Did Severe Pre-Eclampsia & HELLP Syndrome reoccur?

[MishC]

Hi ladies - I was hoping those of you who have suffered with BOTH severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP Syndrome could help me out with some information...

I suffered with both severe pre-eclampsia & HELLP in 2009 when I had my daughter. I was really poorly and in intensive care for a week (as we all are). I ended up having an emergency section under general anaesthetic. My BP was 200/168. Both me and my daughter survived it and are doing really well.

Could you tell me did either Pre-Eclampsia/HELLP or both reoccur in your next pregnancy or any there after?

As you can imagine this is quite a worry for me. I will find out in 2 weeks time if i'm having twins or a singleton. I have been told if I am pregnant with twins I will be lucky to carry to 30 weeks as my body just wont be able to handle it and if its a singleton the longest they will let me go to is 38 weeks.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

[MishC]

Anyone?

 

[Dinah93]

How early did you get it last time? Anyone who has had it before is at greater risk of recurrence than the general population, but if you got it at say 37 weeks you're at really marginal increased risk compared to the next pregnant lady in the street. My obstetrician has told me the risk factors are:
1. Clotting disorder
2. Sudden onset (I went from trace protein to +4 in 4 days, platelets dropped nearly 200 in 48 hours after that)
3. Existing hypertension
4. Early onset (as someone who developed pre-e at 27+2 and was delivered by 28+0 I have a 90% chance of pre-e recurrence, 50% chance of that being before 30 weeks)

Is your new baby with the same partner? That apparently reduces the odds, as does having babies closer together (my obstetrician told me to have another within 2 years if we wanted a chance to get past 30 weeks, he's a cheery fellow).

Statistically even if you hit most of the risk factors pre-e seems to occur around 2 weeks later the second time around, and be slower to progress. As the doctors know your pattern its also very rare to progress to HELLP, which for me is the scary part, only around 15% of women experience HELLP a second time.

I'm only 18 weeks so I don't know the end of this pregnancy journey yet, I did a lot of research prior to falling pregnant, did everything humanly possible that has been shown to even slightly reduce the recurrence rate, and from here on it's just praying and hoping I can get past where we did last time.

 

[MishC]

Mine came on at exactly 40wks.

I was in hospital 48 hours before due to reduced fetal movements and I had no protein in my urine, BP was great in fact I was super healthy. I started to feel unwell at 10pm on my due date and ended up going into hospital 3 hours later due to severe upper abdominal pain, pain radiating into my shoulder blades which caused sickness. When I was assessed in the pre-labour ward my BP was 200/167, +++protein, very brisk reflexs, visual disturbances and while I was getting assessed I started to shake uncontrollably. in the next 10 hours my platelets dropped right off (150 I think)

My baby is not with the same farther and my daughter is 5 in August so there is a 5 year age gap.

If i have a singleton I have been strongly advised to have a section at 38 weeks which i'm happy to do as I had my daughter via section. If I end up with a twin pregnancy I have been told I will be lucky to make it to 30 weeks! I find out in either a week or 13 days how many I have in their.

 

[Dinah93]

I thin your chance of getting pre-e is pretty slim, your chances of getting hellp again is next to none. I'm not a doctor, I can't guarantee anything, but I have read a huge number of medical journals and articles and statistically your chance of recurrence is low. You'll also be more closely monitored, but personally I would be monitoring my bp at home, just make a note of your readings each day, and if for several days you get a reading ??/10 higher than usual, or you get the pain under your ribs or headaches that paracetamol doesn't cure give your doctor a call and get them to check you over, better safe than sorry.

 

[Rickles]

The risk is highest with your first pregnancy. It can recur but having it with your first does not automatically mean you will have it in subsequent pregnancies.

I was birth partner to my BF - she had her little boy at 29 weeks by emcs - he's absolutely fine although he did need an op before he was term. Like you she is terrified of it happening again but tbh - her odds aren't as good because it started early, that said, her doc still said he thought it was unlikely to happen again and she would be so closely monitored they would be able to medicate etc. preventatively so they would get her past 30 weeks???

xxxx

 

[mummy3]

I had pre E and HELLP with my first and eclampsia at delivery. That was 10 years ago this year and I've had 4 more with no HELLP My last I did develop pre E but it was mild.

 

[Perfect_pink]

I had pre e and help with my first baby he sadly passed away i had him at 26 weeks by emcs then my second little boy in sept at 35+ By emcs as i had servere pr e again but no help syndrome x

 

[ann89]

I didn't get it my 2nd pregnancy. But I was only diagnosed with HELLP I believe. I never had protein in my urine. I only had problems with my liver, blood pressure, and platelets. They didn't find mine until I was being induced at 40 weeks, so I'm not sure when I developed it. I'm pretty sure symptoms started about 2 weeks earlier.

 

[MishC]

So I have spoken to my MW and I have been told I'm high risk of pre-e coming back because of how suddenly it came on.

I just thought I would share this with you ladies because after your positive comments I thought I would probably be out of the woods.

 

[gemstone]

Both came back for me. Second time round didn't end in a fit tho. I had all 3 problems. I had hellp, pre-eclampsia & eclampsia. I was induced wiv both pregnancies. I'm already under consultant as a very high risk pregnancy. There is very chance it could come back. As there is a age gap & also a different partner. My consultant said these are very big factors. I had a 9year age gap between my dd's. I would talk to your consultant too xx