Preeclampsia?

Hi everyone,
I joined the group a little while ago and have been lurking and reading since. I am 34 weeks 1 day pregnant with girl twins. The girls are doing beautifully weighing in at 5lb 5 oz and 6lb 5 oz at 33 weeks. They are big girls!!! No diabeties, just big girls. Well, I've always had great blood pressure even through my 1st pregnancy so on Mon I went for a NST and my BP was 144 over 88, they sent me to L&D where they monitored me for 3 hrs, blood test and urine test. All labs looked good and blood pressure came down after lying on my side, they sent me home. Today I went to my OB appt. Blood pressure was 149 over 98. They had me lay on my left side and it went down. So they said we need to watch it but I am probably developing preeclampsia. I have no protein in the urine or other symptoms except the HBP. My OB did the strep B test today b/c she said she didn't know how much longer I'd be before I'd deliver. BTW my cervix is high, long, and completely closed. So my question is how can I be developing preeclampsia, don't you either have it or not have it. At what point does this become a situation where I need to deliver. I asked my ob and she said if pressure keeps going up and definately if I start having protein in my urine. I'm just a little confused. Has anyone gone through this, going through this? I just want to keep the babies in as long as they need to be. I'm getting nervous.
Thanks for your help
Suzanne

 

Suzanne, have they done any blood tests on you? Are you having any pain in your upper abdomen or back?

I had a form of pre-eclampsia that presents itself differently called HELLP syndrome. It showed in my bloodwork (my BP was fine, no swelling, no protein in my urine). I had high electrolytes in my liver and a very low platelet count. I had to have an emergency c/s (this was at 37 weeks).

Have they done an u/s or mentioned an amnio to check the lung maturity (large babies don't necessarily mean mature lungs)? or mentioned steroids to help the lungs along?

When do you go back to the doc?

 

I had pre-e pretty bad. I went in for my 30 week check and my BP was 150/90 so I went to L and D. My bloods were fine so they sent me home and had me recheck with my OB in 2 days. I was still in the same range but no protein in my urine so he sent me home and said if I get a headache or have blurring vision to go to the hospital so sure enough that night I had vision issues and my BP was 160/112 They did manage to get it under control and keep me on hospital bedrest for 2 more weeks until it skyrocketed and I had to have an emergency c-section at 32 weeks. I had to stay for 5 days in the hospital to get my BP under control and I went home on meds for 6 weeks and I weaned off of them with no lasting issues and my boys are awesome. Good luck!!

 

I have a NST on Monday where they said they would check BP and if it was high again probably send me over to L&D for another round of blood work. I had blood tests on Monday, urine tests on Monday and today and all was normal. I've had no headaches, blurred vision abdominal pain or any of the other typical symptoms. I guess that is why they felt comfortable sending me home. They did not mention an amnio or steroids but thanks for bringing it up I will ask at my next appt. I guess thay are taking a wait and see approach. I'm not sure if that is the right thing or not.
Suzanne

 

I would say to just keep track of how you are feeling. If you feel off at all, call the doctor. With my twins, I had gone in on Thursday for a check to see if I should deliver before 38 weeks (I had a c/s scheduled at 38 + weeks). The head of maternal fetal medicine sent me home saying there was no need to go earlier. On that Friday, we installed new carpets and had some painting done. We put the twins room together on Saturday. I started not feeling great on Sunday night and then again Monday night. I called first thing on Tuesday AM because I was having so many stomach pains (but not contractions). I went in and ended up delivering that day. Once they figured out what was wrong with me, the same doc (head of mat/fet med) came by and asked me what made me come in, he remembered that he had sent me home just 5 days earlier. So.....my point is: You know your body, yes twin pregnancy is new to you, but if you feel under the weather at all....call them, that's what they are there for!!!! :hug99: I really hope that all is okay with you!

I found this on WebMD:

QUOTE
What are the Signs of Preeclampsia?
In addition to swelling, protein in the urine, and high blood pressure, symptoms of preeclampsia can include:

• Rapid weight gain caused by a significant increase in bodily fluid
• Abdominal pain
• Severe headaches
• A change in reflexes
• Reduced output of urine or no urine
• Dizziness
• Excessive vomiting and nausea

 

You mention that you have had urine tests. Were these 24 hour tests? If not, I would insist on it.

 

I have been fighting pre-e since 32 weeksm and am on strict bedrest. Some days my bp is high and I go to the hospital for monitoring and bloodwork and then home. If I go to the hospital they have me do a 24 hr urine test. All have been fine but last weeks' was getting close to bad number and this week I am actually spilling protein.

I am 37 plus weeks and my c-section is scheduled for 38 plus weeks. We go back to the dr tomorrow and if my 24 urine passes the bad number they said that they will take the babies asap.

Another thing, over 34 weeks my dr does not give steroid shots. I don't know about other practices or not.

 

I just did a lot of reading on this last night after my BP was a little high. Nowhere on the web could I find any suggestions on what could help Pre-E but Elizabeth Noble's book called Having Twins and More had some great suggestions. She said to eat more protein and get lots of Omega-3 fatty acids either with fish or supplements. If the diet is low on protein, more fluid is compressed into the blood stream and that makes BP go up. I think I am paraphrasing that right. Anyway, I got out of bed and took a fish oil capsule right then. I made a big batch of egg salad today. I'm looking for other ways to boost my protein since I have no appetite for anything besides donuts. LOL I am keeping my fingers crossed that my BP will be lower next time. HTH

 

At 35 weeks my BP started to creep up, not scary high, but they were watching it pretty closely. They actually put me on modified bedrest, which definitely helped.

I didn't develop pre-e until after delivery (so just be aware that that can happen too, I didn't know that) and received mag sulfate and the whole deal. I then went home on bp meds for about 5-6 weeks.

Oh, and I didn't deliver because of any pre-e or bp issues, I'd developed a blood clot in my leg that wasn't responding to IV blood thinners so they needed to get the girls out before it got any worse.

 

I was "developing" pre-e and thus delivered my girls at 35wks exactally. I was showing signs like high BP and swelling but no protein in the urine. I went in for my 34 wk appt. and the Dr. said no messing around a Csection in 5 days!! So that is how it came about. They do not want you becoming Eclamptic because that causes seizures and all sorts of complications. I hope this made sense my brain isnt working today!

 

That is how mine was... Started out with HBP then i started meds and still no protein for like 2 weeks then at amost 36 weeks had tons of protein and BP through the roof, so emergency section when i went in for an appt.