bad appointment for me too - Update in first post

[OlyR]

**Update**

went back in this morning, blood pressure was slightly better - but still high for me. I DID loose 5lbs so that was promising - my body cleared out lots of excess water. I could see the difference in my feet and hands. Urine was "ok" in the dip stick test (color was a little better). So after my morning appt. I was feeling pretty good. Got cleared to go to work and clean up my desk so I did that and finished up some e-mail notices to let everyone know I was wrapping up.

But then they got my 24 hour urine test back. Anything over 300 is concerning - mine was 360. Not through the roof by any means, but a little bit of a let down, they want me to start coming in 2 times a week just to make sure things stay stable/don't get out of control.

The midwife was really nice and explained everything thoroughly. She wants me to start 1500mg EPO morning and night just to help out. She asked my permission to do an internal next appointment to see if my body is gearing up for labor at all just in case things change quickly and we are looking at an induction because she knows a natural (as possible) birth is very important to me and she wants a good record of what is going on.

She also wants to do a non stress test at my second appt next week (or the next appt. if numbers go change). I know I was never completely comfortable with this new practice, but they have really made me feel good lately.

Whew, so much to take in!!

**************************************************

after 36 weeks of great appointments everything fell apart today. My blood pressure was high (for me) at 136/86. It's normally borderline low and has been throughout pregnancy so this was a pretty high jump. They let me rest for a while and re-did it and got pretty much the same result.

That made them test my urine and of course there was protein, I'm not sure what type of units those are measured in, but on the color scale I was beyond the middle of the spectrum and it has always been in the nothing to a very very slight trace. Definitely enough to cause concern and now I have to do the 24 hour collection.

Finally my weight was up quite a bit - which just looking at me (and my swollen extremities) they contributed to water weight gain.

UGH! A seemingly text book case of pre-e??

This all lead to me having to get my blood drawn to monitor kidney and liver function and I need to have my blood pressure checked again in 2 days (when I bring back my jug of urine) and then we look at all the test results and figure out what to do.

So it looks like I'm off work from now on - the MW wants me to be resting on my side if possible so my boss cleared me to "work from home" at least through the rest of the week then we can decide how to handle my leave time after that. I just hope I go into labor - sounds like that would "cure" everything and save me from having to go over induction talks.

[basje]

Oh I am so sorry!

May I suggest you check out this website? Maybe with staying home, and off your feet in addition to the dietary changes you can improve the situation a little bit or at least keep it from getting worse.

Some information on pre-e http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id36.html

High blood pressure http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id34.html

Hang in there!

[OlyR]

Basje - thank you, this is exactly the type of information I was looking for.

[basje]

Let me know how it goes!

[freistms]

I'm sorry. I know this totally sucks.

Please check out www.preeclampsia.org to educate yourself more about what is going on and what your options are. There is a lot of information there about the current research on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. There are also a LOT of very knowledgeable BTDT mommas who can answer questions.

Knowing about the Brewer Diet feels empowering because it makes you feel like you can do something. You should know, however, that the current research indicates that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are caused by implantation defects. I'm telling you this because you wouldn't be the first pregnant woman to feel like a failure if the Brewer diet didn't work for you, even though sometimes there is absolutely nothing you can do to keep things from progressing. Also, sometimes midwives are not completely knowledgeable about preeclampsia and can make you feel guilty by blaming your problems on your diet. Despite the claims the Brewer diet makes, for many women, it makes absolutely no difference. Oh, and one other thing about diet: The other "group" of people who have seemingly demonstrated diet-related differences in outcomes is the Farm midwives (Ina May Gaskin), and they follow what I would consider to be a radically different diet from the Brewer diet (for starters, it's vegan).

Having said all that, please don't lose hope. It is possible to be diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder and remain comfortably stable for several weeks. I was on bedrest for two weeks before each of my daughters was born, and was able to go into labor naturally with both of them.

[punquin]

I'm so sorry... Hang in there, mama.

[djsnjones]

This post deleted because I encountered some kind of technical glitch.
Joy

[djsnjones]

As you may know, the debate about whether the Brewer Diet works or not is an on-going one. :-)

I would just like to balance out some input that has been offered so far, with some additional Brewer-supportive info.

