Pre-eclampsia/Low Fluid?

[ma2anangel]

While I was pregnant, I was diagnosed with having pre-eclampsia. My labor was induced and my doctor had ruptured my membranes. After breaking my water, hardly any amniotic fluid came out so she thought it could be contained behind the baby's head (which is a good assumption). However, after she was born there wasn't anymore amniotic fluid. When she was born her skin was peeled just as my son's was 6 years prior (stillborn). Is low fluid also a symptom of pre-eclampsia?

With my first pregnancy I had high blood pressure and was anemic. With my second pregnancy I had pre-eclampsia and was anemic. Does anemia have anything to do with the pre-eclampsia? I'm pretty lost about the anemia and low fluid ordeal. Thanks in advance and this site is a wonderful source of information! [:D]

I am wondering that if she hadn't been born when she was, if she would have lived. It's very scary to me because she had the same characteristics as my son did (peeling skin, dryness, etc...). It wasn't due to pre-eclampsia, he passed away due to a cord accident at 37 weeks. [V]

NICHOLE

MAMA TO...

Eleighsa Lynn
02.18.03
&
Hunter Blake
10.24.97
Born Sleeping - 37 Weeks Gestation
You left and forgot to tell my heart how to live without you...

[laura]

Hi Nichole, I'm so glad you found us. And I'm so very sorry about the loss of Hunter. It's true, low fluid, also called oligohydramnios, is often associated with hypertension and preeclampsia.

When the mom's blood pressure is too high, it interferes with the flow of oxygen and nutrients of the baby- high pressure in the mom can lead to low pressure in the baby. The baby isn't getting all the oxygen he or she needs, and they quit peeing, and the amniotic fluid drops. Also, the baby 'floats' in the amniotic fluid, so when the fluid is gone, the baby can sit on it's cord, causing cord accidents.

I had low fluid starting pretty early with my second pregnancy, and it's very disturbing. Once we knew about it, though, I had frequent ultrasounds to monitor my levels. When my levels dropped too low, I delivered my baby. I suspect that I also had low fluid with my first, but my first hospital didn't really do a good job of measuring amniotic fluid in my ultrasounds so I don't know for sure. After my water broke, though, nothing really came out, either. Did you do many ultrasounds or non-stress tests with either of your pregnancies?

I think that it's very good that Eleighsa was induced when she was, I'm so glad she's healthy!

I was also anemic with my first pregnancy, and the doctor said something to the effect that anemia was common in pregnant women because of changes to red blood cells during pregnancy- could one of our medical mavens help me out here? I'm not sure it had too much to do with preeclampsia.

At any rate, welcome, I'm glad you're here!

Laura-28
DH Jack-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
Baby Camille 4-17-03 (36 weeks- htn and oligo)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/

[taras mom]

Nichole, I'm very sorry about little Hunter!

I also had mild anemia during pregnancy; it showed up on routine blood work a couple of weeks before PE hit. (I also had oligo and IUGR.) I was simply advised to take an iron supplement, and none of my doctors mentioned a connection between anemia and PE.

Carol (38)
DH Bill (39)
Tara Mairichi
12/7-12/9, 2002
The Mightiest Little Angel

[angelical]

I also had low fluid. They checked it several times by ultrasound.

(You know, after reading these posts for a year, I had never known that "oligo" is low fluid. duh... too many medical terms to know!)

In fact, the day they had to deliver Aaron, a resident discovered that he was breech and wanted to try to turn him. But the specialist realized that they couldn't because my fluid was too low. Instead they did the c-section. That probably saved our lives, because by the time the C was over, I was fully into HELLP. Had I been in the midst of an induction.... ugh. [:(]

Sharel

------------------------
Sharel & Kevin
Aaron - 28 weeker
Born 5/2/02 due to preeclampsia & HELLP

Our miracle boy is doing great!!

[akemt]

Hi Nichole,

The "would she have lived" question is always a hard one...I have that same question in reguards to my daughter, but it is "would she have lived had they not caught it." Which at the time was a very real possibility to me since one doctor had me sent home with a bp of 150/100 and didn't even look at me. Luckily, my doctor (who had been out of town) took me seriously (a few weeks later) and oredered an U/S. I was diagnosed with oligo. We were on the edge...not a "deliver now" level, but possibly a "next week" one. At 29 weeks, I was pretty scared. I knew we would be alright but the waiting and waiting for things to get worse was just horrid. I'm sure many people feel this way. I wanted them to take her and just get it over with. It is odd feeling that your body is the worst environment for you child's wellbeing. No one understood why I would rather have had her delivered. She was measuring 3 weeks ahead and I knew she was healthy. It is good that she was born later, don't get me wrong.

Basically, the way my doctor described PIH to me when all this happened is as a fight between the placenta and the mother's internal organs for blood. THe placenta causes the blood pressure to rise in order to get more, but that causes damage and it ends up being a vicious cycle. For me, the placenta was loosing the battle, in his words. For someone who knew very little about it at the time, it was a good illustration and something I could explain to others.

I fear that the answer to our question is that no, they would not have lived. I never did make it to the "deliver now" stage of fluid because bedrest worked so well, though at delivery my levels were going down again. I can still remember the fluid levels at the majority of my ultrasounds. I know that as soon as I have a bp spike, steady rise or not, I'm going to make them do an ultrasound with my next pregnancy. I hear ladies on here talking and not everyone does them and that worries me. I probably share my experience with it too often, but you never know which one might be having similar problems and not know it.

THIS IS LONG! SORRY!

I do have a question though...anyone know the stats on getting oligo a second time? How many ladies here have had oligo?

I guess that's two questions [;)]

THANKS!

Catherine (22)
DH Britton (27)
Emma Margaret (03/02/03) 37 weeks from PIH & oligo

[ma2anangel]

Yes, I had non-stress tests, ultrasounds, amnios, etc... You name it I had it, but I HAD THESE TESTS BEFORE I WAS DIAGNOSED. Actually I had an ultrasound later on in the pregnancy (around 32 weeks) and nothing about low fluid was mentioned.

I can remember from my pregnancy and delivery with Hunter that I didn't have that much fluid either. It's not stated in my medical records. I'm not sure if the low fluid with Eleighsa is documented either. I don't think it's documented with Hunter because it was found during the delivery, as was Eleighsa's. Truthfully I believe it was forgotten about. I have recently moved to another state...how do I go about requesting my records? I want to research this on my own. I'm not saying that my doctor didn't do a good job with me because I believe that she did. However, I do think she could've done more.

A lot of people don't understand pre-eclampsia and it's such a shame. My husband actually believed that gaining 5 pounds or more a week is normal for pregnant women. We were just talking about it tonight. He thinks that facial swelling, high bp, and gaining excessive amounts of weight are all part of pregnancy. He didn't understand that it's actually p/e that causes this. So, everytime my doctor put me on bedrest he was right there taking care of me NEVER knowing the consequences. It bothers me to be honest that so many people aren't educated about this topic.

I just have a gut feeling that Eleighsa wouldn't have lived had we waited a few more days. We am so blessed to have her in our lives.

NICHOLE

MAMA TO...

Eleighsa Lynn
02.18.03
&
Hunter Blake
10.24.97
Born Sleeping - 37 Weeks Gestation
You left and forgot to tell my heart how to live without you...