Though swelling & sudden weight gain can be a symptom of pre-e, it is possible to get pre-e without significant swelling so swelling is no longer part of the diagnostic criteria.

Last pregnancy my pressures were very variable, but I got to where I had more and more high readings. In the last month pretty much any activity would spike my BP. It is normal for BP to go up slightly with activity, but mine would still measure high even after sitting and resting quietly for a while.

I don't know about the BPs (that sounds scary to have such a dramatic rise and drop), but I can tell you I swelled dramatically with my first PE pregnancy, quite a bit with my second, and not at all with my third. I was a slow-progressor the third time around (carried my twins 14 weeks from first diagnosis), but I looked absolutely gaunt in my final belly shot. I got really sick post partum, too. So swelling doesn't always mean PE, and you can have PE without swelling.

Well with my first pregnancy the first sign for me was swelling! It was my upper lip! Ugh, scary! Before that incident my Bp was fine. I ended up in the hospital and as long as I was doing nothing my bp would stabilize and be good, if I got up to go to the bathroom etc. it would shoot back up again. Ugh! So, you are 38 weeks that in itself is wonderful. Sounds like bed rest is what's gonna get you through! You are almost there, so hang in!!

For me swelling was the sign of PE. My feet looked square, it was scary!
I'm not pregnant, but I did just have a surgery, and my blood pressure while I was laying down was 101/68 and 103/65 etc... when I went for my follow up at the office I had been sitting a few minutes before they did my blood pressure and it was 105/75... later that same day I went to the gastro doc and they took it after I had only been sitting for a second and it was 138/88... So, I'm off no help, but I have gotten weird blood pressure readings now and then to.

Heya everyone.

I'm currently 38 weeks today and am still sitting at home doing combo fermenting baby/waiting for PreE to strike! This is the farthest I've ever made it. This is my third pregnancy with my previous two resulting in PreE. I just wanted to ask a quick question to get some opinions on my BP.

Am I the only one of us whose BP will rise very high when doing even the most menial physical task? I mean, my BP will rise to 140's/90's just by standing up and walking a few feet to my desk to check my pressure. If I don't wait a couple of minutes for my heart to stop pounding it will be scary high. After a minute or two, it plummets down to around 100/55. My OB doesn't even like checking my BP in the office. The rise in physical activity it takes to go in and sit on the table to have it taken makes it skyrocket. She's put me in the hospital 3 times for me BP, but in the hospital, after I've been laying in the bed my serial readings will easily average 90's/40's. That's waaaay too low for medication. Funny thing is, it takes nothing at all to make it too high. Just standing will do it. I do have a heart condition (systolic murmur) so I wonder if that has something to do with it.This past Monday I had a 24 hour urine and blood work done, and everything was fine except my protein was 240. Creeping close, but not there yet. With my BP being so crazy it's hard to tell if I should be worried or not.

Just figured I's ask to see what other people have experienced!

Also, off topic, but does anyone know how much swelling can predict PreE? I know it's all about protein and pressures, but for the first time during a pregnancy, I have no swelling at all. I can still easily slip my wedding ring off and on. My feet and hands are scary thin compared to the rest of my giant body. This is a first for me, so I'm curious what others have experienced.

Thanks!!!