I know that this must be very frightening for you because of all of the possibilities that could happen. But, hang in there. You can do this. Most likely you will be watched more closely and the baby will be monitored more often. For the mother they will check bp and protein every visit. Your dr may or may not put you on antihypertensive meds. (Drs' oppinions vary on this). They can put you on bedrest. You will probably go in more often. The most important thing is to be aware of PE and HELLP symptoms (i.e. headaces, visual changes, severe pain under your ribs etc) and report any changes to the dr. Are you monitoring your bp at home?
For the baby; high bp can reduce the blood flow to the baby so, they will check the baby more often too. Some of the tests they do are called the non-stress test (NST) which checks the baby's heart rate in relation to his/her movements. The bio-physical profile (BPP) is another one they do. The bpp (done through ultra sound) tests 4 things-baby's breathing, amniotic fluid, baby's movement (rolling) and baby's arm and leg movements (muscel tone). It is very difficult to get an accurate NST reading until 32 wks but, sometimes drs order them as early as 28 wks. These tests monitor the baby's well-being. One of the other concerns in PIH is low amniotic fluid which they watch through ultra sound (AFI-amniotic fluid index). I know this all can seem really scarey and I don't want to alarm you. I think knowing what to expect helps. And just to let you know, I developed PIH at 22 weeks and I made it to 37 wks. There are others on this forum who went a lot further in their pregs than anyone expected. This is my story if you are interested. I liked knowing there were others who started PIH early like I did and had a positive outcome.
http://www.preeclampsia.org/stories/story.asp?ID=370
Best of luck to you and keep us updated. Hang in there-we are with you all the way.


Nancy-35
dh-34
ds-8yrs
dd-7yrs
Scott-born 05-14-99 @38 weeks-PE
Janie-born 05-12-03 @37 weeks-PIH, small for gestational age (oligo and low blood flow)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/4/4lbs/

update..

I just checked my bp and it was 137/82 so far so good =)

keeping fingers crossed that it stays below 140/90

Its good to know my doctor is doing what is needed. I knew he was a wonderful doctor thats why I picked him ! ( what a relief hearing that from you THANK YOU SO MUCH )[:)]

Can I ask your advice on what to expect if infact I do have Pregnancy Induced Hypertension ( as he suspects )?

You may not be able to answer these as my doctor will but just some imput on maybe ideas of what you think is fine with me right now.

Will I be going to weekly visits from now on?

If I keep my blood pressure stable at 140/90 will it harm my baby?

Should I demand Ultrasounds and if so how often should I get an ultrasound?

Im very concerned about placental abruption and not having any symptoms of it happening if it does ( any suggestions on this )?

At what point does a blood pressure get high enough to warrant harm to the baby? ( 160/100 + as my dr said or ?? )

THANK YOU !

Hi--don't worry about asking questions--that is why we are here. EVEN if your BP was high to begin with--your doctor is right--you are high enough that more tests and more attention is not only what is best for you but also the baby. Preeclampsia can occur anytime after 20 weeks and half the cases of just high BP turn into preeclampsia. Sounds like your doctor is great--let us know how things go!

Take care

Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation

My doctor told me yesterday that my urine has looked fine since my first visit. No Protein etc. Although there is no protein in my urine is there still a chance im developing pre-eclampsia.

The reason I am so concerned is that I am only 23 weeks pregnant. I thought that preeclampsia develpied late in pregnancy ( after 30 weeks )

could there be a chance that my blood pressure was eleveated before pregnancy as a normal (130/80 ) occurance and has just raised a little bit because of the stress of pregnancy? Since my 5 week visit my readings have always been 135/80 or so. IF I had hyper tension before pregnancy I had read that my blood pressure probably wont increase too high due to the pregnancy but then in a post on here I heard already having hypertension is a bad thing.
I am hearing 2 different ideas so Im a bit confused.

Im sorry I am asking so many questions to all of you. I know I need to consult with my doctor but my next appt isnt until Monday where he will check my blood pressure again and do blood work if it is 140/90 again or higher.

What questions should I ask him at my visit.

Do you guys think my situation is cause for concern being that my bp has always been around 130/80?