anyone suffered Pre- E or HELLPS? - Page 2

[Jelinifer]

[octobermoon]

Originally Posted by chellebee

In terms of 'nutrition' the biggest link I have seen is vitamin D levels. I say nutrition because for many of us we get D mostly in the form of a supplement. There is a correlation between low D and PE. Interestingly enough, the pacific northwest has some of the highest levels of PE and also tests the lowest for vitamin D. I have to wonder if folks at The Farm are getting more D due to location and therefore not getting as much PE.

I took supps when i didn't get out and gave birth in September. i feel i got adequate D but this is interesting.

[cinderella08]

Developed rapid onset preeclampsia with my daughter. BP slightly elevated, showed some protein in my urine at my 37+5 appointment. OB sent me for labs and a 24 hour urine. That night at home I felt "off" I just knew something was wrong. I headed to L&D. BP was 240/150 upon admission. Protien levels in the thousands. Blood work revealed elevated liver and kidney functions. Severely swollen (gained 18lbs in those two days) and hyper-reflexive. I was admitted and put on mag sulfate. Induced the next morning and DD was born after 20 hours of labor VIA cesarean section for failure to progress as deemed by my crappy OB.

Fast forward. Started showing signs of hypertension at 26 weeks. Put on blood pressure medication and full, strict bedrest at 28 weeks. Increased medication at 34 weeks. Now have elevated pressures despite max dose of medication and full bedrest at 39 weeks. AFI is very low due to blood pressure issues as well. Scheduled for an induction tomorrow morning before I am in full blown preeclampsia again as it sneaks up quickly on me apparently. My midwife is doing a gentle induction and I'm praying for a VBAC.

[octobermoon]

Originally Posted by cinderella08

Developed rapid onset preeclampsia with my daughter. BP slightly elevated, showed some protein in my urine at my 37+5 appointment. OB sent me for labs and a 24 hour urine. That night at home I felt "off" I just knew something was wrong. I headed to L&D. BP was 240/150 upon admission. Protien levels in the thousands. Blood work revealed elevated liver and kidney functions. Severely swollen (gained 18lbs in those two days) and hyper-reflexive. I was admitted and put on mag sulfate. Induced the next morning and DD was born after 20 hours of labor VIA cesarean section for failure to progress as deemed by my crappy OB.

Fast forward. Started showing signs of hypertension at 26 weeks. Put on blood pressure medication and full, strict bedrest at 28 weeks. Increased medication at 34 weeks. Now have elevated pressures despite max dose of medication and full bedrest at 39 weeks. AFI is very low due to blood pressure issues as well. Scheduled for an induction tomorrow morning before I am in full blown preeclampsia again as it sneaks up quickly on me apparently. My midwife is doing a gentle induction and I'm praying for a VBAC.

hugs...hope you get that VBAC. sending positive vibes your way for a healthy babe above all else.

[cinderella08]

Originally Posted by octobermoon

hugs...hope you get that VBAC. sending positive vibes your way for a healthy babe above all else.

Thank you!!! I did get the VBAC and birth story is posted!



http://www.mothering.com/discussions...2#post15756672

[octobermoon]

whooohoooo!!!

[Peace+Hope]

i came looking for this thread. i'm just, :cry, i don't know...

i'm 37 and mom of my perfect little boy, now 5 months. planned a home birth with awesome midwives.

about 30 weeks, my bp started rising, but urine was fine. finally at 36+5 weeks, my bp was 170/130 and we had "the talk" about bp levels our MWs were comfortable with for HB. i went to see my PCP, hoping to get some meds to lower it, but my urine returned over 300 for protein, and i went straight to L&D for observation.... right....

with the tremendous support of my husband and MWs, charlie was born 3 days later vaginally, after being induced. he was 4lbs, 7oz and had a traumatic (for us) admition into the NICU for low blood sugar and way elevated hematocrit.

it was definitely traumatic. i sat in the parking lot for an hr, struggling to make myself walk into that hospital. 2 days later, i was still asking every Attending OB whether i could just go home.

am i the only one thinking it is irresponsible to get pregnant again? i want a little girl, we planned to have a second, but i can't say i'm prepared to handle early-diagnosed pre-e, a really early preemie, losing a baby .

grieving my HB, grieving another child, not sure what to think...

