat- no fast food very little junk food. then they take my blood pressure with the automatic machine 168 / 86, I have never had my blood pressure that high! usually 115 / 65 give or take ( we have a blood pressure cuff at home and I will check it occasionally). when my dr. came in he checked my BP again with the manual stethescope and said it was lower about 140/80 but that was still too high too. The Dr. did not tell me if there was too much protein in my urine but they ordered a 24 hour urinalysis where I have to carry a jug around with me for 24 hours to collect my urine so they can test it. He told me to take it easy and stay away from salt and that he wanted to see me in 2 weeks. Did anyone else have these symptoms that turned into preclampsia? Hypertension? I will know more i guess after they test my urine but I am currous and a little worried, It is too early for my blood pressure to shoot up that high. any personal accounts of what you went through might just be helpful for me as I am laying on the couch- hopefully the more i rest now the less I will HAVE to later – I can not stand the thought of bed rest but I can handle a few hours off my feet! 
thanks for your answers.
Hey hun, I had pre-eclampsia that developed late in my pregnancy. I also had to do the 24 hour urine collection. When I did the 24 hour and got the results back everything was fine. I did this around 33 weeks or so. I didn’t have protein in my urine till I was about 37 weeks. Yes try not to stress over it, it will only make things worse, decrease your salt intake. put your feet up when you can. They might put you on Blood Pressure medication to help since you are so early in your pregnancy. They will most likely also have you come in once a week to check your blood pressure.
I was induced because my BP was 159/112 at the highest. I was 38 weeks when I was induced. If you have anymore questions feel free to email me.
Have Gestational Diabetes, Preclampsia or not?
Posted by admin on Sep 6, 2009
I am trying to decide whether or not to get a second opinion. I am 31 wks and have GD and on a daily pill to control it, my feet have been swollen heavily for the past month. Today I woke up and my face and hands are swollen. My hands look freakish and my hands and face still tingle like they have fallen asleep. When something happens, it seems to be always on the day the doctor is not in. The nurse had me come in. She checked my urine and it was 1+. (just as a side note last week it was 2+) and when she checked by blood pressure she said it was 124/60. The exact same reading she said I had last week when I had 2+ urine. She always checks my blood pressure in the same room with the same cuff, at home my blood pressure readings are 154/79 156/91. Both times in the last week I only got to see the triage nurse since the doctor was not in. Both times she says don’t worry because yes you have other symptom but as long as your blood pressure is fine, no preclampsia. The nurse does consult with the PA on duty but she does not see me either. I was also told that the PA does not put much stock in home blood pressure machines. It is the one that the nurse gets that counts. My visit 2 weeks ago with the actual ob doc, my blood pressure was high, but no protein in the urine so they were not concerned. The nurse said to call back if I have any stomach pains or get a head ache.
It is definitely true that the home machines are not as accurate as the machines they have in a doctor’s office. Also, swelling does not automatically mean pre-eclampsia. But I think you should try to schedule an appointment with the doctor, or if you really feel scared, just go into an ER and tell them your swelling is worse or that you got a very high bp reading at home.
Do you have any issues with the cuff size? Either at home or at the office? If you have a large arm but are using the cuff that came with your home machine instead of ordering a larger arm cuff for it, this will give you an artificially high reading. My doctor also says to avoid the wrist ones.
It’s pretty unusual for any medical professional to take the threat of pre-eclampsia lightly – if anything, they err on the paranoid side because it is such a dangerous situation. So my guess is that you are probably just fine. But if you have the wherewithal to get a second opinion with another doctor, you can do that to ease your mind.
Did anyone have preclampsia during pregnancy?
Posted by admin on Sep 3, 2009
Some symptom did you have and bad did it get?
I had a mild case – I was on total rest the last month or so of my pregnancies (2). It can be a very dangerous condition as the person who already answered said. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have. Also check out the link below.
In addition to swelling, protein in the urine, and high blood pressure, symptoms of preeclampsia can include:
Rapid weight gain caused by a significant increase in bodily fluid
Abdominal pain
Severe headaches
A change in reflexes
Reduced output of urine or no urine
Blood in the urine
Dizziness
Excessive vomiting and nausea
Preclampsia! What can I do to make sure I have a healthy baby!?
