at what point do i have pre eclapmsia?

[Wirral_Kitty]

Hi,
I came out of hospital yesterday after being admitted for the past 5 nights. For weeks I have had high blood pressure and protein in my urine. At worst my bp is 160/110 and ++protein. Im on labetelol and it kind of works but there are periods where my bp goes really high still. Anyway, my consulatant says that I am showing signs of developing pre e but I am scared that I already have it and might hurt my baby. What other signs do I need to develop?? I already have nausea, diarrhea, ligh headedness etc but i have been like this for weeks...I am so worried for my baby who I am having by c/s in 7 days.

 

[rabbitswife10]

sorry sweetie didnt want to read and run i feel i am too at the beginning stages of pre-e. i will keep you and baby in my thoughts, we will get thru this

 

[moonbeam_sea]

Honestly, to me it sounds like you have preeclampsia, but of course, I'm not a doctor... How far along are you? I developed mild preeclampsia at 39 weeks, 3 days, and I was induced that night. My BP was something like 170/98, but I'm not sure what my protein was, but my doctor was concerned about it. I was advised (and I had independently researched it before that visit) that it was standard to deliver stright away when preeclampsia develops at term (or to deliver one term is reached if you develope it before and can wait until term for delivery). I guess I'm at a loss why you haven't been diagnosed with pree, and why they aren't delivering sooner. Good luck, and I hope everything goes well from here on for you and your baby.
One of the definitions I found online was:

Diagnostic Criteria for Preeclampsia*
Preeclampsia

Blood pressure: 140 mm Hg or higher systolic or 90 mm Hg or higher diastolic after 20 weeks of gestation in a woman with previously normal blood pressure

Proteinuria: 0.3 g or more of protein in a 24-hour urine collection (usually corresponds with 1+ or greater on a urine dipstick test)

Severe preeclampsia
Blood pressure: 160 mm Hg or higher systolic or 110 mm Hg or higher diastolic on two occasions at least six hours apart in a woman on bed rest

Proteinuria: 5 g or more of protein in a 24-hour urine collection or 3+ or greater on urine dipstick testing of two random urine samples collected at least four hours apart

Other features: oliguria (less than 500 mL of urine in 24 hours), cerebral or visual disturbances, pulmonary edema or cyanosis, epigastric or right upper quadrant pain, impaired liver function, thrombocytopenia, intrauterine growth restriction

*—For the diagnosis of preeclampsia, both hypertension and proteinuria must be present.

 

[katy1310]

I developed severe pre eclampsia. It was spotted at 25 weeks at my midwife appt. Started with high bp, then 4 days later, protein appeared. I was admitted a couple of times then allowed home but had to have daily scans to monitor the fluid, blood flow etc, daily bp checks, blood tests and urine tests. I felt fine. I was readmitted at 26+5 still feeling perfect. Next night I developed the worst headache of my life, my fingers were so swollen I couldn't bend them and I was seeing flashing lights. They are all symptoms they say to look out for, as well as pain at the top of the bump, which I didn't have. My bp had gone sky high and then scan that morning showed Sophie wasn't doing quite so well so they decided to deliver. She was 1lb 13, 27 weeks exactly. She is now 7 months old and perfectly fine! I went through hell in those 2 weeks, emotional torture!

If you want to chat about pre eclampsia, please PM me, I totally know what you are going through - same goes for any of you other ladies who are worried. I'd be more than happy to chat to any of you as I was glad of help from others when I was going through it. just keep an eye out for any of the symptoms i mentioned and if any of them appear, don't delay in getting seen. are they monitoring you closely, doing scans etc?

 

[peanut13]

I have hypertention and am on bedrest and labetatol too. I am on daily monitoring of the bp just in the mist of a 24hr urine and go for a u/s scan tomorrow to verify all is going well. I was in hospital for 2 days but do not yet have the protein high levels or problems with kidney/liver functions that they use here to diagnose pre-e.
Keep talking to your dr and communicating of ANYTHING that might seem even slight I have been told by the antenatal nurse that I speak to/see everyday with my condition.

