Pre-Eclampsia Survivors

[angelmyky]

Well hello ladies. :wave:
I have started this thread as i haven't yet come across anything written about this & i think it's time people had their say.

Firstly, i would like to say that i feel deeply for all those who have had Pre-Eclampsia and lost their babies in the process. its not a topic people talk about so my sympathies are with you.

Here's my story. it is a long one though, (if you have seen my posts in the past then you will know that i can natter on lol). so if you do decide to read my story then thank you and i hope to hear some stories of your experiences, etc.

I am one of those who had Pre-Eclampsia. i am so proud of what i went through and im here to share my experience with you all.

Each day i remember what a struggle it was to have my son, but i feel so lucky to have him and im grateful for everything the doctors/nurses (etc) did for me when i was in hospital.

(Please click the link below - i didnt want to post it all in here so did it on a "text hosting" site).

https://freetexthost.com/tyblhptyks

*breathe*

if you would like to know anything or have any questions, feel free to ask.

thank you for taking your time to read this.

 

[babyerin]

Thanks for writing your story.
I'm really ANNOYED for you that your mw brushed you off so many times! How daft?
My high BP was noticed at 36wks and they pretty much kept me in (bar a week) until birth.
They managed my BP with labetalol which i think they should have done with you
My mother had PE with me and my siblings and was induced everytime.

I stopped taking my meds a few weeks after E, I should really go to the doctors but it's been 5 months so i should be ok?

your LO is a cutey!

 

[angelmyky]

thank you for commenting.
yeh it really p*d me off too, but i didnt think to question her back then. if/when im pregnant again i will make sure she listened to whatever i had to say next time.

once they diagnosed me they kept a check on everything. my BP just kept going up, i think they didnt realise that obviously i was worked up and scared but they didnt really have time to give me anything. i think they just wanted him out.
but im one of those lucky ones that my son didnt need help afterwards, and he was completely healthy (apart from the jaundice).

i definitely wasnt ready to have him though. i couldnt come to terms of having to be induced either. months afterwards i still struggled to deal with it. i felt so horrible and felt that part of my pregnancy was stolen from me.
but im slowly dealing with it. and im also in the process of counselling.

my mum didnt tell me until after i had my son that she had a BP problem with my brother. (her first baby....im the youngest lol). because my brother is nearly 30, she forgot about the pregnancy/birth. so i didnt have chance to tell the m/w about it. but its not a big deal now.

i stopped taking my meds in October, i thought i'd be ok next time i saw the doctor because i felt alot better. but in December when i went back he did my BP and it was still high....not gone down at all. so i took the meds again but noticed i had some side affects and they werent anything that i could live with, so i rang the receptionist and they told me that there was no doctor at the time. but i remember the doc said not to stop taking my meds until i saw him again, i just never got chance to see him. so i just stopped taking them lol.
i havent been back to see the doctor either because i know he'd make me take them again even though i had the side affects, or he'd make me take other tablets. but the main problem is that im officially just over 3 weeks late for my period and i think i could be pregnant so i need to see the doctor next week sometime but i keep putting it off because im worried about the tablet thing. i dont want to take meds if i am pregnant.

i suppose i will have to wait and see.

awww thank you. your LO is adorable. such a cute smile. x

 

[Kitty23]

Thanks for writing this thread

I had pre eclampsia and then eclampsia it was just dreadful. I went to my doctors appt on the thursday and had an emergency c section on the friday after having fits and very nearly dying. Poppy is now growth ******** as a result of them not picking up my pre eclampsia never thought I would get it xxx

 

[babyerin]

i think i could be pregnant so i need to see the doctor next week sometime but i keep putting it off because im worried about the tablet thing. i dont want to take meds if i am pregnant.

Labetalol is safe to take in pregnancy, that's the meds i was put on. It sucks taking them but they did work

and congratulations if you are pregnant

awww thank you. your LO is adorable. such a cute smile. x

Ta very much

 

[MrsEngland]

My pre-eclampsia was diagnosed from 34 weeks and i was in and out of hospital from then until i had my little one at 37 weeks (i was booked to be induced at 38 weeks but my waters went at 37 weeks). I'm still on medication for my blood pressure. The last bit of my pregnancy was certainly a struggle i ended up really quite low but she was worth every second.

