What can I expect after birth

[cavaliercutie]

I am 35 weeks pregnant and have preeclampsia. I am on bedrest and my doctor is talking about inducing at 36 weeks. I've had high blood pressure and chronic headaches. I have had awful swelling, so bad I lost feeling in my toes and fingers. I know that preeclampsia is supposed to clear up once the baby is born. What I wanted to know is what can I expect after birth? How much time is reasonable to expect all the preeclampsia problems to resolve themselves? I want more than anything to not have to take prescription pain medication everyday for these headaches and to get rid of this swelling but I want to know realistically how long I should expect it to take.

[expert on call]

Preeclampsia often does clear up after delivery, in some cases dramatically. However, it can also worsen significantly in the 24-48 hours after birth. You can expect to most likely be placed on magnesium sulfate during labor and for 24-48 hours after delivery. In addition you may be placed on blood pressure medication for several weeks. At some point in the first few days after delivery, you will notice that your urine output increases significantly. This indicates that the disease is clearing up. The headaches and swelling may clear up after delivery with the rest of the disease.

You should be sure to monitor yourself closely for the post-partum period.

Expert on Call

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