Thoughts with you for a happy healthy baby in the next week with your c/s

 

[Wirral_Kitty]

Thanks ladies. I've had another revelation now. When I was in hospital I erm 'acquired' a tube of those urine dipsticks and last night I done one as I want to monitor my protein (keeping a check on my bp myself too) but I noticed that the leukocytes one at the bottom was purple which indicates that there are white blood cells in my urine. Whilst I was in hosp I asked the Dr if I could possibly have a urine infection as my blood results showed that my WBC count was high, he said that it would only show in urine not blood....and there it was...right infront of me last night that its in my wee. I now feel terrible as I know that I had a urine infection a few months ago but I just left it as I hate taking antibiotics (not realising all the problems it could cause). I've been searching on the internet about what can happen if left untreated and it can cause premature labour (I'm not too concerened about this now as luckily I am 38+3) and all kinds of other symptoms like protein in the urine if you develop kidney disease from it (therefore this could have been getting confused for pree). All other symptoms I have had are diarrhea, nausea, high bp....I am beginning to think that maybe I have brought all of this on my stupid self and that I have got kidney disease! Argh! Stupid me!! I'm going into hospital later today for my pre-op (i'm having elective c/s in 6 days) so I will mention it to them but I dont want to get fobbed off or put onto antibiotics just before I have a major operation and may desperately need antib's for that too. Also, the catheter may irritate it all. Oh lord, I am sooooooo confused and angry at myself!

 

[rabbitswife10]

Thanks ladies. I've had another revelation now. When I was in hospital I erm 'acquired' a tube of those urine dipsticks and last night I done one as I want to monitor my protein (keeping a check on my bp myself too) but I noticed that the leukocytes one at the bottom was purple which indicates that there are white blood cells in my urine. Whilst I was in hosp I asked the Dr if I could possibly have a urine infection as my blood results showed that my WBC count was high, he said that it would only show in urine not blood....and there it was...right infront of me last night that its in my wee. I now feel terrible as I know that I had a urine infection a few months ago but I just left it as I hate taking antibiotics (not realising all the problems it could cause). I've been searching on the internet about what can happen if left untreated and it can cause premature labour (I'm not too concerened about this now as luckily I am 38+3) and all kinds of other symptoms like protein in the urine if you develop kidney disease from it (therefore this could have been getting confused for pree). All other symptoms I have had are diarrhea, nausea, high bp....I am beginning to think that maybe I have brought all of this on my stupid self and that I have got kidney disease! Argh! Stupid me!! I'm going into hospital later today for my pre-op (i'm having elective c/s in 6 days) so I will mention it to them but I dont want to get fobbed off or put onto antibiotics just before I have a major operation and may desperately need antib's for that too. Also, the catheter may irritate it all. Oh lord, I am sooooooo confused and angry at myself!

awe sweetie dont be angry at yourself i'm sending positive thoughts your way

 

[KandyKinz]

By medical definition you do have pre-eclampsia...

 

[Wirral_Kitty]

Hiya, I've had my little girl now and she is 26 days old and fabulous. I will cut a long story short. I got admitted again to hospital and woke up in the early hours shaking all over. Was taken to labour ward for 1:1 monitoring and the docs decided to do emergency caesarean. Very ill throughout and after and was put into recovery for 25 hours and was on drips for just as long. All in all, no one said I had pre eclampsia but my kidneys shut down and I was having some sort of fit. I got let out of hospital really soon whilst my bp was still high (you are still at risk for about 5 days after delivery). My memories of pregnancy are horrific but if i take that away then the caesarean was great.

 

[KandyKinz]

Thanks for the update, glad all is okay now.

 

[Tanikit]

Congrats on your baby and thanks for the update - hope everything is going better now - sounds really scary.

 

[hattiehippo]

Glad to hear you're and your baby are doing ok now.

I developed severe pre-eclampsia (including fittng and visual disturbances) during my induction nearly a year ago after weeks of constant high bp and protein in urine. Looking back I clearly had mild preclampsia for weeks before I was induced at term - I also was so swollen I couldn't get any shoes on and the heartburn pain changed about a week before Tom was born. I did mention all of this when I was being montiored at the hospital (every 2 days for the last 2 weeks) but my blood results always came back fine and baby monitoring showed Tom was ok so I guess that's why it was left.

Keep an eye on your blood pressure if its not still be monitored by a GP or the hospital. I was on labetelol for 4 months following Tom's birth and spent a total of 5 days after his birth in hospital being monitored - got sent home and then readmited 2 days later as my bp was sky high again.

 

[moonbeam_sea]

Congrats on your daughter! I'm glad to hear you are both doing well now after the scary end to your pregnancy.