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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.

Eva's Story

Posted On Thursday, June 28, 2012  by Eliza

My husband and I were excited to find out we were pregnant with our first child in 2007.  It was not a planned pregnancy but, we were ready to start our family.  My first couple of months during the pregnancy was normal.  I felt good but tired.  I was hungry more often than not but, everything seemed ok.  Shortly after the third month something changed.  I was sick daily.  Most of the time without warning and no control over vomiting.  I constantly felt lik... Read more

Success after a loss

Posted On Tuesday, June 19, 2012  by Britani

Has anyone loss a baby @ 22-23 weeks and was able to have a healthy baby after that? I just loss my son @ 22 weeks and I want to try again.... Read more

Heart Problems at 22?

Posted On Wednesday, May 23, 2012  by Natalie

Hello I'm Natalie, I'm 22 years old and I had my first child three months ago. A healthy bouncing baby boy who weighed in at 5lbs 11oz on March 1st 2012. I was going to my doctor visit like normal had a healthy bill every time... One visit around 30 weeks I had my b/p go up and they ordered me to do a twenty-four hour urine test. I called for the results and they came back perfect--no problems; no red flags. Next couple of visits my b/p read normal. I complained of swelling but my d... Read more

Losing an Angel on Easter

Posted On Thursday, May 17, 2012  by Ashley

http://ag5308a.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/angel-easter/ I wrote about my experience with HELLP syndrome in my blog.  I hope that you will read it and find comfort in knowing that you are not alone.  I am very much interested in raising awareneses about this terrible illness so please fe... Read more

From "textbook pregnancy" to eclamptic seizure

Posted On Tuesday, May 08, 2012  by Cathy

HELLP syndrome at 16 weeks pregnant! giving birth to our baby girl

Posted On Monday, May 07, 2012  by kelly

Before my case I hadn't even heard of HELLP syndrome, and I didn't know much about pre-eclampsia. Since developing HELLP and giving birth at 16 weeks I have started to raise as much awareness about the condition as I can. I have created a Facebook page (hellpsyndromeangels) and posted on the pregnancy and baby forums to warn others of what happened to me, and the signs and symptoms to look for. It seems the majority of people are like I was and have never heard of it let a lone know what to l... Read more

Should more have been done

Posted On Wednesday, May 02, 2012  by nicola

My daughter was 30 weeks into her pregnancy when she started to show more serious signs of preeclampsia. She had been getting headaches, and had been uncomfortable throughout the pregnancy, but at 30wks her vision become blurry and her speech was affected and her hands where tingling. I took her to hospital, she spent several days there, and they said it wasn't dangerous levels, it was borderline, that her labour would probably be easier; all nice calming words. I was aware that preec... Read more

My experience with HELLP Syndrome (3rd pregnancy)

Posted On Monday, April 30, 2012  by Kaylee

April 10th of this year I was 21+7 weeks pregnant with my second son when I delivered and found out I had developed HELLP for the second time. I had another emergency c section and had to get put to sleep because my platelets were to low to stay awake. My son was born 8 ounces and was so precious and tiny. He had no chance because he was too little. My whole pregnancy was perfect and I was excited because every time I went to my doctors appointments, I was always great with protein and ... Read more

My experience of Severe Preeclampsia/HELLP Syndrome (2nd pregnancy)

Posted On Monday, April 30, 2012  by Kaylee

In September of 2009, I had my first son via emergency c-section at 26 weeks. He weighed 1lb 5 oz. He was IUGR. I had developed severe preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. I had new doctors and a new hospital this time compared to my first pregnancy. They did not have me on any medications just my prenatals. My symptoms were very different compared to my 1st pregnancy. I had no swelling, no headaches. Just abdomen pain that had gotten severe and the pain moved to my back. It started at 25 weeks. ... Read more

My experience of Severe Preeclampsia (1st pregnancy)

Posted On Monday, April 30, 2012  by Kaylee

In September 2008 I had my daughter via emergency c section at 26 weeks due to severe preeclampsia. She weighed 1 lb 9 oz. Her first month of her life was spent in the local hospital and she became severely sick from NEC and was transferred to a children's hospital an hour away where she spent the remainder of her NICU stay for 3 months. She is now 3 years old and is healthy as can be. I am so thankful that she is. It all started around 24 weeks when I was becoming swelled up in my face and a... Read more

