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Preeclampsia often provokes feelings of great loss, despair or confusion. In some cases, it is a traumatic event that leads to enormous emotional, economic or physical burdens. Fortunately, this website provides a place of learning and healing among the growing community of people who share an experience with preeclampsia.

Here you will find the face of preeclampsia and the many personal accounts of both survival and tragedy. Feel free to read and comment on their stories, view their photos, and take the opportunity to connect with them to share your story. Many people have found helpful support through this community. We hope you will too.

Please consider sending us your story for inclusion on this page.

Until my 15th week in pregnancy, it seemed like everything was going just normal like

Posted On Tuesday, January 05, 2010  by Kathie

Until my 15th week in pregnancy, it seemed like everything was going just normal like all the books and websites told me it would be. Around my 15th week, we took a trip down to Tennessee (in the beginning of June), and that's when I started to notice some swelling in my ankles and feet. I thought it was caused by the heat and humidity, so I hoped it would disappear when we got home. Unfortunately, it didn't. My midwife checked my blood pressure and protein levels and I was fine at the time, but... Read more

THIS IS OUR STORY....My first pregnancy back in 2003 seemed to be normal to me.

Posted On Monday, January 04, 2010  by Miranda

THIS IS OUR STORY....My first pregnancy back in 2003 seemed to be normal to me. Until about my 33 week. I was extremely swollen, couldn't hardly walk with out being in pain, headaches that would not go away, not able to keep any food down, high blood pressure and very flushed feeling. My Ob office proceeded to tell me that my BP was high from walking from the parking lot to the office. Being my first pregancy I trusted them. That weekend my husband and I took a trip (about 3 hr... Read more

It was December 23, 2009 when I went to my doctor for my 38 week

Posted On Friday, January 01, 2010  by Dawn

It was December 23, 2009 when I went to my doctor for my 38 week visit.  This was my first pregnancy and I had been blessed with a wonderful pregnancy as well.  Throughout my 38 weeks of pregnancy, I never once felt sick, tired and gained on 26 pounds.  I actually enjoyed my time being pregnant.  However, all that changed two days before Christmas.  On my routine visit that typically took 5 to 10 minutes, I was informed that my blood pressure was too high and there was a... Read more

Hi...My name is Mindy and I have an almost 3 year old son named Andrew

Posted On Wednesday, December 30, 2009  by Mindy

Hi...My name is Mindy and I have an almost 3 year old son named Andrew and here is my story...I was 19 when I was preggo with Andrew and I had a rough pregnancy. I was on bedrest from 16 wks till I delivered. I suffered from sciatic nerve pain and swelling all over. I was miserable to say the least but never had any known problems with preeclampsia. I would go to my OB visits and sometimes I was unable to use the bathroom to give them urine to test so it was no big deal they said I was f... Read more

I am so glad to have found this site. I am sad to know that

Posted On Tuesday, December 29, 2009  by Elizabeth

I am so glad to have found this site. I am sad to know that so many women are suffering in this day and age and losing their lifes or their babies. In 1995 I had my first son who is almost 14 and I had severe hyperemesis. I remarried and due to mismanaged medical care, we lost 3 babies before they were born to hyperemesis. In 2008 we thought we had found the perfect dr. He had helped us try to conceive for a year. He would call us at home to check on us and he seemed like a dream. Or so we thoug... Read more

In the spring of 2008, our family was undergoing so many changes. After six years

Posted On Thursday, December 24, 2009  by Jennifer

In the spring of 2008, our family was undergoing so many changes.  After six years of marriage, my husband Matt and I were finally expecting our first child at the end of April, 2008.  Additionally, my husband had been offered a job promotion so we were preparing for a move from Connec... Read more

In December 2003, my husband and I found out we were

Posted On Tuesday, December 22, 2009  by Kelly

    In December 2003, my husband and I found out we were expecting our third child.  We had two very small children already, girls born in 2000 and 2002.  It turned out that our third child was due on our younger daughter's second birthday, September 4, 2004.  I am one of those people who likes to know what to expect or what to watch for, so being a chronic migraine sufferer, I had read the section in "What to Expect" on preeclampsia MANY times trying ... Read more

I had, by all accounts, a very easy pregnancy. I felt nauseous during the

Posted On Friday, December 18, 2009  by Kristen

I had, by all accounts, a very "easy" pregnancy. I felt nauseous during the first trimester, but only got truly sick once. I was tired, my breasts hurt, and I cried at Hallmark commericals, but nothing was out of the ordinary. I even went on vacation to Puerto Rico with my husband at 27 weeks. All of my tests came back normal, the ultrasounds showed a perfectly normal, healthy, developing baby girl, and I fully expected that I would deliver a healthy baby at the end of January.The only ... Read more

Hello There, Well I was diagnose w/ p-clampsia when I was 29 weeks. I do

Posted On Wednesday, December 16, 2009  by Tammy

Hello There, Well I was diagnose w/ p-clampsia when I was 29 weeks. I do have diabetes and pcos,which doesn't help w/ p-clampsia. It started when I had protein in my urine and then my BP was getting higher every vist between 140/90! So I was in the Hospital 3 X less then 2 weeks apart because every Dr had a different opionion who was on call at the time. To make a long story short I'm back in the hospital at 33weeks and 3 day prego because at my fetal medicine dr. thought my bp was to high and m... Read more

I was diagnosed with preelcampsia in week 35 of pregnancy. I was placed on bed

Posted On Tuesday, December 15, 2009  by Mindy

I was diagnosed with preelcampsia in week 35 of pregnancy. I was placed on bed rest for four days but when it was determined that this was not helping my condition the baby was delivered via C-section. The baby was born perfectly healthy at 5 lbs 2.7 oz and 17 inches He did not have to spend any time in the NICU and soon after delivery he was brought to my hospital room. The baby and I were released from the hospital within 96 hours of delivery and within two weeks my blood pressure had ... Read more

