Preeclampsia - Manassas, VA

I was diagnosed with preeclampsia during the last two weeks of my pregnancy. My doctor told me that eclampsia is a stroke during pregnancy and pre-eclampsia is the high blood pressure that could potentially lead to eclampsia. When my blood pressure was up at 38 weeks, the docs seemed very concerned and made me lay down for about 10 minute and then took my pressure again. Because it went down after I laid down, I was able to go home and rest until my next appointment the following week. At my 39 week doctor's appointment, my blood pressure was up again and they sent me to the hospital to induce and I had the baby the following day. I am not sure why the doctor said it is not a big deal. It is a big deal, in my opinion. Some things that she can do to help the pressure go down is to lay down on her lef t side as often as possible. Also, if she gets a headache or notices swelling, she needs to call the doctor as that could be signs of the blood pressure going higher. Interestingly enough, I was on the lookout for swelling (the nurses asked me about it at every visit) and I never noticed any swelling....but when I looked at the photos that my husband took of me during labor, I could easily see lots of swelling. She should research it on the internet and keep an open line of communication with her doctor and nurses and if she suspects any potential issues, just go to the hospital...don't take any chances. Good luck!

The only "cure" for preeclampsia is delivering the baby. If your sister's dr. says its nothing to worry about, it may be that she's got a mild case. Did the dr. recommend bedrest for your sister? She's far enough along now that she could probably safely deliver her baby, but if they don't want her to deliver now for whatever reason, bedrest would be her only option to try and keep it from worsening. Both of my daughters were 5 weeks early with no complications or NICU stays (for reasons other than preeclampsia). I don't believe that her diet in any way could prevent or control the preeclampsia. My understanding is that no one really knows why a woman develops it.

Good luck to your sister and your new little niece/nephew! :o)

J.,

I would have you sister get a second opinion! Funny you might ask this question because I am actually due this Friday (9-12-08) and was actually induced on 8-22-08 (3 weeks ago) due to high blood pressure.

I had high blood pressure on and off throughout my whole pregnancy. However at my 37 week check up it still elevated and I often felt sick to my stomach. At this point the baby is well developed and can survive without can complications that it would be more harm than good to keep the baby inside -- so I was scheduled to be induced 3 weeks early. Today I am glad to say that I had a healthy little girl and wouldn't do things any differently! So, I would get a second opinion -- doesn't hurt!

Take Care!

J., I had preeclampsia when I was pregnant, diagnosed at 36 weeks day 2 and my water broke on 36 weeks day 3. The only thing my doctor did was give me medication through my IV throughout the delivery. It wasn't a big deal, just something to know and to be able to prepare with medication to protect the baby during the delivery.

I had preeclampsia but otherwise a perfectly healthy pregnancy. The day that the test results showed that I was preeclamptic, I was instructed to go the hospital immediately for an induction. The only cure for the condition is to give birth and the condition can cause the mother to have seizure and can be fatal, which I think is rare. So, I was induced which resulted in my baby's heartrate to go to a low and dangerous level. Consequently, I had an emergency c-section with a healthy baby. I have 2 other friends in the same situation. When I was diagnosed I was in my 42nd week. I don't know if that has something to do with the urgency. I hope this was helpful and best wishes to your sister.

It is characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. When I started to show signs of increased blood pressure they induced me because even a day of bed rest did no good. So she must have high blood pressure, probably swelling and maybe headaches, blurred vision. Hopefully they have put her on limited/no activity. No cure but could do damage to some of mom's organs so they often take the baby when it is deemed safe enough. So if she really has it - then she should expect soemthing at her next appointment: bed rest, hospital bed rest, or induction. This site also has general information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-eclampsia
Plus it helps to differentiate between preclampsia and just P-I hypertension. She should be ready for anything at her next appointment - they took my first son at 37 weeks because of it!

I was diagnosed with this as well. It was definitely something to worry about for me though. It had my blood pressure extremely high (almost 200 over 100), plus I lost alot of protein because of it. The doctor may not be worrying because her due dat is so close, mine caused me to have my daughter at 31 weeks. Also, The doctor may be saying don't worry so they don't alarm your sister. Either way, they will probably just keep a close watch on her and the baby. I hope everythign turns out well. I wish her the best.