 

[mummy3]

Pre eclampsia is a horrible thing to have. My bp didn't go up terribly high on my first pregnancy but I did have severe pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome and then eclampsia at delivery. I was in hospital for 2 weeks total, mainly due to problems with bleeding and liver function.

Like you my MW and consultants completely missed it until it was almost too late, I put on nearly 3 stone in fluid in under 2 weeks I think for me though it was because my bp didn't go too high it was harder to spot, and tbh I have been very closely monitored in pregnancies since.

I'm a bit confused about the grapefruit thing though, I would really not stop the meds until you have seen a doctor, even if it means going to A and E. If you've already stopped, I would defo recommend going to your gps asap to get checked over

 

[jellytot3]

Read all of your post, how horrible that your midwife kept putting your symptoms down as "normal in pregnancy" !
Thought Id share my story....

I too had pre eclampsia (first pregnancy wen i was 17), I was 36 weeks and in an abusive relationship. I had to cancel my midwife appointment and re arrange one day. Then my midwife cancelled on me and didnt have anymore appointments for ages. I ended up going without seeing her for a month.
After my bf at the time beat me up badly i was rushed to hospital.. the first thing the mw noticed was my swelling (i couldnt wear shoes at all). After all the tests all they told me was they had to induce me and get baby out NOW. Being 17, badly battered, on my own (mum was on her way) I was very scared.
After a very quick labour and lots of drugs, no water, no food, drugged up to my eye balls, my daughter willow was born 6lb4oz and rushed to neonatal.
The drs hadnt told me what was going on as i was already distraught from what happened with my bf. I just remember my mum in tears on the phone telling my dad i might die and my blood pressure was on the verge of heartattack/stroke.
I was in hospital for just over a week but my daughter longer. Luckily, i could stay with her in a room of my own but I couldnt hold her
To cut a long story short...it was touch and go for both of us but we made it in the end
So glad that a$$hole isnt in our lives anymore!
x

 

[Emma78]

Hi, and thanks for sharing your story. I too have suffered from Pre-eclampsia and I count myself lucky to still be here as I w so I'll, unfortunately midwives wouldn't listen to me moaning about headache, swelling and lack of baby movements (they said I was over anxious due to losing my first baby boy at 22 weeks and blamed the heat for swelling and headache). Sadly I was very unlucky and by the time they did listen to my concerns and decide to deliver my baby her heatbeat was gone and Isla was stillborn. I have since went onto have 3 more children and although I have shown symptoms in all my pregnancies it never developed to much while pregnant but after I had my two boys I suffered pre-eclampsia post natallywhich is apparently very rare! I then had a girl and although I had lots of symptoms while pregnant with her I was fineduringand after pregnancy. Xxx

 

[lottie7]

What a great thread to start. Pre-eclampsia is often not taken seriously and it can have devastating consequences.
I had pre-eclampsia with both my pregnancies and both my girls had to be delivered early. Thank God they were both fine, just very small. I would love to have a large family, however I am too scared to get pregnant again as pre-eclampsia will probably set in earlier.
Thanks for letting us read your story angelmyky, it is such a frightening time having pre-eclampsia and I hope you never have to go through it again.

x x

 

[KookyK]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have found it hard to find much support online or people in a similar situation.

I was very very lucky in my situation. I had severe pre eclampsia but my daughter was unscathed and born term (just!). It was very scary and I'm still affected by it.

I felt v tired from day 1 of my pregnancy. Things eased up in the 2nd tri but from 28 weeks things were not so good. At 28 weeks I had a night of pains (examined and it was nothing). Then 32 weeks onwards felt v tired and generally unwell. I could've stopped work at this point, and it was Xmas, but had arranged to go back to work after Xmas for a few weeks (taking me to 35 weeks).

