by laura » Thu Dec 18, 2003 10:09 am
Hey there, and welcome! Glad you found us!
I tend to agree with Catherine- I think the current theory is that bedrest isn't necessarily going to do a whole lot of good, but it's something that we know can't hurt so you might as well try it.
I think quite a few docs (like mine did) are prescribing modified bedrest that would include like four hours of uninterrupted time in bed once or twice a day to increase blood flow to the placenta- the upshot of it all is that you are not causing the protein by cheating on bedrest, so don't feel guilty. Nothing you did made this happen.
Unfortunately, this is one of the things that preexisting hypertension can do to a person- your kidneys are working hard and they're showing some strain. Keep this in mind, though, for some perspective. My BIL has chronic kidney disease, and his long term goals are to have 1000 mg protein in a 24 hr urine per day. It's not desirable, but you could live indefinitely with that level. They probably won't talk about delivering you until 5,000 mg protein- the cutoff for severe preeclampsia. I got up to 10,435 mg protein before I delivered my first- but my creatinine levels- the important ones that tell you kidney function- remained ok. Ask your doc how your labs are coming out- creatine, creatinine, uric acid- that'll give you a better idea of the big picture.
I know this stuff is scary- but you can break it down, to some degree, to manageable pieces. Seizures and cerebral events are associated with BP's at or above 160/110. And intercranial swelling, often indicated by the PE headache and visual disturbances.
And as Catherine mentioned, the NST's are supposed to be predictive of fetal well being for three days.
You sound like you're getting really great care- and that's half the battle right there. Hang in there- you're doing all the right things. You've got great, proactive care, you're learning all you can about the signs and symptoms so that you can help yourself and your baby. Keep up the good work!
I'm so glad so many people are able and kind enough to share their experiences with all of us- but it becomes counterproductive if we can't take from these stories what we need to arm ourselves for good health, and then just trust that things will work out as they're meant to. Our PE stories are like fingerprints- they're all different. Hopefully soon, you'll be able to post about how things looked pretty scary but in the end you and your baby got here safe, happy and healthy.
best wishes for a nice long, boring pregnancy, and please let us know how you're doing!
Laura-28
DH Jack-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
Baby Camille 4-17-03 (36 weeks- htn and oligo)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/
Hey there, and welcome! Glad you found us!
I tend to agree with Catherine- I think the current theory is that bedrest isn't necessarily going to do a whole lot of good, but it's something that we know can't hurt so you might as well try it.
I think quite a few docs (like mine did) are prescribing modified bedrest that would include like four hours of uninterrupted time in bed once or twice a day to increase blood flow to the placenta- the upshot of it all is that you are not causing the protein by cheating on bedrest, so don't feel guilty. Nothing you did made this happen.
Unfortunately, this is one of the things that preexisting hypertension can do to a person- your kidneys are working hard and they're showing some strain. Keep this in mind, though, for some perspective. My BIL has chronic kidney disease, and his long term goals are to have 1000 mg protein in a 24 hr urine per day. It's not desirable, but you could live indefinitely with that level. They probably won't talk about delivering you until 5,000 mg protein- the cutoff for severe preeclampsia. I got up to 10,435 mg protein before I delivered my first- but my creatinine levels- the important ones that tell you kidney function- remained ok. Ask your doc how your labs are coming out- creatine, creatinine, uric acid- that'll give you a better idea of the big picture.
I know this stuff is scary- but you can break it down, to some degree, to manageable pieces. Seizures and cerebral events are associated with BP's at or above 160/110. And intercranial swelling, often indicated by the PE headache and visual disturbances.
And as Catherine mentioned, the NST's are supposed to be predictive of fetal well being for three days.
You sound like you're getting really great care- and that's half the battle right there. Hang in there- you're doing all the right things. You've got great, proactive care, you're learning all you can about the signs and symptoms so that you can help yourself and your baby. Keep up the good work!
I'm so glad so many people are able and kind enough to share their experiences with all of us- but it becomes counterproductive if we can't take from these stories what we need to arm ourselves for good health, and then just trust that things will work out as they're meant to. Our PE stories are like fingerprints- they're all different. Hopefully soon, you'll be able to post about how things looked pretty scary but in the end you and your baby got here safe, happy and healthy.
best wishes for a nice long, boring pregnancy, and please let us know how you're doing!
Laura-28
DH Jack-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
Baby Camille 4-17-03 (36 weeks- htn and oligo)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/