I strongly disagree with the previous posting. It makes it seem that a woman has control over whether she develops preelclampsia or not, which is not the case. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia last year with my first pregnancy. My estimated due date was 10/05, but my baby was delivered on 09/20 because of the diagnosis (just about two weeks before the due date). Like your sister, no one in my family had ever been diagnosed with preeclampsia either. From all the research I did about the condition, there was nothing in it that stated eating a healthy diet, low salt intake, plenty of water was a preventative measure. Furthermore, a low salt diet during pregnancy can actually be harmful as pregnancy women need the salt (although I wouldn't recommend on going overboard w/poor food choices). I maintained a healthy diet throughout my pregnancy and still developed this towards the end of the pregnancy. The exact cause of preeclampsia is currently unknown. A woman could develop it in one pregnancy, but not in another. Yet once you've been diagnosed with it, there is a 25-50% chance of getting it again with a following pregnancy and it typically follows the same course of how the woman had it previously. The good news is your sister has developed it in the later stage of her pregnancy when her baby is quite viable for delivery. It sounds to me like your sister's dr. is just trying to assuage any fears she might have, but from my understanding preeclampsia is not something to take lightly as it can lead to serious medical complications, such as seizures during delivery. To prevent seizures, they give the woman a medication called magnesium (something or other - don't know the whole specific name), which causes you to feel quite drowsy. What might be somewhat variable is the seriousness of her symptoms (which would be based on bloodwork results). Yet it seems that once you're diagnosed with preeclampsia, the next step is delivering the baby, especially if the baby is at a good gestational age. My sense is they only try medications, put the mother on bed rest, and such other measures only if the baby will be premature. After delivering the baby, the woman will also need to be monitored closely. More than likely, your sister and her baby will be just fine because her condition has been diagnosed and no respectable physician will just let her walk around without providing some type of intervention. On a light note, congrats on becoming an aunty!

J.,

I also have to disagree with the first post. My sister had preeclampsia. There was nothing on the internet about eating a healthy diet (which a pregnant woman should be doing anyway) or drinking lots of water. The things mentioned in the first post, pregnant woman should be doing. With my sister, it was the same as your sister. I've never had it nor did our mother have it. There isn't an exact reason why women get preeclampsia. All I can say is get plenty of rest and do exactly what the doctor says to do. Another thing I would say is do your research and talk to the doctor and Don't worry so much as worrying in itself can cause other problems. But that's another story. God Bless.

Hi J.,

Preeclampsia is a blood pressure disorder that is pretty common during pregnancy. I didn't get it during my pregnancy but my blood pressure did continue to creep up for several months and my midwife started to get concerned that I was becoming preeclamptic. She asked me to eat more protein. She recommended eating about 3-6 oz. of protein at every meal. The results were amazing. In just 4 weeks (from one check-up to the next), my blood pressure dropped significantly and stayed down for the remainder of my pregnancy. Your friend might try adding more protein to her diet and see what happens. If untreated, preeclampsia can be very serious for both mom and baby.

Best,
S.

I had high blood pressure during the last few weeks of my pregnancy and was watched very closely (I had pre-term labor at 32 weeks and was on bed rest until 35 weeks). I was given steroids to help the baby's lungs mature enough to breathe on her own when she arrived and given other medicine to slow down my contractions. From then on I had high blood pressure and at 38 weeks I went in for a normal weekly check-up and my doctor said she was going to have to induce my labor then. At a certain point, I am not sure the exact numbers, high blood pressure/preeclampsia is dangerous to the mother and therefore to the baby. Maybe your sisters levels were high but not high enough to be sent right to the delivery room. She is considered to be full term already since her due date is 9/22. My baby and I had no health problems thank goodness! But the only way to get rid of preeclampsia and the danger to your sister and the baby is to deliver the baby. Make sure that she has weekly check-ups to watch this, it is a dangerous situation that can cause seizures in the mother. Please be careful!

I had it with my second pregnancy. Some symptons are swelling, headaches, etc. They will probably put her on bedrest for a week or so and then deliver her early.

She is far enough along that she should not have the complications of an early birth so I would not worry. All the preeclamptic signs go away as soon as you deliver.

They do say that once it has shown up in one pregnancy the chances of you having this condition in subsiquent pregnancies is much greater although I am proof that it does not always happen that way.

She should be fine and all that will probably happen is a slightly more stressful delivery due to the increased monitoring.

