Question for those with Pre-E?

Hi all-

First I would just like to say what an awesome forum this is! Everyone here has so much valuable input and is so helpful. I mainly have been a bystander sending my well wishes to everyone from a far, but now I have a question for everyone. Today I had my 20 wk OB check up. Overall, everything went great! The babies are doing well, and I can't believe how big they're getting! My one concern was that my BP was up to 135/83 (after 2 different readings). I had been a very constant 120/70 up until today. My OB said not to be concerned now, and I am getting it checked again on Monday. I'm not in the high-blood pressure range yet, but I'm creeping awfully close to the line. I know there are fluke readings, and I'm hoping that's all this was, but I was just wondering for those of you who have or have had pre-e...When did your blood pressure start rising? Was it sudden, or did it slowly creep up. I have had no bad symptoms other than periodic headaches, but even those go away without tylenol. Thanks for the feedback!

 

Not until week 31. Until then, I was low. Hoping all is well.

 

I cannot remember the exact week when my bp went up but: With my DD who is now 3 I was probably around 28 weeks and was having swelling problems, my bp had always been on the higher side but not too risky. So my ob starting monitoring me closer and within about a week he put me on bedrest. I lasted for two weeks and at 32 weeks they had to take my DD by emergency CS. So when I became pregnant with the twins my ob monitored me closely. at 28 weeks this time my dr admitted me to the hospital for observation and a 24 hr urine screen. After that he put me on bedrest again. I lasted this time until 34 weeks and 5 days. The first pregnancy my dr put me on aldomet when he diagnosed me with me pre-e. I have a family history of high bp and so after she was born I continued on different meds. When I became pregnant they switched me back to aldomet and had the amt increased several times during my twins pregnancy. If it hadn't been for the aldomet there is no telling how quickly it would have risen. My DD stayed in NICU for 29 days and my twin boys just stayed in nursery for 10 days to gain weight. Other than the low birthweights we didn't have any other problems due to being preemie. I hope that I haven't scared you but answered your question. although your bp isn't as high as mine was during my preg with the twins.

good luck

 

about 32 weeks along. I was normally 112/40's and I got up to 160/95 the doctors often look at the second number (diastolic ) if I stayed over 100 they were concerned and would have had them even earlier. I went at 36 weeks. I went into hospital for 2-3 days and my BP dropped..... easy when you just lie around all day, someone feeds you, no stairs in the house, etc. etc. Oh I purchased a BP machine at CVS on sale for cheap about 30.00 helped alot

heather

 

My BP's were all low until my week 28 OB appt. Then it was elevated (140/80's) and my protein pee dip test showed I was spilling some protein showing I could be heading towards Preeclampsia. But my BP held out and stay elevated but held steady in that range and my protein levels didn't increase so they just monitored me.

Then last week my BP was high even after resting. I was admitted in the hospital for almost two days and my BP stayed down with bedrest. My 24 hr urine protein test came back normal so now I'm dealing with PIH (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension). But they're going to monitor me weekly for protein stuff too. Oh, I'm now on modified activity/couch/bedrest till delivery. It beats being in the hospital or delivering these babies early so I am forcing myself to behave here at home and stay off my feet as much as possible! I check my BP here at home a few times a day to make sure my BP comes down with rest.

Hang in there!

 

With my singleton, my BP started creeping up at about 36 weeks. With my twins, it started creeping up around 31 weeks.

 

My blood pressure started creeping up a little over a month before I got diagnosed with P/E. I had low blood pressures from 106-120 (usually around 110) over 68-72. My blood pressure gradually started rising- but my perinatologist said it is normal for blood pressures to rise a bit in the third trimester, if it was low into a higher range, so I don't know if the gradual rise I had in the 120s and 80s was a beginning sign or if it was normal up until that point. For me- the gradual rise began around week 28.

However, I think the most important and red flag symptom- which my doctors seemed to ignore because my blood pressure wasn't in the 'cutoff' range and I didn't have protein in my urine, was I gained 30 pounds in a month. Twice there was a gain of over 10 pounds in a week. I started swelling in my ankles (bad) around early and had huge jumps in weight gain, but I don't think these were warning signs until I gained the 30 pounds so quickly- another change was my feet and ankles used to get big throughout the day, but swelling would go down overnight- when I gained the huge amount of wait quickly, my ankles and feet swelling would go down a little, but never more than a little.

Keep in mind not everyone with pre-e has swelling, though.