Those who were delivered due to pre-eclampsia

[Sam182]

Hi all,

Some of you know my story - Alex was born at 27+3 due to pre-e. I went to hospital at 11am and he was delivered at 2.32. Due to this I was not given steroid injections to help his lungs.
What I'd like to know is those of you who also had pre-e, how high was your bp roughly and did you get any steroids? I just need to know for my peace of mind whether alex's lung problems could have been prevented by my mw listening to me about the problems i was having in the week running up to his birth.

 

[PoodleMommy]

I was admitted to the hospital with bp's in the range of 170/110. That was at 27w4d. I did get the steroid shots at that time. They had me on hospital bed rest and ever-increasing medication, yet I was still having spikes up to 200/130. I finally was told we had to deliver at 29w1d, when the baby was showing signs of distress.

I'm so sorry your mw wasn't taking you seriously. Hoping your baby turns out just fine in spite of it.

 

[katy1310]

I remember my BP being 150/97 at one point around 25 weeks but I know it went higher than that the day Sophie was delivered, at 27 weeks exactly.

My mw took it all very seriously and kept sending me off to the bigger hospital for monitoring. At the time, I thought she was being over cautious, but I didn't know then what I know now about pre eclampsia.

I had the steroids at 26+1 and 26+2.

Sorry to hear your mw didn't take it seriously I wish they all would - but there seem to be so many that don't. My friend is training to be a midwife, and it was because of my story with Sophie that she actually picked up on a mum who had pre-eclampsia even though the fully qualified midwives were saying there was nothing to worry about with her BP etc. My friend really pressured them to look into it further, and they did - and the baby had to be delivered early.

Hope your little man is ok x

 

[Sam182]

Thanks. It just breaks my heart to thin that he could have had a better quality of life if it weren't for that silly woman!

 

[kelly6407]

My lg was delivered at 2:32 too lol
I was in the night b4 and my bp got so high, sitting around 190/120, that they gave me the steroids because they thought they would have to deliver her then because it was at the point I was in danger
They stabilised my bp to a highish less dangerous range and let me sleep, she was delivered next afternoon because her hr kept dropping.


She did so well and never had much trouble (28+6 weighing 1lb 8.5oz) she doesn't have any long term problems and her nicu stay was pretty straight forward. She took a while to breathe with no help and was on cpap for2 weeks then high flow oxygen till week 6 and home week 8 but she's never had major problems.

I dunno if the steroids made a difference or she was just in good health? The doc did say the steroids work best if they've been in for 48 hours whereas I just had them in about 16hours I think?

 

[kelly6407]

I understand the anger towards ur mw too, I was angry with mine. She shrugged my symptoms off and told me to go see her again in a week, that was the same day This all happened, I got a second opinion so that's why I went to the hospital that evening and found out how serious it was.


My mw said it wasn't pre eclampsia because i wasn't getting headaches

 

[Sam182]

Yeah very similar to mine although I told her I was seeing spots and flashes if light in front of my eyes which I now know should ring warning bells!

 

[kelly6407]

Yeah very similar to mine although I told her I was seeing spots and flashes if light in front of my eyes which I now know should ring warning bells!

I had so many alarm bells ringing that she ignored, I had the flashing light vision, sudden bad swelling, baby had stopped moving completely for several days, high bp and +protien in my urine yet she still insisted it wasn't PE or that I needed checked over!

 

[rory83coyotes]

I had my steroid shots at 31 weeks and delivered at 32 exactly. My BP at 29 week visit was 180/100. They werent worried. went to hospital with a 195/125 and was air lifted to another hospital with better nicu. During labor my BP was 225/180. Despite the shots my daughter still has asthma and has a pediatric pulmonologist. things seem to improve with time.