Hi J.-
Ironically when I saw your email, I thought, "oh, eat lots of protien..." (Just based on a few things I'd read about preventing preeclampsia.) And then I saw all the posts against the diet! What do I know? lol! :)

Anyway, for what it's worth, I have heard getting your protein up over 80 grams of protien a day helps prevent it. And perhaps that's all it does..."help" prevent.

But it sounds like delivery is the solution and thank goodness your sister is just a few days away. Best Wishes! We'll be praying for her.

J.,
Her doctor is not being entirely honest with her. Many women do have preeclampsia (most commonly manifested by an elevated blood pressure during pregnancy), and the majority do fine. However, she needs to be monitored very closely, and delivery of her baby is the only way that it will go away. If left unmonitored, it can progress to eclampsia, which is a seizure, and can threaten both the life of the mother and child (not common, but I have seen it). If her blood pressure continues to go up, if she starts having weird symptoms (vision disturbances, headaches, pain near her liver area, fluid retention other than in her ankles, or anything else weird), she needs to be seen immediately by her OB. She will possibly need bloodwork (a blood count, maybe liver function tests, and definitely be looking for protein in the urine via a urine test.) If any of these things are abnormal, she may need to be induced. She is past the point of worrying too much about a premature baby, as she is past 36 weeks. I would say her OB needs to err on the side of caution, and your sister should not be afraid of an induction or C-section, if neccesary. It may help her avoid any complications of preeclampsia, and the big picture right now is safety for both herself and the baby.
Good luck to her, and the baby. She will probably do great, regardless. These are things her doctor should be thinking about, not because they are common, but because they can be devastating if approached with a laid-back attitude.

Preeclampsia is very common in pregnancy. Your sister should have been ordered to be on bedrest, and should be seeing the doctor regularly to check her blood pressure and urine. If she has any severe headaches, or visual disturbances (seeing stars or "floaters") she should call her doctor right away. This condition only becomes serious if she were to become eclamptic and seize, which is very uncommon under the watchful eye of her OB. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to induce her labor at 37-38 weeks.

K.

Hi J.,
I had preeclampsia with my first pregnancy. I was fine one day and the next I was in the hospital. I blamed myself and thought I had stressed myself out. It wasn't the truth. My daughter was born 2 months and 2 days early. At 2 1/2 pounds. The best advice I think I can give is first of DON'T WORRY! I know from experience that is easier said than done but it really is worse for the baby if you stress. Tell her to rest as much as possible. (which I'm sure the doctor has already suggested)But most of all relax. She is far enough along where it definately should not be a problem. My daughter was small but she was in the NICU for less than 2 months because of being premature. I doesn't look like that will be a problem for her. Tell her everything will be fine and it is most definately not from something she did because I sure thought I had done something wrong. My daughter is now a beautiful completely healthy happy 6 year old and we call her our "Miracle Baby". I hope your sister enjoys her little miracle too. Tell her Good Luck and I will be praying for her.
Sincerely and with Love and Prayers,
Steve's Wifey

I also strongly disagree with the first post - preeclampsia is a common yet serious condition that is not related to diet in any way. I think a lot of people think preeclampsia is just high blood pressure in pregnancy, but it isn't. The high blood pressure is one *symptom* in preeclampsia but it has greater physiological impact. That said, the second poster did an amazing job of spelling things out for you. Yay Mama's!

I had an uneventful pregnancy with my first child (I even had problems with LOW blood pressure, to include fainting and dizziness) and still developed preeclampsia with my 2nd. I gained about 15lbs more than I should have with my 1st pregnancy so I was extra careful the second time around and gained only 30lbs by my 37th week and ate a very healthy diet(I have a degree in nutrition/food science) and exercised regularly. My preeclampsia came on suddenly and I had to be induced about 3 weeks early. Because your sister will be past the 37th week, the baby is considered full term and should be perfectly healthy at birth. The mother has to go through the meds as previously mentioned (no lie - they are really terrible) but it's in the best interest of the mother and baby and is only a couple of days. This condition should be closely monitored and what action, if any, the doctors take depends on her lab results. Mine were through the roof and that's why I was induced. If her condition is mild enough then she may not need labor induced. If no one in your family has been induced it may be a good idea to do some research in order to help your sister understand the process and to lessen her fears. A lot of women are afraid of it, but delivery is the only *cure* for preeclampsia and if the doctor deems it necessary it's the best way to go.

Hopefully all this helps - I am sure your niece and sister will do great!

