33 weeks and Edema

I am 33 weeks +2 days and Saturday I started swelling up. I gained 6lbs in 2 days so went to the doctor and they monitored me. I was having contractions so they started me on oral Trabutaline 4 times a day to stop those. The swelling just seems to be getting worse but my blood pressure is about 120/73 still so the doctor is not too worried but since the swelling is continuing to get worse, I was just wondering how much longer some of you made it after really swelling up? My next appt is in 2 days.

 

I don't have any words of wisdom, but I'm sorry this is happening to you! I'm glad the doc is monitoring you closely. I hope you can hang in there a while longer.

 

I was extremely swollen and it got visibly worse daily, to the point where I could only wear a loose dress, and no shoes fit. My blood pressure stayed low though, so my OB wasn't concerned either. It was mighty uncomfortable, but I made it to my scheduled c-section at 37w4d with no problems. It took at good 4 weeks postpartum for the swelling to go down.

 

How far along were you when you started swelling up?

 

I started swelling really badly around 30 weeks. After a week, my OB put me on bed rest to try to get the fluid to stop pooling in my lower legs and feet. She was worried about the swelling cutting off my circulation It worked, for the most part, and the swelling subsided a lot. But at 31 weeks, I went into PTL so I stayed on bed rest until I delivered at 34 weeks. (My water broke, so it wasn't a planned delivery date.) Coincidently perhaps, but I also had a DVT (blood clot) in my groin that broke apart and traveled to my lungs at 32 weeks. I don't know if the DVT caused the swelling or if the swelling put too much pressure on my veins and caused the DVT.

 

About two weeks! It started in my ankles if I stood for too long. Then I had to take my rings off at 14 weeks (and couldn't wear them again until 6 weeks pp). It just slowly got worse and worse, and I could watch the fluid line creeping up my body. I wore compression stockings for a while, but we had record heat waves last summer and I just couldn't stand to wear them in the heat. I did drink TONS of water, and tried to keep my feet up as much as possible, but that really didn't make much difference. It was uncomfortable and ugly, but purely "cosmetic". My BP and urine were tested regularly and were always normal (or low) so my OB didn't get concerned at all.

Edit to add: I did gain 12lb in a week at one point and sometimes my left leg was much more swollen than my right.

 

I started swelling significantly around 32 weeks - from the cankles up. It got progressively worse, but like JLS above, my BP remained low, no protein, no other problems. I made it to my scheduled c-section at 38 weeks & 5 days. And like JLS, it took WEEKS for me to get rid of the extra fluid - here's a pic of the cankles just before my c-section:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30628920&l=e986e33233&id=1103118773

I do not miss them one bit!! It felt great to make it in the end in spite of the misery of those last few weeks!

 

I am 36 weeks and my ankles and feet have also just started swelling in the last 3 days. They seem to be getting a little worse each day - ugh!
I never really had much swelling with my previous 2 singleton pregnancies, and so am a bit worried too! I have had occassional dizzy spells and my belly has been getting tight every now and then as well.

I have a c/s scheduled for 38+5 days, but have a doc ap. tomorrow so hope that they don't decide to do it early!