Preeclampsia - Sebastopol, CA

I had preeclampsia with my first pregnancy but have had three more babies since and am currently pregnant with my fifth and have not had preeclampsia again. With each pregnancy since my first I have taken a calcium supplement as well as my prenatal vitamin and taken a dandelion root supplement starting in the third trimester. Dandelion root is known to lower blood pressure. I also ate much more fresh fruits and vegetables. My first pregancy was through the winter in a small town in Alaska and being a California girl I thought the shipped days (sometimes weeks old) produce was awful so I didn't eat it.
I do have a dear friend who had very severe preeclampsia started at 20 weeks with her first pregnancy the baby was born by emergency c-section at 28 weeks when mom's kidneys failed and lived 8 days. With her 2nd pregnancy she did have preeclampsia again but it didn't start until about 28 weeks and her 2nd son was born at 34 weeks and is now a happy healthy 4 year old. She did take aspirin with the second pregnancy.

H.

Hi E.. There's nothing scientific about this...just our family's experience. Our oldest daughter went through the same thing. She was pre-eclamptic with her first baby and it got so bad that they actually did a C-section early. Our granddaughter weighed only 2 pounds 11 ounces and was in NICU on a ventilator for a while before she finally came home. When our daughter got pregnant again (unplanned) she was terrified that the same thing would happen with the second pregnancy. But, knowing her previous history, her OB doc monitored her very carefully watching for and treating any indications of developing problems. The result was an uneventful, full term pregnancy and a bouncing baby girl of normal weight. I truly believe that the key was the watchful care from her OB doctor.

BTW, the first "baby" is now 16 and a 10th grader in high school. All the best to you and your family as you continue with the decision-making process.

B. V.

E.,

With my first daughter I had severe preeclampsia at 31 weeks gestation. It was one of the worst and happiest days of my life. It was also the longest day of my life. I went in for a blood pressure check because during the weekend I had a scare because I felt like my baby was on fire in my belly. Anyway it went away and they sent me home. When I went in for my blood pressure check I guess it was bad because the doctors were running in and out of the room not telling me or my husband anything. My doctor finally came in and told me and my husband what happened. Told me I had to get transferred to a hospital about an hour away but I had to go in an ambulance just in case I had a seizure. I was hooked up to an IV bag, I couldn't go to the restroom on my own and worst of all I couldn't eat. After I got to the other hospital they said that they couldn't take me and tried to find another place that could since I was 31 weeks pregnant. They finally found a place all the way in Tokyo. Did I forget to mention I was all the way in Japan with no family around except for my husband thank goodness because he was about to go out to sea. We got to the Japanese hospital late in the evening and was only supposed to go there to get stabalized, but instead they had to perform an emergency c-section. It was horrible. I woke up in the middle of the night not knowing what was going on with my legs because I couldn't feel them so I was freaking out and everything. The hospital was great, but so different. You have to stay in the hospital in Japan for a whole week before you and the baby can go home. You also have to express your milk and the mid wifes just come in and grab your chest. It was an experience I tell you that much, but they were so great and thorough.
Then with my second daughter it was so much different. I didn't get bloated and my blood pressure was fine. The only thing I had was heart burn which was normal for me. Other than that it was a normal pregnancy, but I was always expecting something bad. They treated me as a high risk pregnancy because of my first one. Don't stress so much over it, but since you had a high risk pregnancy before they will probably keep tabs on you a lot more when you get pregnant again. Both of my daughters are doing great. I wish you the best of luck and don't stress over it too much.

Hello E.,
I think I responded to your first post about this. I recently started looking into more information about my hypothyroid and found out that hypo or hyperthyroid can cause preeclampsia. I had preeclampsia at 38 weeks and then was unable to produce milk, which is a side effect of hypothyroid. Have you had your thyroid checked? It may be a shot in the dark, but it's a thought to consider.
Best of luck,
C.
PS. E. is my daughters name =O)

Had it with my son, but not with my second pregnancy, a girl. I didn't do anything differently or have any procedures, etc. prior to conceiving our daughter. I was staying home at that point (to be a stay at home Mom to my son), so I was not as stressed as when I was working, and I was eating better. My condition deteriorated enough that I was putting on 10-15 lbs in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, and my labor was induced two weeks before my due date. My second pregnancy had no complications and I was not swollen, nor did I have the high blood pressure, or any troubles. She was delivered by her own timing (not induced). Certainly you should talk to a doctor or midwife about you concerns, but obviously (from my experience) having it once doesn't mean you'll have it again! Best wishes!

My first pregnancy I had preeclampsia at the very end and not at all for my second. The major differences were I drank much more water the second time and was home with my feet up for the whole pregnancy instead of working on my feet 40 hours a week until 4 weeks prior to delivery.

The first thing you should do is talk to your Doctor. Preeclampsia often repeats in a subsiquent pregnancy, especially with the same partner. It might be worth consulting a perinatologist depending how severe your preeclampsia was. There is information about this disease out there and your MD will be able to help you find it. It is possible that you may not have the same problem again but it is important to know the risks and signs of it.

Hi E.,
I had preeclampsia with my first, not the second. There are some statistics available. I must have read about it either in What to Expect When You're Expecting or perhaps from my doctor. If the father of the second baby is the same as the first, you are less likely to have preeclampsia. If it is a different father, you have the same risk you had before. The current mode of thinking to explain this statistic is that somehow you're slightly allergic to your husband's dna. By the second time around, you're used to his dna.

My blood pressure was higher than normal for my second pregnancy and for many months after. Eventually it settled down without medication.

Good luck!

Hello!
I also had PE with my first pregnancy and had a c-section at 37 weeks as a result. Then I got pregnant exactly 12 months after and did not have PE with that pregnancy, but had pregnancy-induced hypertension and we had a c-section at 36 weeks that time. Both were healthy babies with no problems. My OB did say if you had PE already, you're statistically more likely to get it in subsequent pregnancies, but the second time I didn't get it. My labs and urine tests remained normal. My kids are 21 months apart and they and I are healthy! Hope this helps!
A.

Hi E.,
I'm not sure where you're located but SF Perinatal Group is awesome. They would work with you in conjunction with your OB/GYN. As you've read you may or may not develop it again but I would think you and your and OB would want to consider you "high risk" and treat you accordingly. You will likely be fine with all the extra monitoring. Best of luck to you.

I too had preeclampsia in my first pregnancy and my daughter was born at 34 weeks. I was so afraid when we found out that I was pregnant for the second time. I didn't want to go through what we went through before and I wanted to bring this child home from the hospital with me. Well this time around I went the entire 40 weeks with no complications at all. We had a very healthy little girl that weighed in at 9 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches long. Completely different from her sister who was 5 lbs and only 18 inches. Needless to say that they do not really know what causes it and the chances are very slim to get it twice. Good luck to you and your husband.

Hi E.. I had preeclampsia with my first child. It was a crazy experience.. the OB didn't catch it until about a month before I was due although I know I had it before then. Because I was so close to my due date he decided to induce me 2 1/2 weeks before my due date. My son was 7lbs..and extremely normal. From what I've seen and been told you only get it again if your pregnancies are far apart..as in years. My friend had children 6years apart 3 times and she had it twice with the first baby and 3rd baby. Good luck..hope this helps.