I've had preeclampsia 3 times and it didn't matter what I ate. Your diet does not control it. It is a very serious and curable disease. The only cure is delivery and luckily your sister is very close to her due date. She needs to be closely monitored. But a b/p cuff for at home. Keep her resting. Drink lots of water for the edema and to try to keep her kidneys in good shape. Go to www.preeclampsia.org. That's the most informed and compassionate site. They helped me a lot. Good luck to your sister.

J.,
This is an issue that can be serious or not, depending on what your sister chooses to do about her next several weeks.
I teach childbirth education and am a wellness practitioner. I have a protocol for preeclampsia that has reversed this condition in many women.
It requires a commitment to a change in diet and some herbs.
It does work.
Please contact me if you want more info. or have questions.
L.
Birthbliss
HyponoBirthing Childbirth education and birth doula services in MD, DC and Northern VA

I was borderline with preeclampsia when I had my son, 2 1/2 years ago. I went into the hospital a week or so before he was due with a very, very swollen ankle. My blood pressure was up and down. They kept me in and decided to induce a day or so later. However before they induced me I had to get an IV of Magnesium Sulfate (if i remember correctly), which is part of the process if you are pre-elcamptic. The first 20 minutes of the IV is miserable--you get very hot and uncomfortable, but once that is over it is fine. You are bedridden at that point,and also 24 hours after you have the baby. They also monitored my blood pressure every hour, so I was very tired going into labor as its hard to rest with a blood pressure cuff tightening constantly, but it really was not that bad at all.

I will partially disagree with the first poster. I have certainly read that some preeclampsia can be prevented or kept under control through diet. However, part of that is the definition of preeclampsia: protein in the urine and elevated blood pressure. Diet issues can create those conditions. When I got sick late in my pregnancy, I got dehydrated which resulted in spilling protein and elevated blood pressure (the symptoms of preeclampsia). However, I didn't have "preeclampsia".

Older moms, greater weight gain, multiple gestations etc put a greater strain on a woman's body and can cause preeclampsia.

Really, your sister is due in less than 2 weeks and her doctor isn't concerned. They will monitor her and her blood pressure. If it gets dangerous or she is spilling too much protein, then they will act.

My sister had preeclampsia with her twins. She was told to take it easy, but never put on bedrest. Her preeclampsia was bad, but they still took a watch and wait approach. Her babies were born at 37 weeks and all was well.

I was diagnosed with preeclampsia somewhere around week 32 or 33 of my pregnancy. I was put ohn bedrest and told specifically to lay on my left side to keep the blood pressure down. I had to monitor my blood pressure at home and call the dr. if it went over a certain point. I was at the point where i was having visits to the Dr. at least once a week. I was sent over to Labor and delivery 3 times to be put on the fetal moitors. The third time I went in on a Friday, my BP would not come down enought to release me so my Dr kept me there overnite. She came in on Saturday (this was right at 37 weeks exactly, I already had scheduled an induction per my Dr for the following thursday) and decided to do a c-section the following morning. So on Sunday I had a beautiful 6lb 5oz baby boy. My Dr told me that if she had let me go home I would have gotten a lot sicker - in the hospital they made sure I was in my bed on my left side - at home, I would have probably done a little more than that. After delivery I had to be given magnesium sulfate through IV to keep from having seizures. I will tell you, that was the worst part - it wipes you out so much, it makes some people sick to their stomach I did not have that, it did however make my memories of my first day of life very, very groggy, some of it I dont remember and it was sooooo hard to take care of my baby being that wiped out.

My advice, LISTEN to the Dr. If she is on bedrest, I imagine she is. Listen, stay in bed. Something about laying on the left side brings down BP. Pay close attention to swelling - I was so swollen but never realized it until it went away and I thought hmmmm that is what my feet look like! Also, any headache is very important to report to the Dr. If you can monitor her BP at home do so. If she has to have the magnesium sulfate keep her visitors to a serious minimum - she will thank you later! Drink plenty of water, they may want to collect her urine for 24 hours to see the protein levels in. Give her a laptop, books, magazines and someone to keep her company if at all possible when she is on bedrest - that person can also do all those last minute things she hasnt gotten done. Also, prepare her for the baby having to come out sooner, it would be for the safety of the baby as well as mommy. Also, a c- section is very likely, pain just makes BP go up and thats not good. I feel totaly jipped, I had not one contraction, didnt ever dilate or anything. He was my first child so I am lucky he is ok, I just felt like I carried a baby for 8 months then boom he was here no pain! Also, preeclampsia is VERY common in first time pregnancies and they do not know why.

