If you had preeclampsia in your 1st pg . . .

[kwilki8]

did it recur in your 2nd?

I know that statistically it's most common in 1st time mothers, and not necessarily recurring.

That said, dh and I are thinking about ttc #2, and I'm really scared of having another awful birth experience. My pre-e developed at week 33 and led to an emergency induction for a premature birth and a whole host of other issues, and the thought of going through it again is really frightening to me. I guess I need some flesh and blood reassurance (assuming, of course, that the population here will reflect the statistics . . . ).

Thanks!

[Lisoula]

I had pre-eclampsia with my 1st pregnancy, and two very healthy un-eventful pregnancies afterward!

[thefragile7393]

In general it's usually only the first. It CAN happen with others (this happened to a friend of mine with both her pregnancies for some odd unknown reason) but if I remember correctly, the risk is extremely low that this would happen again. When I was pregnant I was petrified of what happened to my friend happening to me so I did all sorts of reading to reassure myself.

[Sagesgirl]

Nope, didn't recur for me. One with, two without.

[Kathi13]

I had my DD at 28wks due to PreE - just past the 28wk mark this time around and so far so good.

However my OB did test me for blood clotting disorders (of which I have 2) because they also found blood clots in DD's umbilical cord when they did a biopsy after she was delivered. So I'm on special medication for those.

I'm with you it was a scarry decision to try again - but as others have said I did a lot of research and talked with my OB etc and we decided to go for it. Also this time around I know what warning signs to lookout for.

[Houdini]

I had pre-eclampsia/HELLP syndrome with my second pregnancy. My first pregnancy was completely uneventful. My third and fourth I had issues with slightly higher blood pressure, but nothing else. My fifth pregnancy was uneventful.

[IamPink]

I had it with my 2nd pregnancy, but it was with a different father than my first. We are TTC and this has been my biggest mental block! I found out at 28 weeks (?) and was on bedrest until I was induced at 38 weeks. My dh's son's mother didn't have it with her son. So, go figure!
I have also heard differing opinions on this. Some say that since I have had it then I have a 50% or less chance again. Some say that it's as high as 80%. I am choosing to believe the 50% or less theory. I'm going to plan on watching what I eat by kinda going off of the Brewer's Diet. And I am going to get lots and lots of exercise.

[2 in August]

I had PIH (pg induced high blood pressure) with my 1st. Protein levels were high but not high enough to call it true pre-e. I was put on bedrest at 33 wks. My water broke at 35 wks and I had a healthy baby.

This time I'm at 37 wks, my bp is ok but my protein is high. So they are again treating me like I've got pre-e. I've been on limited activities for the last 6 wks or so and dr says she'll induce sometime in the next week or so just in case before anything gets worse.

Both kids have the same daddy. Although I just read that now researchers believe it really isn't the change in fathers that makes pre-e happen in a subsequent pg, it is the length of time between pgs. (this is the article found on the pre-e watchdog thread in post 457 that I mention below).

Have you checked out the pre-e thread? http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=221654

It has tons of good info. Also there is a link in post 457 to a very informative article about the latest research on pre-e.

Also this website is excellent:

http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/to...TOPIC_ID=16607

This particular thread is very informative, but the whole site is worth reading.

I know how scary it is, I still wasn't sure that I wanted to risk getting pg again when our little surprise just happened to decide he was ready to be a part of our family whether I was ready or not.

Hope that this info helps you.

[lola731]

I had it with my first, starting at 36 weeks, and baby was born at 39 weeks when it progressed fast (headaches, pitted edema, proteininuria). I was on bedrest for the 3 weeks before he was born. With baby #2, born 21 months later, I didn't develop it at all, although my blood pressure was always high at the office. I monitored it at home, and it was fine. This time, same thing- no pre-e, blood pressure high at the office but fine whenever I check it, and I check it on my own monitor, my brother's (he's in the medical field), and even at the grocery store to make sure my monitor is accurate. Luckily my midwives just write down what I check it at, rather than what it reads at the office. This baby will come 24 months after my second- any day! My mom had really bad pre-e with me, her first, but not with the rest of her 3 kids. Looks like I'm the same. I was worried about it, too, when I found out I was pregnant the second time (all my pregnancies have been surprises), but thankfully it didn't happen again. Good luck

Carrie, mama to Jake (3.5), Lola (2), and baby #3 any day

[Loki]

I had it with my 1st, started around 38 weeks, and was induced when it got too bad at 39 weeks. I am pregnant with #2 now, in week 23. I was told by midwife that I'm more prone to it because I've had it before, BUT that the odds are still almost as low as if I hadn't. She also said that there is less concern of redevelopment the later in pregnancy you had it (or something to that effect).

So far so good, but I am keeping an eagle eye for signs. I really don' want another induction

[flyingspaghettimama]

I had it the first time, not the second. I had classic pree symptoms starting at about 28 weeks, but arguably before that too (started retaining water first), and it progressed to HELLP.

The second time, I tried to be very on top of my health. The first time, I was overweight, I ate everything and anything (and was a vegetarian, so basically, lots of bread and little protein), and got no exercise. The first time, I had induction and NICU; the second time, we had a homebirth at 43 weeks! Same dad, but 5 years in between pregnancies. I did the aspirin regimen on top of many, many supplements.

I don't really care for the preeclampsia.org website. I found it to be very scare-mongering and anti-alternative medicine or approaches. I saw women trying to scare others out of homebirths for their second child, even sans symptoms.

[crissei]

I am in the same boat. I had an urgent c-section after a failed induction at 30 weeks due to Pre-E/HELLP.

I am working at getting my body in the best possible shape before/if I get pregnant again and, plan on following the Brewer diet during pregnancy.

I really, really want to have a midwife HBAC. :

[Sylith]

I had pre-e and HELLP with my first, and a sort of sucky induction at 38 weeks.

Just had my second baby, and I did have some pre-e symptoms this time around, but it was not nearly as severe; I was really sick last time. It did cost me my homebirth plans, but I had a midwife attended, unmedicated birth in a pretty decent hospital. It was a much more positive experience.

I don't know what choices of care providers you have available, but I found a practice of CNMs who attend both homebirths and hospital births. That was really helpful for me, since I could prepare for both homebirth and hospital scenarios and feel confident my MW would be my attendant either way.