[sparklett]

Originally Posted by Peace+Hope

it was definitely traumatic. i sat in the parking lot for an hr, struggling to make myself walk into that hospital. 2 days later, i was still asking every Attending OB whether i could just go home.

am i the only one thinking it is irresponsible to get pregnant again? i want a little girl, we planned to have a second, but i can't say i'm prepared to handle early-diagnosed pre-e, a really early preemie, losing a baby .

grieving my HB, grieving another child, not sure what to think...

Aw mama...

and more and another

I can say with absolute certainty that you need more time to get through this. Give yourself time. Lots of it. Talk to someone if you need to. Connect with mamas here and on the forums at the preeclampsia foundation.

And once you start feeling better (and you will), start reading. Read everything on the pre-e foundation website/forums. Empower yourself. Start making a plan for yourself. Surround yourself with people who know what they're talking about and are willing to go the distance with you through another pregnancy.

Statistically, unless you have a factor that predisposes you to pre-e your chances of having this again are low. I know that this does nothing to help how you feel now. When you're ready, I would suggest having a chat with a MFM to talk about your potential outcomes with a future pregnancy. If you have an underlying factor, there's many options available to you. If you don't, your care team can put together a plan to get you through your next pregnancy.

Back in 2007 when my son was born 2 mos. early due to severe pre-e & HELLP, I was totally in your shoes. I couldn't imagine having another one, tempting fate again, skipping the homebirth, going through the NICU experience again, having another emergency c-section again. I had severe PPD and PTSD. But here I am, three years later, and in another year I'll be doing it again. I feel confident with my new-found pre-e education, confident with the support from my care team, and confident that I can tackle any challenges that arise.

Just give yourself some time and space. Later on, it may still feel irresponsible to try again. It might not. Just take your time, enjoy your baby, monitor how you're feeling emotionally, and see where you're at.

Hugs again. If you want to talk more, feel free to PM me.

[octobermoon]

Originally Posted by Peace+Hope

i came looking for this thread. i'm just, :cry, i don't know...

i'm 37 and mom of my perfect little boy, now 5 months. planned a home birth with awesome midwives.

about 30 weeks, my bp started rising, but urine was fine. finally at 36+5 weeks, my bp was 170/130 and we had "the talk" about bp levels our MWs were comfortable with for HB. i went to see my PCP, hoping to get some meds to lower it, but my urine returned over 300 for protein, and i went straight to L&D for observation.... right....

with the tremendous support of my husband and MWs, charlie was born 3 days later vaginally, after being induced. he was 4lbs, 7oz and had a traumatic (for us) admition into the NICU for low blood sugar and way elevated hematocrit.

it was definitely traumatic. i sat in the parking lot for an hr, struggling to make myself walk into that hospital. 2 days later, i was still asking every Attending OB whether i could just go home.

am i the only one thinking it is irresponsible to get pregnant again? i want a little girl, we planned to have a second, but i can't say i'm prepared to handle early-diagnosed pre-e, a really early preemie, losing a baby .

grieving my HB, grieving another child, not sure what to think...

awww..so sorry. i had planned a HB birth too.

[Peace+Hope]

Originally Posted by sparklett

Aw mama...

and more and another

I can say with absolute certainty that you need more time to get through this. Give yourself time. Lots of it. Talk to someone if you need to. Connect with mamas here and on the forums at the preeclampsia foundation.

And once you start feeling better (and you will), start reading. Read everything on the pre-e foundation website/forums. Empower yourself. Start making a plan for yourself. Surround yourself with people who know what they're talking about and are willing to go the distance with you through another pregnancy.

Statistically, unless you have a factor that predisposes you to pre-e your chances of having this again are low. I know that this does nothing to help how you feel now. When you're ready, I would suggest having a chat with a MFM to talk about your potential outcomes with a future pregnancy. If you have an underlying factor, there's many options available to you. If you don't, your care team can put together a plan to get you through your next pregnancy.

Back in 2007 when my son was born 2 mos. early due to severe pre-e & HELLP, I was totally in your shoes. I couldn't imagine having another one, tempting fate again, skipping the homebirth, going through the NICU experience again, having another emergency c-section again. I had severe PPD and PTSD. But here I am, three years later, and in another year I'll be doing it again. I feel confident with my new-found pre-e education, confident with the support from my care team, and confident that I can tackle any challenges that arise.

Just give yourself some time and space. Later on, it may still feel irresponsible to try again. It might not. Just take your time, enjoy your baby, monitor how you're feeling emotionally, and see where you're at.

