Welcome Louise and Carl!

I am so sorry for your loss. Isaiah lived for one month and I feel a immense bond with him that makes the fact that he is not here very hard. I imagine that you must also feel that but you sound very strong.

It is scary thinking of TTC. Ignorance is no longer bliss for us who have been through pre-e/HELLP.

But I think part of our strangth will come that we go into this again informed, empowered with knowledge and full of prayer. . .

We also know not to take like for granted and to treasure every precious moment of life with our children (including when they are in the womb)

This is our blessing, and with this we can face our fears. I am already inspired by those of us who are already preganant - it gives me courage when we start TTC around October or so.

All the best!


Anika (32, severe pre-e)
Mommy's Angel Boy: Isaiah (1/20/04 - 2/17/04)
Born at 28 weeks 1 day gestation weighing 610 grams

Hi Carl and Lou
We have also met on Traci's uk site, where I read Thomas' story and saw his pictures. He was a beautiful boy and it must be so hard to lose him after he put up such a fight to stay with you.
We are also thinking about trying again, but are so scared. Like you, there is a family link -my mum had toxaemia with me 40 years ago, I was 5lb at 36wks. Poor mum had real deja-vue when Ellie was born 2 days after my 40th birthday.
We just wish that we could see into the future, and know whether things will work out next time, if there is a next time.
Take care
Sue

Sue (40)
Chris (37)
DD Eleanor Susan (Ellie)
born at 27wks severe PE
24 July 03 - 20 August 03

Louise,

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my son last summer when he was born at 26 weeks. It has been the most difficult and lonely time but this Foundation and these women here have been of great comfort. I pray that you are able to find peace and comfort and look forward with hope.

I understand your fear at another pregnancy, that is something my husband and I are dealing with right now as we prepare to start trying again. There are no absolutes, but for me: learning everything I could about preeclampsia, aligning myself with who I feel are the best doctors and becoming involved with this Foundation; have gotten me as ready as I'll ever be. I think you will find your consult in April to be very beneficial. It is great to be able to sit down with your doctors before pregnancy and find out how certain issues will be handled, what kind of monitoring you'll get, being tested for various underlying disorders, etc.

Here is a link from our "Ask The Experts" section regarding the recurrence rates of preeclampsia/HELLP:
http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331&SearchTerms=sibai

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

Julie (27)
Zachary James, 7/22/03-7/27/03, born at 26wks - severe pe

Southern California Coordinator

Louise - Thank you for sharing your little boy, Thomas. My daughter, Faith was born at 30 weeks and she lived for 25 days. She let out 2 little cries at her birth and one other time before she was really sick, it was so precious. Faith got NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis) and sepsis, infections I sure similar to your son. Then the rest of her organs couldn't survive, she was large amounts of steroids and oxygen. We let her go and were able to hold her on the machine for a while and then a short minute off the machines. I agree functioning with your baby in the NICU is so incredibly hard. So sorry we all have to meet in such a terrible way.

We want to try again also (probably in 6 months, we just lost Faith in January), but I am scared to death. I think I will watch myself much closer and put myself on bed rest, whether the doctor thinks it is necessary or not. Even though I have PIH with my son (he was born at 36 weeks, started having problems at 31 weeks) and then PE with my daughter (she was born at 30 weeks, started having problems at 27 weeks), my dr. thinks it is only a 15% of happening again. I think that is too low. I think the odds of HELLP do go down though.

Take care and good luck with deciding to have another baby.

Jill
mommy to:
Tyler - almost 4 (36 weeks, PIH)
Angel baby - 1/20/03 (11 weeks)
Faith Kristine - 1/5/04-1/30/04 (30 weeks due to severe preeclampsia, passed due to NEC (intestinal premie complication) & Sepsis)

Hi Louise,

Welcome! Thank you for sharing your son with us. When
my son was born they had told us not to worry if we did
not hear him cry and he also let out a darling little cry!!
- We will always hold these dear moments in our hearts...
I have also become a member of the group in the UK. (Yes,
Sam it was me!!!!!!) Anyway, it's nice to get to know you
girls on the other side of the Atlantic. Too bad the reason
behind it had to be so tragic for us all.

Take Care,



Gloria mom to Josiah 11/12/03- 12/4/03 @ 26wks pre e

Hi Lou and Carl
i am also a member of traci's group in the uk but welcome to this one.
I have seen thomas' pic on the other site and he is so cute and definately a chunky munkey, with a big ol grin on his face.
I lost my son just 9 days after you lost dear Thomas, but Jake alas didn't have a chance.
I am glad you got to spend all those precious moments with your brave little one, but i am sorry he isn't here with you both, although i know he is in your heart forever.
He fought so hard and bravely, like you both did too, you must be so proud!!
I look forward to more posts from you, take care of yourself

sam
London,UK
severe PE/class 1 HELLP @ 27wks
13th oct 2003
mummy to angel jake
http://www.shattered-dreams.uk.com/jakehayman.htm

I am so sorry for your loss. Our little girl fought for 3 1.2 months before her lungs couldn't take the vent any longer and her CO2 levels went off the charts. We had then decided it was best to disconnect her from the vent for her to finally enjoy a few mins of life without a vent or iv's.

Katlyne will be gone one year on the 2nd of April I am not looking forward to the day at all.

We are currently preg with our 2nd child together (married had two boys div- got remarried to a wonderful man) but first had many consults with the peri before even thinking about trying again. This time, I am being watch like a hawk and currently on BP meds, yet, no bed rest just laying around to keep things under control.

My prayers are with you for comfort and strength....

Hugs
~T

Mommy to
Drew(13)
Ky (11)
~i~ Katlyne(12/9/02-04/02/03) and little bud (Due 09/11/04)http://www.forevernetwork.com/Archive/lifestory.cfm?Archive_ID=10971&Directory=%2FArchives%2FMountHope&CFID=1089289&CFTOKEN=79068509

Hi i am new to the site.
My names Louise and i live in England and i had my first baby Thomas Carl Russell 04/02/03 at 27+5 weeks due to pre-eclampsia and Hellp syndrome.

Thomas was 2lbs and we heard him squeak! when he was lifted out of my tummy after my emergancy c section.

Thomas had very bad damaged lungs, he tried so hard to live and survive, he over come many obsitcles and 2 major operations, including eye lazor surgery , countless tests , procedures and blood
transfusions and infections.

He died on the 04/10/03 exactly 8 months old to the day.

He was overcome by another infection, and had septicema and died within 24hrs of him getting it.

They thought it was a fungal infection but that came back negative and he also had a cmv virus? Any one heard of this? The consultant said he doubts that would have killed him?

Would love another baby but sacred! we will go and see our consultants in april and see what they say.

There is also a family link, as my mum had me at 30 weeks, 30 yrs ago!! and i was 2lbs, she had 'toxima' as it was then called.

Just hope the risks go down with a second baby? anybody know or who have had another baby after pre-eclampsia and hellp syndrome.

We miss our little chunky monkey so much, after fighting for so long, 8 long months in the neo-natal unit day in day out, dont know now how we did it without cracking up!
[:p]
Love to all our little angels


Louise Carl and our angel Thomasxxxx