I knew something was wrong when the nurse took my blood pressure twice during my

Posted On Tuesday, December 15, 2009  by Janice

I knew something was wrong when the nurse took my blood pressure twice during my 28 week visit. After taking my blood pressure the second time the nurse walked out of the office without even mentioning what my pressure was. My Ob then walked into the room shaking his head. My Ob then explained that my blood pressure was elevated and there was protien found in my urine and directed me and my partner into his office. While sitting in his office my Ob stated that I would have to be admitted into th... Read more

I wasn't due to have my son until August 4, 2009 but on June 19th

Posted On Tuesday, December 15, 2009  by Theresa

I wasn't due to have my son until August 4, 2009 but on June 19th I started to feel extremely dizzy and had a headache that didn't go away. On a run I made to a local CVS to pick up a prescription, I decided to check my blood pressure at the little station they have next to the pharmacy while I waited. The first reading was 165/100, but I thought it was wrong, so I did it again. It was still the same. I hadn't heard too much about preeclampsia, so I wasn't too worried. I gave the on call... Read more

I was thirty weeks pregnant. This was my first child. On August 1, 2008, I

Posted On Saturday, December 12, 2009  by Laura

I was thirty weeks pregnant. This was my first child. On August 1, 2008, I woke up around 3 am with a bad headache, which wasn't uncommon in my pregnancy. I took some fast acting Tylenol and laid back down. I couldn't go back to sleep and the headache wasn't going away. My husband was soon up to commute to his construction job for the summer. I put a cold rag on my head to try and soothe the pain. The headache only got worse. I called my doctor's office as soon as it opened, and they said I shou... Read more

i wanted to share this letter my partner wrote to our families after our wild

Posted On Saturday, December 12, 2009  by josie

i wanted to share this letter my partner wrote to our families after our wild experience of birth... Hi loved ones, Finnally i get to a "something" (this computer) to contact people and let you know a little bit about what has been happening with the birth of our son. He was born on the 21/7/2008 at 9:11pm, monday night. We have named him "Jalahyn Jalaki" (for now, if we don't change our minds again) which means "rainbow... Read more

Hello. My name is La Teasha Wallen. November 22 nd 2009 was when i found

Posted On Friday, December 11, 2009  by la teasha

Hello. My name is La Teasha Wallen. November 22 nd 2009 was when i found out that i had preeclampsia.     I was home one that Sunday and i just wanted to sleep. i was tired and haad chores in my house to do. My oldest son (La Twan) asked if i felt ok. i saild "Mama is just so tired". He asked me if i wanted him to go and wash clothes for me and i said,"only if you want to" and he said, "yes". I said,"ok". So he washed our clothes and dried them then came home. I was very very ... Read more

My life with HELLP Syndrome begins on November 27, 2002. I was feeling great, no

Posted On Friday, December 11, 2009  by Paula

My life with HELLP Syndrome begins on November 27, 2002. I was feeling great, no real problems. Suddenly at 10PM while my husband and I watch the evening news, I suddenly became what some might say was a scene right out of the Exorcist. I began violently vomitting all over. As I tried to make it to the bathroom, I was thinking, "I must have food poisoning?" After 20 minutes of the vomitting I was able to go back to bed, and sleep somewhat comfortably. The next morning, I felt fluish. I called my... Read more

During my last trimester , I experienced constant pain/discomfort in my upper abdomen. After telling

Posted On Wednesday, December 09, 2009  by laura

During my last trimester , I experienced constant pain/discomfort in my upper abdomen. After telling my doctor on several occasions, she dismissed it and said that it was the baby pushing up into my rib cage. The last three to four weeks of my pregnancy, the same doctor noted that my BP was high but didn't make it seem like it was a big deal. She merely asked if I had been having headaches, which I had not. I was , however, still experiencing this pain in the abdomen and I had been nauseous... Read more

Hi,my name is Bev, I married my husband this year in september, apart from that

Posted On Tuesday, December 08, 2009  by Beverley

Hi,my name is Bev, I married my husband this year in september, apart from that very happy event we have experienced much heartbreak and upset in 2009 due to the loss of 2 x pregnancys.I first found out i was pregnant in Feb only to suffer a miscarriage at 10 weeks in March, we were heartbroken but were told it was very common and should try again.For 4 months i thought of nothing else, desparate to gain back what we had lost, i finally found out i was pregnant in July.My sec... Read more

For all of you that don't know, this is going to be hard, but today

Posted On Monday, December 07, 2009  by Amanda

For all of you that don't know, this is going to be hard, but today I feel strong, so I am deciding to write my version of the tragic event that forever changed my life. No one ever talks about what could happen, or tells you about diseases to look out for during pregnancy. I bet 90% of women don't know what Severe pre-eclampsia or HELLP disease is. I did not...if I did it could have saved baby Cara's life, not to mention it almost took my own! October 10 2009 I noticed I seemed to be (f... Read more

My story begins with my third pregnancy. My first two pregnancies went very well, both

Posted On Monday, December 07, 2009  by Julie

My story begins with my third pregnancy. My first two pregnancies went very well, both delivered to term, natural childbirth, no complications, very fast deliveries. My third started out the same way, I got pregnant when my second daughter was 5 months old. This was not a planned pregnancy, but we were happy none the less. We wanted 4 children. I had always enjoyed being pregnant, I suffer from migraines, but never had them while pregnant. My pregnancy was progressing normally, until about 34 we... Read more


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I hadn’t been feeling well for a few days.  I decided I would go in to work super early and give directions to the staff and then go home and go to the doctor.  I got home and lay on the couch un...

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