 

[Honeybear1976]

My symptoms started whilst in America on holiday, I had swelling, migraines, disturbances in my vision and had anyone else told me these symptoms I'd have said PE straight away, but I kept excusing it all in my mind as being down to long haul flights, weather, normal pregnancy ailments etc. We got bacl to the UK when I was about 28wks and midwife appt found high bp (170/110) and +1 protein. She sent me to hospital to be monitored and a consultant scanned me and said she wanted to deliver me now, I said no way!! My sister had had a baby a few months earlier at 32+wks and I was convinced if our baby ( a boy) was born now he wouldn't survive. My sister's baby was a girl and I had read that girl preemies do better than boys. I got quite hysterically frightened about him being born too soon when it was only me that was ill and not him. I discharged myself several times over the coming wks trying to avoid the inevitable but was being scanned regularly. I had promised the scanning lady as soon as there was an issue for the baby (not just me) then I would be admitted and cooperate. That day came at 31+3 where they said the blood flow was compromised, they were going to use gel to induce me but my bp was 230/140 so they stabilised me and did an emergency section he weighed 3lbg 4oz. I cant remember when we had the steroid injections but fortunately I did. He was on cpap for less than 48hrs and only on special care for 28days. He came home 5wks before his due date weighing 3lb 15oz He is now 4 and as strong as an ox!! I really hope things will keep improving for you and your baby

 

[SabrinaKat]

I was really lucky re: pre-eclampsia, thanks to another poster here on BnB....

When I was 32wks pregnant, I began slightly swelling in the ankles, legs and lady bits (sorry!), but one morning, woke up with a puffy face -- another poster on BnB mentioned pre-eclampsia, so I checked my BP with an at-home machine, which showed it to be in the 170s/106 and I rang and saw my GP within 30 minutes; he double-checked and then had me come back in the am, when it was better, but told me if my face puffed up again, to get to the emergency room asap. Fast forward -- I changed my 34wk appointment with my ob/gyn to 33wks and my BP was okay; went to 34wk appointment and BP was high and was admitted for observation for two days, released with a promise to come back to BP clinic every other day, and at 36wks, had a terrible headache and felt that something was wrong - went to BP clinic, and my bloods came back for PE -- was admitted and had emergency c-section. Baby was born at 6lbs, 11 oz., and fortunately, was okay -- I had to get magnesium sulfate and was in high dependency (ICU) for a couple of days, and we're both home now and both fine --

However, I was pretty lucky as baby made it to 36wks and we didn't need steriods BUT PE can come so quickly (I had an appointment at the BP clinic on Wednesday, 1st of February and was still just with high BP; and then, PE diagnosed on the Friday, 3rd February) that perhaps (and I am NOT excusing the midwife at all) that perhaps there was nothing, aside from admitting you, that could be done? I also had headaches throughout the pregnancy, but the one that Friday morning was almost unreal (and I suffer from migraines as well) and my body felt 'fuzzy', but I had been seen on the Monday and the Wednesday that week, and the PE hadn't 'developed' yet.

HOWEVER, reading through your comments again, I completely understand why you are rightly so annoyed; at least, if she had acknowledged the information you were telling her, steriods could have been given and perhaps your LO wouldn't have had such a tough time to begin with....am glad, tho, that he is okay now....

best wishes

 

[kimandbump]

Hi Hun
My situation is slightly different in that I was 34 + 4 when my PE was discovered. I had a BP of 189/113 and 3+ protein. I was admitted to hospital at 2:30pm and LO was delivered by c section that evening. She weighed 3lb 4.5oz. I received my first dose of steroids when I first arrived at hospital as the original plan was to stabilise me was 48 hours so that the full course of steroids could be given before delivery but this wasn't possible. I understand your anger at the midwifes. In the weeks leading up to me being diagnosed I had lots of issues such as few movements (I was told that I probably wasn't feeling baby as much as I was busy and baby might have changed position) headaches (Told these were a normal pregnancy symptom) and seeing flashing lights (told I was rushing about too much and standing up too quickly). I felt that because I was a normal 'green pathway' pregnancy the midwifes I saw were very quick to explain away my symptoms. I also felt that when I had my midwife appointments they were in a rush and just wanted you in and out as quickly as possible.

About 6 weeks after delivery I was given an appointment to go back and see my consultant to go through what had happened which I did find helpful. It gave me a chance to vent my frustration and ask questions. Have you been offered anything similar?

 

[Sam182]

I was offered but couldn't attend as Alex had a bad night.