Postpartum Preeclampsia Anyone?

[myboyz801]

Just want to see if anyone out there has had it postpartum. The hospital said it was really rare but thought I would check here anyway. Would like to see if anyone is having any after effects. Mine happened the end of May 2003.... Would like to have another baby but very very scared.. I have two boys 3 1/2 and 10m old with miner complications once they were born via c-sect that following week my body goes bizerk. Would love to see if anyone else is out there!!

[sherry fisher]

I was told too that it was rare! I had severe post partum PE. Right at the end of my PG I started spilling +1 protein in my urine and started to swell. I already had an induction date a few days out, so my OB did not worry about it very much. When my son was one week old, we decided to go to my parents for the day. All the way there I had a horrid headache that would not go away. When I got there I took my BP and it was not bad. Finially after visiting for a couple of hours...I had to go home and rest. The headache was the worst! We went home and it never went away. I had some pain pills that we had, they did not help. About 9pm, I finially had DH take me to the ER to be checked. THinking it was just a headache:) I got there and they STILL thought I was pregnant, as my DH was parking the car with the baby and the stroller. My BP upon admission was 222/169 (I will NEVER forget that #) They freaked. The triage nurse immediately called the Doc out to the triage area. They took me back immediately! Got my urine sample. My BP's stayed high for about 4 hours. They wanted to fly me to a hospital in St Louis, but the fog stopped them. They had to wait for me to stabelize and be transferred by ambulance. I was put on MAG and morphine. In which I had an allergic reaction to the morphine. So, I had nothing for my headaches. I remember not taking my eyes off the BP monitor because I just knew that with #'s that high I was going to have a stroke or heart attack! A Doc or nurse never left my room the WHOLE time I was there. They did do a urine sample while there, but I dont remember what that protein level was. Once my BP's went down a little, they did tranfer me. I was in the hospital for a week. 2 days of which were spent in ICU. My MIL had to care for my newborn. DH would bring him to the hospital for a few hours during the day. I think that hurt me the most! At my 6 week checkup I was taken off all BP meds and was fine!

After this, I made up my mind to do everything possible to educate myself on this disease! Then I got pregnant again.....I do have PE now, but not as severe. With my history my OB does not want to take any chances, we are in the process of amnios until her lungs are mature enough to deliver. I am on meds throughout this PG as well. I must mention that in my PP PE PG I did not run high BP's. My BP's were great. I was put on BP meds with this one at 8 weeks. With a BP of 130/86. Again, not taking any chances!

Sherry Fisher (28)
DH: Bill (35)
Proud Mama to:
#1) Alex 1/1/94-PE
#2) Abbie 12/17/97-PIH
#3 Will 08/03/02-PP PE
#4) EDD: 4/27/04 - Allyson Mae
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/b/babyfish3/
Pregnancy Updates, ultrasound pictures, and the countdown: http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/b/babyfish4/

[tracyremax@charter.net]

I too had PIH prior to the birth of my son which spiraled out of control 2 days postpartum. I was rushed back to the emergency room with severe preeclampsia with raging blood pressue 220-170. I was hospitalized for 1 week 2 days in ICU. It took me a full 12 weeks for my blood pressure to stabalize and many months to heal emotionally. I still deal with anxiety about my health as this disease totally blindsides you. I have no history of high BP. My son was born 9/01. It took a long time to get the guts up to try again. We have now been trying for 15 months with no luck. I am teriified of going through that experience again. But the joy my son has bought into my life has given me the guts to keep trying. When and if I have another positive pregnancy test I am going to be so happy yet very scared. When you lose the blissful ignorance of pregnancy and see the potential complications I think it changes you forever. Good Luck and keep trying there are amazing women and great support on this site. I wish I had found it in 2001!

Tracy in Massachusetts

[tammy]

I was 8 days postpartum visiting my son in the nicu when I saw a doctor from from obgyn's office and I asked if I should be seen earlier since I had Pe and my PP visit was scheduled for 4 weeks PP and she said stop in Monday. Well 10 days PP I was rushed back to L&D to be placed on a mag drip and hospialized for 4 days. my pressure was higher then when they decided to induce me. I felt horrible the whole week after my son was born, but I thought it was the fact that I hadn't rested and was traveling back and forth to the hospital to visit. THEY told me delivery was the cure, boy is that not always the case. I am currenlty 5 months PP and continue on b/p meds, but I am on a slightly lower dosage then I was 3 months ago.

Tammy

liam-34weeks/pe-10/26/03

[beth3193]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tammy

I was 8 days postpartum visiting my son in the nicu when I saw a doctor from from obgyn's office and I asked if I should be seen earlier since I had Pe and my PP visit was scheduled for 4 weeks PP and she said stop in Monday. Well 10 days PP I was rushed back to L&D to be placed on a mag drip and hospialized for 4 days. my pressure was higher then when they decided to induce me. I felt horrible the whole week after my son was born, but I thought it was the fact that I hadn't rested and was traveling back and forth to the hospital to visit. THEY told me delivery was the cure, boy is that not always the case. I am currenlty 5 months PP and continue on b/p meds, but I am on a slightly lower dosage then I was 3 months ago.