Over Xmas there was, naturally, a lack of MW (or consultant - as I have underactive thyroid) appointments so had a longer gap between appoitments than I should. Then back at work my, very nice usually, boss (perhaps cos of having no kids) ramped up my workload and (I'm a teacher) scheduled a bunch of late night parents' evenings before I left (as parents up in arms about not seeing me at the school's parents' night as I'd be on mat leave by then). I felt stressed (and had asked to do them spread out over several afternoons, not 2 late nights). I felt generally unwell. Spaced out, weird. I seemed to have suddenly put on weight all over (later realised it was swelling all over, as I 'went down' the day after birth!). Felt liked I could hardly go up the stairs some days.

Then had a check up at the hosp at 35 weeks. Said I was stressed and burst into tears (was about to have anti-D making me more freaked). they took my BP and it was something like 100/150 and they did double take. Did my anti-D in case it was due to fear (usually my BP plummets after needles due to my phobia) but BP stayed high. Protein in urine. They broke it to me that I'd prob have my baby at 36 weeks as this was defo pre-eclampsia. I cried as imagined a birth pool hippy dippy experience, plus knew a little of PE and was scared.

Had to keep coming in daily to the day assessment unit. That raised my BP driving myself there, finding a space and paying for parking LOL! A few days later a student doc said I didn't have BP as the protein in my uriine seemed to have gone. Sent me home for weekend Thurs-Mon. Returned on Mon and they were v unhappy with me and admitted me. Stayed in for 7 days 36-37 weeks before I had DD.

As far as I know my bloods remained ok, which is remarkable and v lucky. The BP kept climbing. I remember a doc in my room in the night looking panicky and saying 'we'll try this and check you again,' then trying something else. Took Labetalol. My reflexes were insane during this time. I felt twitchy and edge and odd all the time. No sleep due to the noise and the way the ante-natal and pre-labour ward was run/organised (constant people coming in and out of beds 24/7). Reading up on Labetalol I think some of the twitchy anxiety was due to side affects.

Ended up with my own room due to me freaking out from no sleep. Made it to 36+6. Induced. Nothing much seemed to happen. Then suddenly much pain and major vomitting. Luckily my mum was with me by then. The MWs shot into action and very concerned about me. Ran pushing my bed into labour ward, then high dependency then labour room with MW with me the whole time. Had an epidural. BP crashed, ironically, twice. This scared me as loads of people rush into the room, but then it evened out. I had magnesium sulphate to stop me from fitting. I felt very hot -faced and odd whilst having it, very out of it.

Amazingly, and this is the lucky bit, I gave birth after 10 hrs of proper labour, no major complications (retained placenta but that's another story!). DD was 5lb 8oz, and doc said growth restriced, but fine now. She had a 'tinge' of jaundice and was v sleepy for 3 weeks but was fine.

I stayed in 6 more days. Labetalol for 6 weeks. Overnight stay at 3 weeks post birth due to retained placenta but that resolved itself. Daughter breastfed for 11.5 months and is about to turn 3.

Would love to have another child. Terrified about going through that again. OH thinks I was unnecessarily anxious and paranoid about it all so not supportive or understanding of how dangerous this condition is. I feel I almost need therapy before embarking on it again!! I could be pursauded all the same. Watch this space...

Good to read everyone's stories, love this forum (am new). Hope we can all support each other. Good to share. xx

PS Sorry so long. Rather cathartic actually!

 

[angelmyky]

thank you for sharing your experiences ladies. its a horrible illness but its good to know that there are people to support eachother afterwards.

as for the follow-on pregnancies.....
for me i am still unsure whats going. im officially a month late today but i had another negative hpt 4-6 days ago. i will be taking another hpt tomorrow morning (FMU) and ringing the doctor to get an appointment.
if the test is negative again then i want to have a blood test to confirm whether im pregnant or not. if im not pregnant then there has to be something wrong with me......i dont like to think that there is something wrong but theres no other reason for me to be a month late. ive had 2 normal periods since having my son, the 2nd one was exactly 30 days from the first (just like how my cycle was before i got pregnant). so i expected to start on 23rd december '10 but it didnt show......i gave an extra week just incase but still nothing.
so now that its a whole month late i think there has to be a problem. either im pregnant, theres a blockage, or something else.
oh and this month i dont think i ovulated.....i normally have a sensation in one of my ovaries (like an ache) and discharge..... but ive had nothing.
starting to let it get to me again.

anyway im off now. will update when/if i get any answers. x

 

[laurajo24]

Thank you for this thread.
I don't think people realise what a traumatic experience pre eclampisa can be. 'as long as the baby is ok' seems to be the common thought, never mind about the mum! i am still upset about it nearly a year on. I get emotional thinking about the day i was rushed in and how everything happened so quickly and was out of my control.