Hugs again. If you want to talk more, feel free to PM me.

sparklett, thank you. so much. when i read your reply the first time, i felt like my mom was giving me a hug . i DO need time, and also better information. i just came back from a family reunion and one cousin was telling me how her BF avoided pre-e in her second pregnancy by watching her diet and knowing her body better . it's difficult not to feel insulted when people talk like that. i have seen the pre-e foundation site, but wasn't sure if the board is active. thank you for the recommendation. and i will most definitely look into predisposing factors. i have a friend here that may be able to recommend a MFM, certainly would never have thought of that on my own.

that you have come through it and can go forward boldly and surely! and thanks for continuing to be present on this area of MDC to watch over others who have - and will - follow you.

octobermoon, thank you

[lalemma]

It's hard when people give well-meaning advice about how to avoid eclampsia. Man, if it were as easy as a diet adjustment, NOBODY WOULD EVER HAVE ECLAMPSIA.

Ahem. I may be tetchy about this - I just met with a lactation consultant I otherwise really liked (and who was helpful for my nursing issue) but who also said "Wow, what do you think caused it?" when I was going through my medical history and mentioned my out-of-nowhere eclampsia and then suggested that I hadn't had a good enough diet during my pregnancy.

I otherwise love the Ina May birth books, but it bums me out that she repeats the old Br*wer diet saw and entrenches it more deeply in the minds of pregnant women - I myself accepted this idea without question until, after eating a high-quality, high-protein diet my entire pregnancy, I went into seizures and almost died. I'm not saying I never ate ice cream, but my diet was really pretty splendid. And I lived in Southern California and got lots of natural vitamin D and swam laps and did all the stuff that maybe helps. So who knows...

Anyway. The LC repeated the diet stuff back to me as known fact, and even when I pointed out that the women at The Farm have very low eclampsia rates, but eat a (as far as I know!) vegetarian diet, which makes me suspect that most of them don't hit the high protein levels espoused by Br*wer, she just looked perplexed.

I am a huge science nerd and am normally able to shrug this stuff off, but it's still a drag. If there was ANYTHING I could have done that would have enabled me to have a homebirth instead of almost dying at 33 weeks and giving birth while under general anesthesia to a baby who weighed less than four pounds, I would have done it.

Blah!

[sparklett]

Originally Posted by lalemma

It's hard when people give well-meaning advice about how to avoid eclampsia. Man, if it were as easy as a diet adjustment, NOBODY WOULD EVER HAVE ECLAMPSIA.

Ahem. I may be tetchy about this - I just met with a lactation consultant I otherwise really liked (and who was helpful for my nursing issue) but who also said "Wow, what do you think caused it?" when I was going through my medical history and mentioned my out-of-nowhere eclampsia and then suggested that I hadn't had a good enough diet during my pregnancy.

I otherwise love the Ina May birth books, but it bums me out that she repeats the old Br*wer diet saw and entrenches it more deeply in the minds of pregnant women - I myself accepted this idea without question until, after eating a high-quality, high-protein diet my entire pregnancy, I went into seizures and almost died. I'm not saying I never ate ice cream, but my diet was really pretty splendid. And I lived in Southern California and got lots of natural vitamin D and swam laps and did all the stuff that maybe helps. So who knows...

Anyway. The LC repeated the diet stuff back to me as known fact, and even when I pointed out that the women at The Farm have very low eclampsia rates, but eat a (as far as I know!) vegetarian diet, which makes me suspect that most of them don't hit the high protein levels espoused by Br*wer, she just looked perplexed.

I am a huge science nerd and am normally able to shrug this stuff off, but it's still a drag. If there was ANYTHING I could have done that would have enabled me to have a homebirth instead of almost dying at 33 weeks and giving birth while under general anesthesia to a baby who weighed less than four pounds, I would have done it.

Blah!

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by lalemma

It's hard when people give well-meaning advice about how to avoid eclampsia. Man, if it were as easy as a diet adjustment, NOBODY WOULD EVER HAVE ECLAMPSIA.

Ahem. I may be tetchy about this - I just met with a lactation consultant I otherwise really liked (and who was helpful for my nursing issue) but who also said "Wow, what do you think caused it?" when I was going through my medical history and mentioned my out-of-nowhere eclampsia and then suggested that I hadn't had a good enough diet during my pregnancy.

I otherwise love the Ina May birth books, but it bums me out that she repeats the old Br*wer diet saw and entrenches it more deeply in the minds of pregnant women - I myself accepted this idea without question until, after eating a high-quality, high-protein diet my entire pregnancy, I went into seizures and almost died. I'm not saying I never ate ice cream, but my diet was really pretty splendid. And I lived in Southern California and got lots of natural vitamin D and swam laps and did all the stuff that maybe helps. So who knows...

