April 25, 2002 - A Recent Update from Eleni Update:My next pregnancy was co-managed by a superb perinatologist and me. I count myself part of the team, because I realized that my ignorance and a health care system that didn't respect the devastating power of preeclampsia are largely to blame for my daughter's death. In August 1999, our son, Jordan, was born early and small, and spent almost two weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but he and I survived this second bout of p... Read more

Hi, I am an MBBS, DA (diploma in anaesthesiology) and during my internship I became very interested in preeclampsia-eclampsia. The maternity hospital where I worked had very meager resources and manpower. Many women used to die because of inadequate care. I continued to work at the same hospital after my internship as a senior house surgeon for two years. The hospital had a protocol to give magnesium sulfate to all women with severe preeclampsia-eclampsia...this was in 1992-94. Later I w... Read more

My story begins on Wednesday, February 25, 1998 when I woke up to get ready for work. At the age of 23 (and healthy I might add) this was my first pregnancy. All had been going well - very uneventful. I was just so happy (I had always wanted to be a mother) and nothing bothered me; if I was having some discomfort I kept on smiling. I never complained. I had been quite swollen for a few weeks prior but on this day everything had fallen apart. I was not due for another 3 ... Read more

My 26-week Pre-E story, and my 36 week twins Pre-E Story... I entered my pregnancy blissfully ignorant of the things that could go wrong. Once I knew this baby had a beating heart (I had miscarried 6 weeks prior to this pregnancy), I put aside all fears. I was determined to never whine or run to the doctor for every little thing. That was defiantly the wrong attitude to take. At 20 weeks the Doctor became concerned with my blood pressure. I brushed him off. I figured I was just so busy w... Read more

My name is Christy and I now have a 15 mth old little boy who grows so much each day, I'm am so greatful for haveing the chance to experience motherhood and life, I am 20 yrs old, 19 yrs old when me my sons dad and of coarse my son went through the experience that has changed our lives forever. At 4 months along I started swelling in my hands feet and face, I was becoming very short of breath mainly while I was sleeping, I started haveing heart palpatations and seeing spots. We had gone ... Read more

When I was seven months pregnant I began having terrible headaches. My midwife told me that it was normal for a pregnant person to have headaches. My chest pain was misdiagnosed as pleurisy and I was told that I was gaining ten pounds a week because I was eating more although I said that I wasn't. I wasn't diagnosed with preeclampsia until two days after my due date. I was told to go to the hospital immediately. I had no I idea what was happening because no one had ever explained what pr... Read more

Hello and God Bless to fellow Preeclampsia or Hellp Syndrom sufferers! I was 37 weeks pregnant by the time I REALIZED something was wrong in my pregnancy. I knew something was wrong when my face was red every afternoon, and my hands were so swollen in the mornings that I could barely bend my fingers, but the doctors said it was normal pregnancy stuff. At my normal 38 week checkup, the doctor realized my blood pressure was high, so he suggested inducing pregancy using pitocin in a... Read more

SURVIVALA MOM'S STORY OF CONTINUED EXISTENCE AND ENDURANCE We are all caught up in the "Survivor" shows and what humans will do to win the 'jackpot'. I would like to tell you my story, and what it takes for me to survive one day at a time. On April 28th, 1999, I was on Cloud 9, having given birth to a beautiful baby boy. I felt like I had just won a million dollars in the lottery. But on May 3, 1999 disaster struck! I had suffered a severe intercranial hemorrhage as a... Read more

I was in perfect health. May 21, 1984 was my due date. I didn't make it that long - by April 5 I could no longer work. I was very ill and exhausted and I didn't know why. Two weeks before I delivered, my doctor forgot to take my blood pressure. I had some swelling around my ankles and was gaining a lot of weight. I told the nurse practitioner and she didn't do anything. My doctor told me to cut down on my eating. I was 29 years old and this was my first baby. By the following week I had ... Read more

My son: Garrett Anthony Brandstetter - born 8-25-00 at 35 weeks, 3 lbs, 15 oz. I'll start a bit before my pregnancy...I've had borderline high blood pressure since I was like 17 yrs old. (140/low 90's). My blood pressure remained borderline until Aug. 99 when I was finally put on meds after 3 elevated readings over 2 visits to the doctor's office. It took us over 2.5 yrs to conceive and I finally conceived my first month on clomid om December of 1999. My OB/GYN told me at... Read more

I can't believe that I have waited almost 6 years to write my pregnancy story/Conner's birth story. I have started it so many times, but just couldn't seem to get through it. I'm going to this time, though. I was 17 when I got pregnant with Conner. His dad and I were high school sweethearts, and had every intention of getting married someday. We were careful, and used protection, but it's not foolproof. I conceived him on February 8, 1994. It took me less than 24 hours to realize I w... Read more