Seeking advice...

[uuacallis]

During my wife's first pregnancy a couple of years ago she had an abruption at 37 weeks that the doctor thinks may have been related to preeclampsia, but she had no definitive proof of that so she has been monitoring my wife a bit closer during this pregnancy. Today we went in for her 36 week checkup and for the second week in a row she has some proteins in her urine and her blood pressure has been creeping up. (145/90) when she is normally 120/75. She also showed signs of rapid weight gain, but that was nearly a month ago. They drew blood today and were sending it off for preeclampsia labs. The doctor told us to take it easy, but with a 2.5 year old running around, it's not any where close to easy. Also the doctor indicated that if she is showing signs of preeclampsia that depending on if it is slight / moderate / severe it would definitely change the course of action. IE: if it is severe, the c-section is tomorrow. If it is slight, it's next week. My main concern is that she had that abruption last time and it scared us really good, so I want to make sure that it doesn't happen again.


Thanks,
Adam

[miracle3]

Hi adam and welcome to our forums. Sorry you and your wife are having to go through this right now. First let me say it sounds like you are being watched closely and that is always a good thing. I would take a look at the signs and symptoms page and get to know them really well. Have they done a 24 hour urine? The average time for delivery after a diagnosis of pe is 2 weeks. but at her gestation I would say they won't/shouldn't let it go much further. I am not a doctor but thats my opinion. Keep us posted and good luck!!

[kara]

can you get a friend or family member into the house to help with your 2.5 year old. If the doctors are saying take it easy, then she should relly be a couch potato, probably laying on her left side for msot of the day except for meal and bathroom breaks. That means, no dishes, no laundry, no chasing the little one. Those pressures are high and the other symptoms make me nervous about PE. I'm including a link to the signs and symptoms page. If she gets new symptoms, or her symptoms get worse, she feels ill or not right, you should get her in to labor and Delivery to be evaluated, right away (even if it's in the middle of the night). PE can go from bad to worse in a few hours time.
http://www.preeclampsia.org/symptoms.asp
It's great that you are advocating for your wife! Please keep us posted!

[uuacallis]

We have someone that can watch the toddler when we go to the hospital, however we live a significant distance away from family so we don't have the ability to have someone over all of the time.

Looks like I will be working from home to try to keep him wrangled in my home office during the day to let my wife have some rest.

One positive note is that starting on the 19th (only 2 weeks) we will have someone at the house until June 7th.

[blythe]

Can you get that someone to come and help with the toddler sooner? I'd be betting on that repeat section next week at the _latest_. Good luck!!

[kara]

Maybe an older lady in the neighborhood or from a church or other place of worship? Or even a junior high or high school student in the area. They make good playmates and usually love little kids! There is a typical two week time frame from first diagnosis to delivery with PE (if it's diagnosed right away, that is). Please keep us posted! Hoping those blood labs are ok!

[onfaith]

Hi there - so glad to hear that you have someone coming to help out. We didn't and don't live near family, so I know how difficult it can be. Hopefully, you'll be able to figure something that will work for everyone.

I can understand why you would be so scared about another abruption. It is a very scary and serious experience. I had one with my second and afterwards, was determined to find out all I could about it.

The great news is that your wife is being watched closely now. Great healthcare is the most important part of wonderful outcomes. I will tell you that after your first abruption, chances of having another increase with each ocurrence. Right now, the chances that there could be a repeat are 10-17%. There are ways that the physician can watch for this, bloodwork and ultrasounds are greatly helpful. BUT the best way to watch is to know the symptoms and pay attention, at the slightest feeling of anything that doesn' seem "right" - - head to L&D.

As I am sure you know, the symptoms typically are back pain, Upper quadrant pain, a feeling of "indigestion", contraction like symptoms, nausea, and bleeding of any sort, significant or little.

PE definitely contributes to the incidence of abruptions, but they can also be caused by other factors; age, accident, gestational diabetes, and unhealthy lifestyles choices. Usually with PE (and women with clotting issues), little clots can develope behind the placenta, which pushes it off of the uterus.


Rest is key to helping with PE and the potential of another abruption.....Kara was so right when she said that many times, PE can go from bad to worse in a heartbeat. Just pay close attention and rest rest rest.

Looking forward to hearing that Mom, baby and the rest of the family are all healthy and home.