Posted by admin on Aug 31, 2009
ok- i had a 24 week prenatal visit today- I gained 13 pounds in 4 weeks! and i watch what I eat- no fast food very little junk food. then they take my blood pressure with the automatic machine 168 / 86, I have never had my blood pressure that high! usually 115 / 65 give or take ( we have a blood pressure cuff at home and I will check it occasionally). when my dr. came in he checked my BP again with the manual stethescope and said it was lower about 140/80 but that was still too high too. The Dr. did not tell me if there was too much protein in my urine but they ordered a 24 hour urinalysis where I have to carry a jug around with me for 24 hours to collect my urine so they can test it. He told me to take it easy and stay away from salt and that he wanted to see me in 2 weeks. Did anyone else have these symptoms that turned into preclampsia? Hypertension? I will know more i guess after they test my urine but I am currous and a little worried, It is too early for my blood pressure to shoot up that high. any personal accounts of what you went through might just be helpful for me as I am laying on the couch- hopefully the more i rest now the less I will HAVE to later – I can not stand the thought of bed rest but I can handle a few hours off my feet! thanks for your answers.
Well I hate to tell you this but what you are describing sounds almost exactly like my experience with preeclampsia, only mine developed a little further along, with the first symptoms starting at about 30 weeks. 24 weeks is a bit early to be seeing preeclampsia/hypertention readings but it is possible too.
As for the blood pressure reading… Were you under a significant amount of stress that day at work? Running late for your appointment? Anything that would have gotten you extra worked up?
Are you noticing swelling in your hands and feet and/or your face?
Any history of preeclampsia on either your side or your husband’s mother’s side? One of the things I found out in my research was that preeclampsia can be hereditary and is thought to be based off the genetic makeup of the baby, so it can come from your husband’s lineage as well. I found out that my mother in law had pre-eclampsia with all three of her pregnancies, so it might have been passed on to my baby from her.
The urine analysis will be the "official" test because they will be able to see if you are spilling protein.
For the next two weeks until you get checked again really watch your salt intake. Also take that bed rest seriously. I ended up in the hospital on bedrest the last two weeks before I delivered because my blood pressure got so high, and I remember even just getting up to go the restroom by the time I got back my BPs would soar up just from being on my feet a few minutes.
If you do end up being diagnosed with preeclampsia they will probably put you on bedrest at home with frequent checkups for blood pressure readings. They might move you to the hospital if the blood pressure gets to high so they can monitor you closer to make sure it doesn’t develop into eclampsia, which is where the seizures starts. They will probably induce you early once your baby gets a little further along. Mine was induced at 36 weeks and she was born very healthy with no NICU stay.
I’m sure everything will be fine! Good luck to you!
When did they diagnose you with preclampsia?
Posted by admin on Jan 5, 2009
I’m 30 weeks. I’ve only gained 15 pounds. My blood pressure (after getting up and off and back up on the doctors table) was 150/88. 2 minutes later it was 130/83. However, the doctor didn’t care about the second time they took it and started talking like I already had preclampsia and took blood to run a bunch of tests. I am not retaining water as far as I know. The amniotic fluid is "Perfect" she said….so what the heck? There have been a few times earlier on that my blood pressure was like 142/90….but I’ve always had high blood pressure. With meds and stuff now it’s been okay. So why is she talking like I’ll be on bed rest not to far from now? What were your symptoms when you were diagnosed?
I was diagnosed with pre-elampsia at the end of my 5th month, of my first pregnancy. I had hypernemesis in the beginning of the pregnancy, and had lost close to 20lbs. I only gained a pound or two over the next month or so. Then at my appointment close to the six month mark, I gained 18 lbs in 2 weeks. I was swollen, really swollen. I was having headaches, but I have always had migraines and did not realize this was a symptom. They found protein in my urine and increased liver levels in my blood work. I was miserable and gaining weight very fast, even with bedrest. It sounds to me like your doctor is being cautious, so just do as he recommends until the test results come in and they can determine if you have toxemia. But, with my other pregnancies I had high blood pressure and swelling and a few other complications, but it was not considered toxemia and I was still put on bedrest. Just wait for the test to come back in before you get worked up about the possibility of bedrest. It may be that you are just fine and you can return to normal. But, if you have it, take your doctors advice and follow the bedrest. It is what is best for the baby. When I was first diagnosed, they were discussing the possibility of inducing labor as early as almost 7 months. But, with bedrest and constant monitoring, we were able to hold out until term. Good Luck!