Tammy

liam-34weeks/pe-10/26/03

---

[beth3193]

I experienced severe PE postpartum as well. I began swelling and had rapid weight gain at about 33 weeks. BP was in the high 130/mid 80's but Dr. wasn't as concerned since we could get the BP to lower if I was on my left side. I was concerned as this was my 9th pregnancy and I only had 1 son who was born at 34 1/2 weeks. I was induced at 36 1/2 weeks after my water broke. No dilation after 36 hours and 7 hours of pitocin and BP was creeping into the 160-170's/90 so they wanted to start a mag drip. We opted for a repeat c-section.

Everything was good the first day post partum, but on day 2 my headache became stronger (I figured from the spinal) and I could see spots in my vision again - figured I was tired. Day 3 I had severe headache/migrane and moderately high BP - Dr. did CT scan and MRI to rule out brain bleed or minor stroke. Morphine took away pain. Was put on Mag drip to control BP. Day 4 was unresponsive and slumped over in bed - I was aware of what was going on around me but couldn't respond. BP was 200/120 and spent 3 days in ICU and 8 days total in hospital.

Not until my 8 week check did I realize how serious my condition was. They thought I had a stroke. I'm grateful that I opted for the c-section so I was still in the hospital when the symptoms reappeared. I would have shrugged them off to "I just had a baby" and don't know what would have happened if it had remained untreated.

My dr. has encouraged us to not have more children since this didn't follow the typical PE case. I didn't have PE in my 1st preganancy, don't have high BP normally, am not in the age categories, etc. She is worried that it would be more severe in a subsequent pregnancy.

I was also told that post-partum problems were rare. Its comforting for me to see that I'm not the only one who had a unique experience. I just thank God every day that my daughter (now 11 weeks old) and I are healthy.

[jarnett]

I also had PE 6 days postpartum. I was so mad because I was being discharged and the nurse kept interuptting to take my BP. Well, that was a whole other issue b/c they kept using a manual BP cuff in the Postpartum unit and one cuff was too small and one was huge (how could they even CLAIM to have an accurate reading) I would have won this argument had I not started spilling protein in my urine again, thus making it a moot point. I was immediately taken back to L&D and placed back on the Mag. drip for 2 more days for a total of a 10 day hospital stay for 1 child..go figure.

Jen

[suzic77]

I didn't start spilling protien till I was 36 weeks. Long story short, I finally had an emergency c-section during the third attempt to induce me. My blood pressure jumped up to 169/95 and to OR I went. I know it jumped even higher during the c-section. I was feeling alright the next morning as far as BP goes. Three days later, I went home. My BP was down in the hospital, but the day after I got home it was 150's/90's. I weighed more when I came home from the edemia than I did when I went IN to the hospital. My BP continued to stay high for a couple of weeks. It still jumps up once in awhile, but not more than 140's/70-80's. For the most part it is back to normal. Two and a half weeks after my daughter was born, I lost 12 pounds in 2 days. I started feeling better after that.

I was scared to take my BP at home PP because I didn't want to end up back in the hospital. I don't even know how high it really got. I only took it when I didn't really feel that bad. I probably should have checked though, but everything has turned out alright so far.

Suzi-26
Mark-38
Jacob-7
Marissa-12-05-02 PIH
Victoria-3-10-04 PE

[azschuffert]

I was rushed to the hospital at 35 wks with high bp and +5 protein in my urine and severe edema. My bp continued to rise over the next 24 hrs and I was placed on mag sulfate. Delivery was induced and I delivered my daughter, 4 lbs 8 oz. She was transferred to the NICU with minimal problems, where she remained for 7 days. I remained in the hospital for 8 days, bp still high. On day 8 I was released and suffered a seizure several hours after returning home. I was taken by ambulance back to the hospital, where I remained for 7 days, back on mag sulfate, bp's still high. 2 days after returning home I began to get severe headaches, checked my bp and it was 220/169. My husband rushed me to the ER and I was admitted AGAIN on mag sulfate for 6 days. BP has finally returned to normal, was on bp meds for over 8 months after delivery. Want to have another, but afraid to get pg again!

Alexis 06-07-03 severe pe, eclampsia

[tracyremax@charter.net]

What a story I am glad that everything turned alright for you. I was in the hospital 10 days postpartum and I thought that was alot. It seems you were in 21 days. God bless you.You are a warrior. The recovery must have been very slow as it took me months to bounce back from postpartum SeverePE.

TRacy in Massachusetts
Mom to Bill 9/01
TTC although scared