My story is very similar to yours. i was induced with harry at 36+2 and my midwife totally missed my symptoms. I diagnosed myself and got myself to hospital. We both nearly died. I went back into hospital afterwards and again at 6 weeks PP due to pulmonary embolism.

I'm terrified of what might happen if i get pregnant again.

 

[angelmyky]

heres my update:
i went to the doctor yesterday because i was officially 1 month late on 23rd. she sent me for a blood pregnancy test. but she said i wont get results til end of next week. which i think is too long.

anyway, hopefully i will have some answers soon, im getting worried that something is wrong with me (if im not pregnant).

 

[katy1310]

Hi and thanks so much for starting this thread. I saw it the day you wrote it and meant to come back to it to reply but I couldn't find it again!!! Then I saw it tonight coming up on the new posts

Here's my story.

I was having a brilliant pregnancy and everything was going smoothly. The baby was perfect at my 20 week scan, everything was fine. I went for my 25 week check up and had high BP. I was told to take the day off work, rest at home, and go back next day to have it checked again. It was even higher. I was sent off to the hospital (my checks were done at the local maternity unit but I was booked in to give birth at the bigger hospital 45 miles away). They monitored me all afternoon and sent me home saying I had to go back the next day for more monitoring.

Protein then appeared in my urine and i was admitted overnight for monitoring. Next morning I had a scan and it showed that the baby was slightly smaller than it should be, and there was slightly reduced fluid. I was allowed home but I was so worried about everything that they'd said, I went to the maternity unit to talk to one of the midwives about it all and she sent me back to the hospital again because my BP was even higher! They admitted me again and monitored me overnight.

At this point the consultant said he'd be lucky to get me to 30 weeks. As you can imagine I was completely panicking and so stressed out. I was allowed home again but had to go back daily for scans and i was given steroids to help mature the baby's lungs ready for early delivery. Next day the consultant decided I might only have another 10 days left, and he transferred me to a bigger hospital in Edinburgh, 60 miles from home.

We were lucky they had a cot space or I could have been sent to manchester, leeds or London as they were the only places that had cot spaces apart from Edinburgh.

I was sent there at 26+5 for monitoring and admitted - they said until the baby arrived. we were given a tour of the neonatal unit that night and spoke to a paediatrician about the implications of having an early baby.

Overnight at 26+6, I started to feel very ill - having felt fine up till this point. I had the worst headache I've ever had - strangely it was worse lying down?? - and I get migrianes so I'm used to bad headaches! My fingers were so swollen I couldn't bend them and my wedding ring wasn't even close to fitting me. I was also getting visual disturbances.

Next morning they came and put a thingy in my hand (can't remember what it's called!) to take more blood because they'd taken so much out of my arms they couldn't find anywhere else to get it! My BP was sky high and they gave me something to bring it down - there were about 5 drs in at once. It went too low and I almost fainted. They monitored the baby all morning and after a scan showed it wasn't doing so well, they decided to deliver that afternoon.

Sophie was born at exactly 27 weeks weighing just 1lb 13oz. She spent 12 weeks in neonatal, and came home weighing 5lbs 6. She is now 10 months old and 15lbs 11oz, still in 0-3 month clothes but other than her size, you'd never know she'd been so premature. She's hitting all her milestones for her corrected age (the age she should be - ie 7 months, which is the age they use for developmental milestones in preemies) and she is the most gorgeous little girl.

I had to stay in hospital for a week after she was born and my BP took ages to go back down. I felt pretty ill for a few days - DH was told after Sophie was born that I had been one hour from organ failure, and if they'd left it another hour, he'd have lost us both.

Sophie is my precious little miracle!!