Well, I stopped posting for a while, and over that period of time I've gone through very sudden dizzyness, sparkles in my vision, and a sudden rise in blood pressure (though it's still a high normal). My midwife took my bloods to make sure everything was alright only a day ago, and already my tests are back and sahe called me to tell me my liver enzymes are "off". I have to have an ultrasound on friday, my bloodtests retaken regularily and another ultrasound to follow. I'm SO WORRIED, works can't even express. I am all alone in my little apartment and I just feel so powerless and worried. It turns out my mother had preeclampsia with my sister and nearly died in birth, and it's hereditary to boot. It isn't for sure that I have it, but all signs do point in that direction.

Baby is also measuring three weeks consistently ahead, so she wants the ultrasound also to see how he's growing... whatever that means. My gestational diabetes test came back absolutely fine, so I'm worried it might be serious..

Baby moves a lot though, so I know he's okay right now. But could ANY of you who know a little about preeclampsia give me a bit of info? People who have gone through it especially. I need some success stories and to be told me and my baby aren't going to just suddenly die. I have anxiety which makes my worries worse.

dont know much about preclampia but wanted to give u xxx take care hun

awe pet ...don't know much but googled and there is a good site with success stories like the one below..hope it helps

http://www.preeclampsia.org/storysearch.aspx

Thanks to an attentive medical doctor and nurse practitioners, our experience with preeclampsia ended well.

"At 35 weeks gestation, I was found to have high blood pressure of 140/90. This along with severe swelling of the hands and feet caused the medical staff to closely monitor my situation. For a few weeks of 24 hour urine tests, blood tests and Non stress tests, the borderline pre eclampsia "crossed the border" and I was induced at 38.5 weeks. I was given Magnesium Sulfate to prevent any seizures (a drug that I now despise, but am thankful for) and delivered a healthy baby boy. I remained on the Mag for 24 hours after the birth, which left me feeling weak and unable to care for the baby for a little while.

I am grateful that the preeclampsia developed late enough that allowed for a term delivery of our son, and for the quick and attentive medical staff that attended me. This website is a great source of information and comfort to those that have had a history of pree."

I had pre-eclampsia with my dd#1. I got it in about my 32nd week of pregnancy and had it until I had an induction at 37 weeks.

I had a fabulous doc who stay right on top of things, I was on "potty/shower only" bedrest for 2-3 weeks at the end, and I swelled up like a balloon. I put on a lot of water weight.

My symptoms were headaches, goofy vision, and of course the water retention. I had extremely heightened auto reflexes (some of the major auto reflexes we have in our body like the knee bang reflex, and the one where they scrape a tool up the pad of your foot and you flex it automatically.)

I was on no drug treatment, they just wanted me to cook dd as long as I could tolerate. BP went from 115/60 one week to 158/85 the next (week 32) and obviously stayed there or higher for the duration of the pregnancy.

I did the peeing in a cup thing at every pee I did, I actually collected it all over a weeks time so they could sample whether or not my body was shutting down or not.

I went in for last prenatal on a Wednesday, and doc took one look at me and said come back tomorrow night - you gonna have this baby.

I had a vaginal delivery, I believe I had a moderately favorable cervix so they gave me prostoglandin gel to initiate labor. I was admitted to the hospital and had the prostoglandin at around 7pm and by 3:30am my waters broke on their own. I was having decent contractions and things were progressing normally. I was on a magnesium sulfate IV along with a normal IV for hydration. I had a urinary catheter, and all the fetal monitoring they could do. At this point things get quite blurry for me, my BP started to sky rocket right around early/mid morning and I started not remembering things as clearly. My mother was there (retired OB nurse) and made sure things were going okie dokie. I started going under the effects of the pre-eclampsia and was in full convulsions when the epidural was put in. I was put on pitocin and told to keep flipping back and forth between my right and left side to keep the epidural from pooling on one side or the other.

Entered transition about 3pm that same day, threw up and the works... still had the shakes pretty bad, and BP was really high. Mom remembers at one point it getting to 190's/120s.

I was given an episiotomy and told to grab my legs and push! I couldn't find my damn legs, and I was pretty ready for the whole friggin thing to be over at that point, but everyone helped me find them and I pushed three times and out came my DD#1.

Doc said "Here's your pearl of a girl!" I had no idea of the sex, but I started bawling and she started bawling, and my mom started bawling...



Anyway, doc said a lot of pre-eclamptic babies have a better chance than a non -PE baby because their lungs are much more developed than a normal baby at the same time. They kept DD#1 in NICU for a couple hours to monitor and once my epidural wore off I felt like a NEW WOMAN. I didn't realize how out of it I had gotten at the end.

That made it Friday afternoon. Hospital kept us in until Sunday morning for observation and we went home without any troubles (She did get a little jaundiced, but that wore off on its own.)

Breastfed for 6 months or so, normal sleep patterns, eating patterns and no lasting effects for either of us.

Don't worry! You have a good caregiver it sounds like, and just keep hydrated and hang in there (if you have it). My cousin had it with both her babies too, and they're all here healthy and fine!

I hope everything turns out ok

hey.... i started with pre eclampsia symptoms at 28wks. my BP was constinatly high, adeama, protien in urine, disturbed vision, severe headaches.
I saw the mw weekly and everytime my BP was too high she sent me to day unit. they took bloods and they came back clear of pre eclampsia.

anyway on the 27th dec 07 i woke up with contractions. i was 38wks. i had a mw appt that morning so i waited till i saw her. she took my bp it was 158/104, 4+protien and all other symtoms. so she sent me to day unit... took my bloods as usual and it showed pre eclampsia. so they did a sweep and immediatly my contractions went from every 10mins lating 20secs to every few mins lasting 30-40secs. if i had not delievered that day.. the next day they were going to break my waters.
few hours later i had my little girl... everyting fine and perfect. swelling soon went down headaches, BP went.

try not to worry. delievery of baby is last resort. they will bed rest you or give you bp tablets to try contain it. mw will see you regulary and will tell you when its getting bad. i know she prob sends you away and all you can do is worry. but if there was a problem she will put you first.

Hope everything will be fine, you're in my thoughts

Thank you all for the posts, they mean a lot.

I woke up this morning and my face is very bloated/swollen. I was drinking tons of water last night, so I don't understand why.

Is the fact the baby is measuring three weeks bigger connected with preeclampsia? They seem like individual issues, but I'm not sure.

I'm sure you need one of these right now.

Sounds like their gonna keep on top of things. Have never experienced it but my friend did with her first and everything was well with her. She did go into natural labour at 36 weeks though but her baby was 7lbs at that time. She's at the same stage now with her 2nd and no signs of her having it this time.

If you drank loads of water that's probably why your so swollen today as your body is retaining water more. Keep us posted. xx