Anyway. The LC repeated the diet stuff back to me as known fact, and even when I pointed out that the women at The Farm have very low eclampsia rates, but eat a (as far as I know!) vegetarian diet, which makes me suspect that most of them don't hit the high protein levels espoused by Br*wer, she just looked perplexed.

I am a huge science nerd and am normally able to shrug this stuff off, but it's still a drag. If there was ANYTHING I could have done that would have enabled me to have a homebirth instead of almost dying at 33 weeks and giving birth while under general anesthesia to a baby who weighed less than four pounds, I would have done it.

Blah!

VERY well said!!!

[Heavenly]

I had severe HELLP with my first child. I was 21. I almost died and it was the most severe case they had seen at that hospital. I went from fine to deathly ill in less than a week. I had an emergency c-section at 34 weeks because of it. I went on to have two more children. My 2nd was born at 39.5 weeks, no HELLP at all. She was born when I was 23. When I was 26 I had my 3rd child. I started to develop HELLP again and she was born at 36 weeks before it got too severe. After developing it a second time I was told that it would be dangerous for me to conceive again so we decided to stop. Now that the kids are older (almost 5, almost 8, and almost 10) I don't really have any trauma surrounding the births but I just thought I would share my experience.

[Peace+Hope]

Originally Posted by lalemma

If there was ANYTHING I could have done that would have enabled me to have a homebirth instead of almost dying at 33 weeks and giving birth while under general anesthesia to a baby who weighed less than four pounds, I would have done it.

Blah!

YEAH, especially to this part!!! when people say "what do you think caused it?!" can they really mean anything other than "what do you think YOU DID/DIDN'T DO that caused it?!" i'll join the tetchy parade anytime

heavenly, .

[Bmorefarmgirl]

right before my homebirth midwife sent me to the hospital with my 24-hour urine sample, she said, "i want to talk about your diet when we meet again." i was admitted to the hospital and had a c-section 8 days later at 33 weeks. i had gained 25 pounds in one week, and she wanted to lecture me about my diet. i would think that a health care professional would know that even a hungry pregnant woman would have a hard time eating 25 pounds worth of weight-gain!!!

but i found myself saying to one of my friends that i thought i got preeclampsia because i wasn't healthy enough when i got pregnant. sometimes i am convinced that i got it because i am fat. other times i want to scream at the top of my lungs that lots of fat women have healthy pregnancies.

[octobermoon]

Originally Posted by Bmorefarmgirl

right before my homebirth midwife sent me to the hospital with my 24-hour urine sample, she said, "i want to talk about your diet when we meet again." i was admitted to the hospital and had a c-section 8 days later at 33 weeks. i had gained 25 pounds in one week, and she wanted to lecture me about my diet. i would think that a health care professional would know that even a hungry pregnant woman would have a hard time eating 25 pounds worth of weight-gain!!!

but i found myself saying to one of my friends that i thought i got preeclampsia because i wasn't healthy enough when i got pregnant. sometimes i am convinced that i got it because i am fat. other times i want to scream at the top of my lungs that lots of fat women have healthy pregnancies.

i don't think you got pre-e because of that!! it just happens if they knew why then it wouldn't ya know?

[asababee1970]

In 1995, I was 25 years old and after I delivered my first child a daughter in the hospital. I went up to my room and my husband at the time went home to spread the news. I planned to sleep the rest of the night but was feeling a little like heart burn. I asked the nurse to bring me something, but by the time the nurse came back I felt like an elephant was sitting on my check and was having difficulty breathing.  She rushed me back to Labor and delivery. I woke up the next day seeing double, swelled up and feeling really weird.  They had me hooked up to monitors and an IV.  The doctor explained I was one of those rare cases who show no signs or systems until after the delivery. I had a great diet, did not gain too much, ate a lot of healthy meals, except during the last week...I ate 2 NYC street vendor hotdogs with the works and then I went into labor...Theory number 2.

After many years of knowing my body, I realized I may have had signs and symptoms, but they were not detected. My blood pressure has always been low, so when I arrived at the hospital my heart rate was recorded as normal, but for me it was higher than usual. Then increased during the delivery to the rate it was.  My theory.  My docotors were unable to tell me anything about it and were not sure if it would be a factor in future births. I was labeled a high risk pregnancy for my next 2 children (2000 and 2002) without incidence.  The docotors monitored my pressure throughout the process.