Kya Joy- My Diamond in the Sky

Posted On Sunday, April 29, 2012  by Danielle

  My name is Danielle Q. I'll be 23 in 2 months and this is the story of my very first and only pregnancy. My fiancee James and I had a perfect pregnancy up until about 20 weeks. The day we had our first big ultrasound was going to be the most amazing life-changing ... Read more

How preeclampsia changed my life

Posted On Wednesday, April 18, 2012  by Lisa Hollister

I am the mom of a survivor of preeclampsia/eclampsia. My 18 year old daughter came to live with me after having numbness on her right side, weight gain, swelling, "sharp" headaches, confusion and blurred vision. She was 28 weeks (7 months) pregnant. She was told by the small town doctor after staying a night in the hospital and going to her clinic for follow up that she suffered from high cholesterol and migraines, she was 23 weeks pregnant at this ... Read more

Wanting To Have Another Baby But Terrified After Having Preeclampsia TWICE!

Posted On Wednesday, April 11, 2012  by Bethany

All my husband can talk about is us having a son. He wants a son that he can watch growing up playing baseball, football, being a tough little cookie... a son that can remind him of him as a little boy growing up. A son to carry on the family name. However, despite me being pregnant 4 times before, we've had all girls. One is deceased. Out of the 4 pregnancies 2 of them I had preeclampsia. And because of that, I'm terrified to try one more time for a boy. There's a part of me that gets... Read more

Ruptured Placenta and low amniotic fluid

Posted On Thursday, March 22, 2012  by Sujata

My sister in Nepal is in her 27th week of pregnancy. 7-8 days ago she suffered bleeding. Doctor identified 3.4cm rupture of her placenta and advised complete bed rest at the hospital. Her blood pressure began to shoot up to 150/100. Urine test showed protein. Two days ago she was administered medicine for BP. Today BP has reached 120/80. However the placenta rupture has increased to 6.1cm and the amniotic fluid has decreased as of today. The doctors attending to her say that this is a... Read more

My PE story(ies)

Posted On Friday, March 09, 2012  by nursemommy

Family photo.... Read more

I didn't know I was sick....

Posted On Thursday, March 08, 2012  by Sarah

During my pregnancy, every test, check-up and ultrasound looked normal.  My doctor gave me permission on Dec. 20th to drive to North Carolina (from Ohio) so I could be there for my husband's return from deployment.  After spending 7 months of pregnancy without him, I was determined to make the trip.  During my pregnancy, I experienced some back pain and swelling but was told this was normal, especially for the third trimester, so I didn't think much when on Christmas day my feet were... Read more

My story of survival: Severe Pre-Eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and DIC

Posted On Thursday, March 08, 2012  by TaMyra

This is my story of survival. This is also my daughter's story of survival. At 22 weeks, I noticed my feet were extremely swollen, and I could barely breathe. I thought it was just normal pregnancy symptoms, until the doctor said my BP was 170/11!! I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 23 weeks. It was way too early to have my baby. We were given steroids immediately for her lungs, in case an emergency C-Secti... Read more

Finding My Light Through All The Darkness

Posted On Tuesday, March 06, 2012  by Destanee

Dark Saturday December 11, 2010, I had a really bad headache... stronger than the others. I didn't have headaches throughout my pregnancy however for the past 3 days I was having them. But I shrugged it off since I called my OB's office and one of the nurses said it was "Flu Symptoms." Me and my fiance Steve were at his family party and I sat there feeling fine for the first 5 minutes then all of a sudden I got a migraine and felt really weak. All I had to do w... Read more

Fighting For Life: My Story of Post Partum PE and HELLP

Posted On Monday, March 05, 2012  by Anne-Mari

  Six days after delivering my second child I awoke to my heart pounding out of my chest and throat, I felt like death, couldn’t breathe, and my right leg was extremely swollen. I assumed the swelling was normal reaction to all the IV fluids from delivery and I was having an anxiety attack from the past months events, but the ER doctor told me a different more frightening story. ... Read more

My Journey through Preeclampsia

Posted On Saturday, March 03, 2012  by Jessica

To begin the story of my journey, I was 26 years old, happily married to the love of my life, and pregnant with our first baby. The pregnancy was a pleasant surprise, and from the very beginning we were adamant about taking great care for our new arrival. I would take a handful of vitamins everyday, as well as exercise and eat healthy to make sure our little one was getting all the things he needed. We read books, planned, and I even kept a daily journal of my pregnancy as a keepsake for his ... 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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