The Brewer Diet has in fact been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of pre-eclampsia. Those who feel that they experienced a failure in that regard were probably taught an incorrect way of using the diet. The Brewer Diet is not just a protein-focused diet. Rather, it is a triad of protein, PLUS calories, PLUS salt. To make the diet work most effectively, all three components need to be incorporated together. When they are not used together, the diet is not likely to work very well, if at all.

Here is another web page which may be helpful for you as you decide what will work for you in this situation....

http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/mam...id=44&Itemid=3

The research which would suggest that pre-eclampsia is caused by poor implantation of the placenta is most likely a discovery of one of the symptoms in the middle of the pre-eclampsia process, rather than one of the triggers at the beginning of the pre-eclampsia process.

If you are interested in a vegetarian version of the Brewer Diet, there are two of them on the website that was linked to in the earlier post by basje.

May you start to see a turn-around in this situation soon. I wish you all the best.

Joy

[HappiLeigh]

Ugh, OlyR, I'm sorry! If it helps at all, at least you are in the home stretch anyway--worst case you are not looking at a pre-term situation. I swear I know more attorneys with pre-e than anyone else--maybe it's a job hazard?? Take it easy, and I hope the rest helps.

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by HappiLeigh

Ugh, OlyR, I'm sorry! If it helps at all, at least you are in the home stretch anyway--worst case you are not looking at a pre-term situation. I swear I know more attorneys with pre-e than anyone else--maybe it's a job hazard?? Take it easy, and I hope the rest helps.

I agree. Take it easy, mama. Hopefully you'll be holding your LO sooner than you originally thought?!

[OlyR]

thanks everyone. I have been reading all the links posted and anything else I can find. I send DH a small shopping list and will work on the brewer's diet but promise not to get discouraged if it doesn't work out

My MW was very nice about it - didn't make me feel bad about anything at all. I'm at home and taking it easy today.

My feet look a lot better already (I can see ankle bones), but I know that doesn't mean everything is ok now... but it made me feel a little better.

[djsnjones]

Yay for ankle bones!

May you enjoy the rest!

Joy :-)

[Keeta]

s, mama! I'm thinking of you.

[basje]

I'm glad your midwife was supportive as she should be. No women should feel blamed. Truth is we don't know why some women develop pre-eclampsia whether it be linked to diet, genetics or injury to the blood vessels due to too much blood flow. But the important thing is that you are taking good care of yourself! Maybe taking off work or making dietary changes has some measurable effect maybe not, either way anything that makes you feel better is going to be good for your babe, because we do know that while in utero our kids are getting a hormone bath of whatever we are feeling. So don't stress, take this opportunity to relax, enjoy time with husband, soak in the tub and enjoy some small pleasures knowing that we are thinking of you.

[Kelly1101]

DDC, but wanted to let you know that your situation was EXACTLY like mine with my first child, born last April. The sudden rise in BP to near-pre-eclampsia levels, the protein, swelling. They had to keep sending me over to L&D to get monitored and checked out, I had to do the 24-hour-pee-jar (which sucks) TWICE. But with all the worry, it never developed into full-blown pre-eclampsia, and I ended up with a good birth (vaginal and no pain meds, what I wanted) and a wonderful baby.

So, I know things look depressing, but don't get too down. Keep your feet up for the swelling, rest, take care of yourself. Good luck!

[AustinKate]

Sorry to hear about this! I have no words of wisdom, just wanted to lend support.

[OlyR]

updated in first post.

[stacylsc]

Positive thoughts and prayers coming your way that all will be well and you'll have that healthy baby soon!

[djsnjones]

OlyR,

Was the 24-hour urine that you took in to the lab collected before you started the increased protein, calorie, and salt routine? If so, then the results would be more indicative of what was happening before you started eating differently, more than they are of what is happening right now. And in that case, I would think that all of that loss of extra water and water-weight and swelling might be more of an accurate indicator of what is actually happening now. The loss of extra water, water-weight and swelling would be an indicator of increased osmotic pressure in your bloodstream, and of your metabolic issues coming back into balance, which is exactly what we usually see with this kind of change in diet.

I would also like to give you some info about the potential risks of getting an internal exam before labor starts, so you can feel free to PM or email me if you are interested. The short version is that whatever the cervix is showing does not accurately predict when labor could start, and doing an internal at this point can trigger a process which can make the bag break about 48 hrs after the exam--which then starts a 24-hr clock ticking for you.

Best wishes for more good news all the time.
Joy