not being heard

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

I am pregnant with my 6th baby. I had severe pre-eclampsia with my first baby, born at 34 weeks and weighed 3 lb. 8 oz. She had IUGR due to my pre-eclampsia. I was very sick.

I am currently seeing an OB practice who is not concerned with the current symptoms I am having and I am concerned that I am being ignored and not taken seriously. I will be 37 weeks this Friday. My b/p in the OB clinic was 128/75 so it wasn't concerning but normally my b/p is much lower than that... even as low as 90-110/40-60. My protein is trace.

However, I have extreme swelling in my hands and face that concerns me. My skin is purple and blotchy in color almost. I have had a continuous headache since Sunday. I also feel extremely nauseas and have a hard time eating anything as I feel like I am going to throw up. This is all sudden and came on just in the last week. Because my b/p was not 140/90 or higher and because I have lost a pound in the last week the OB at my appt. yesterday blew me off and was completely unconcerned.

My 3rd pregnancy was induced at 37 weeks for PIH... I started out with horrible swelling, went to the OB clinic because of a bad headache, had b/p of 150/100 and protein was trace. Was sent to the L&D for induction that night. That OB did not mess around.

My history of Pre-eclampsia included severe swelling first, then a headache, then high b/p and protein in my urine. My protein has all been trace throughout this pregnancy... all just urine dips and no 12 or 24 hour urine collection has been done on me. But I have the swelling and a horrid headache. I have never had such nausea before however and this is concerning to me as I can not eat anything.

Do you have any suggestions and what should I do. I am a 6th time pregnant mom... not an over reactor and I want to be taken seriously by my providers. I have had 3 other pregnancies with no pre-e type symptoms at all. I know these symptoms well and my general overall feeling is that I feel horrible. I almost feel certain that high b/p and protein in my urine are about to come on if they haven't already.

Please advise.

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

You are at high risk to have preeclampsia again based on:

1) having had severe preeclampsia,
2) having had it a second time, and
3) getting necessarily older in the process of having 6 babies.

Nausea and/or vomiting are common signs of evolving severe preeclampsia. Headache is as well. If you continue feeling this way, I would recommend that you go to labor and delivery. There is also a common statement that "I just do not feel right." If you stay pregnant long enough, I expect that you will be diagnosed with preeclampsia. Your story is not unlike Anne Garrett's in the forum: http://www.preeclampsia.org/stories/anne.asp

Has the baby been monitored? Is the growth normal on US? How dilated is your cervix? Can you measure BP at home?

You are right to be concerned. I would not wait a week to be seen again. You may have to be very be very insistent that you want to be delivered. It would be nice to get to 37 weeks - but not necessary. Tell them you have had normal pregnancies and ones with severe preeclampsia - you know that you feel wrong. Be certain to be seen this week.