Well, I hope this helps you out! Also, there is PLENTY of info on bedrest and preeclampsia on the web. That is all I read about for weeks! Bedrest does get depressing! BEst of luck to your sister and baby!

Hi J.,

What a great sister you are! I never had preeclampsia but I do see it a lot in my work. Usually doctors 'control' the condition before the pregnancy with magnesium sulfate (here is a good Q&A website about the treatment wit Mag. Sulfate: www.twinslist.org/magsulfate.html). There are a few things a woman can do to prevent preeclampsia. One is calcium supplementation (Tums is a good source) and increasing selenium intake (Brazil nuts are the best source).

In terms of your sister, the hospital staff will monitor her pressure when she is there. Most likely she will get a magnesium sulfate drip. She will need the drip (most likely) after delivery and there is a strong possibility that the baby will also be closely monitored. Your sister will need a lot of support because it might not be the 'perfect' birth she may expect. She could (or could not depending on a few variables) have a c-section. The baby could (or could not - again depending on variables) go into the NICU for a few days. She should know that neither her child or she is in any unmanageable danger though. In the U.S. this complication is very well treated but for a first time mom it can be scary.

Good luck!
J.

sounds like she is close to her due date.....thus there shouldn't be any issues if the doctors decide to induce her as a result of having preeclampsia. i had it, was induced, baby arrived 3 weeks early as a result.....we had no issues....actually, being induced made my labor easy.

Hi. Yes, I had preclampsia, too with our first daughter in 1998. High blood pressure, sugar in urine, feeling lightheaded, lots of edema were my main symptoms along with the occassional terrible headache. So...I was put on modified bed rest with lots of time spent laying on my left side which absolutely seemed to help with the blood pressure issues. Although most professionals would say that diet does not play any part in this diagnosis, I made sure I stayed away from high sodium foods and drank a ton of water.

Feeling tired and "yucky" is not the way to end a pregnancy so just make sure your sister is resting comfortably, stays calm and enjoys this part of her pregnancy. Give lots of leg rubs/foot rubs as this will help with the edema and make the blood flow.

Preclampsia is not something she can control or could have prevented. First poster needs more information.
Good Luck!

Preclampsia can be prevent by eating a good diet. I had it with my first pregnancy, then I learned how to eat better and didn't have any problems with my 4 other pregnancies.
Make share she drinks tons of water and eats lots of protien!
Avoiding salt only opens you up to shock after birth.
Lots of fruits and veggies too!!
No sugar!!

I had preeclampsia with both of my girls. The first time, I had no idea until I went in to the doctor for my usual 36 week checkup, they found my protein levels in my urine too high and I was sent directly to the hospital to be kept overnight to do a 24 hour urine check. Basically pee in a jug all day and night and see what the levels are after 24 hours. My levels were too high and I was induced immediately. Kind of scary for a first timer but it was a quick labor and delivery and I had a beautiful 6 pound girl. The next pregnancy I was put on a daily baby aspirin, that did not make a difference with me and my body, my blood pressure started to rise at about 32 weeks. I was put on bed rest at 34 weeks and finally induced at 35 weeks. That one was a bit scarier, they ended up doing an amniocentesis to make sure baby's lungs were mature, they were not and I was given a steroid shot to help her lungs. 12 hours later I had a baby 5 lbs 9 oz, perfectly healthy no breathing problems at all. I was put on magnesium both times to prevent stroke I think, while not optimal, I did not have any other problems, both girls were super healthy and no lasting ill effects. I was told that my daughters will probably have preeclampsia when they get pregnant so we will be on the watch for that 20 years from now but hopefully they will find a way to prevent it by then or help it some other way. I was also given a blood pressure cuff to keep track of my blood pressure a few times a day at home and had to go in for a few non stress tests. I just wanted my baby's happy and healthy and I go that. Good luck, hope it all turns out great.

It looks like the other responses have pretty much covered the bases but I thought I would add my friend's story as well. She had preeclampsia and she had to deliver early by c-section. Both she and the baby are fine and very healthy but it is something that needs to be closely monitered by her docotors.

I would be worried about a doctor who treated this matter so lightly, unless he was possibly trying not to excite her. Although he should at least tell either her husband or closest family member what the risks are.