Worried About Second Pregnancy, Due to Complications with the First One...

No personal experience, but my cousin went through the same thing. Her first child was 2'3 and her second was 10'3. She had preeclempsia with her first and not her second. Just thought I would share that in hopes it might make you feel better! I hope everything goes well.

I completely understand. I had preeclampsia with first & second pregnancy. My first was born 10wks early. He was 1pd 8oz at birth. He was in the hospital for 7wks. Now he is a healthy 6 yr old. My second child was born 8wks early. He was 3pds 3oz. He is now 2yrs old and healthy. Both pregnancies were fine until the last 2 wks that i was pregnant with them. There is a page for women that have had preclampsia and are going thru it now. It is a support group. They keep up with the latest in preeclampsia news. Here is the link http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/default.asp

I too had preeclampsia w/my first child(thought I was going to die and lose my baby) such a very scary situation. Then I got pregnant with my second baby when my daughter was just 7 months old. I will tell you that I had no problems or complications at all with him. It was a normal pregnancy, my dr. just watched me a little more closely to make sure all was alright. Good luck to you and Congratulations on your second baby!!

I was not preeclamptic, but during my pregnancy I took Bradley classes for natural childbirth. They taught that consuming high amounts of protein daily throughout your entire pregnancy (like 60-75g per day) would significantly decrease your risk. Plus drink lots of water and walk daily if your doctor says you can. Also, don't stress! Easier said than done, but stress can make some people's blood pressure go up. Congratulations.

I've never had preclampsia, but I have experienced two premature births. It is VERY scary. I found the March of Dimes Share Your Story website while I was pregnant with my second child and found it to be a wonderful resource. I'm on there all of the time and I know that there are many mothers that have experienced preclamsia or are pregnant and worried about experiencing it again. I advise anyone who has experienced a premature birth to check out the website-it's great! www.shareyourstory.org

Hii,
I can understand your condition but it is really good to know that you are expecting the second pregnancy.As you are worried about this time due to the complications of first pregnancy. But it is not like that you will face preeclampsia again.It generally happens when Insufficient blood flow to the uterus, your blood vessels are damaged, if you have a problem with the immune system & sometimes it's genetic. So don't worry, just take care of your health, take proper diet and go for the regular medical checkup or take expert advice. This is such a cherished moment. Be positive and everything will be fine.
Good luck

L.,

There is a OB Dr. out of Mississippi that did a study on a product called Juice Plus and his pregnant patients. Each woman had issues with previous pregnancies. Pre-eclampsia, low birth weights, etc. They found that once you added the Juice Plus to the diet that they did not have the issues that they had in previous pregnancies. All the woman that added the Juice Plus successfully delivered healthy full term babies. Now they had another group that just took their prenatal vit. and 30% of them still had issues. It does have A LOT to do with your lifestyle...diet and exercise. I am a Wellness Educator and I work with several doctors that recommend Juice Plus. I would be happy to give you any information on it and let you know my experiences with it. I am not trying to sell you on this but there is a TON of research on the product that says it works at the cellular level. I just sent a 4 month supply (free) to my husbands employee's daughter that is 34 and mom of 4 kids and was diagnosed with cancer. The problem with today's society is WE do not each enough raw fruits and veggies. God says in the bible that we are supposed to take care of our temples and he has provided so much healthy food for us to do that but we (society) just doesn't do it. Please let me help. I have a story as well with my first baby and I can tell you if we ever get to talk but it is a long story and my 2 year old needs me right now so I have to get going. I would write forever if I could. I just want to help! I know from experience how you are feeling. I will pray for you and your family! Email me ____@____.com or call me any time ###-###-####.

I had pre-eclampsia with my last child, due to my weight and eating habits. To control your weight exercise/walk a lot. You're gonna gain more weight this time so you have to be prepared for it.

Other than that there are medications to control it. I was on Toporol for about 4 months before DS#3 was born and for another 6 months after.

My doctor said that when you are carrying extra weight it's more likely that subsequent pregnancies will result in PE or even Eclampsia. I was 300 pounds which sounds bad but I didn't look that heavy cause I'm a giant.

Since you are already pregnant just eat a great variety of foods with very limited salt. Skip Pasta and rice mixes, make everything fresh and remember to exercise, exercise, exercise.

I went through this also. My first pregnacy I developed pre-e and he was born a month early. My second pregnacy went very well with no complications at all. Each one is totally different, so just take care of yourself and pray.

One good thing is you know that you already have had the preeclampsia so your OB/GYN should be keeping a close eye on you and monitoring you for it from the beginning. You also know what to except for the most part and can know what to do better also.

Hello Hello
I am a mommy (of 3) and my 1st preg was a nightmare. I had preeclampsia and gained a total of 75 pounds during the whole pregnancy. It was horrible!!!! I was in labor for 13 hours and it took me 2 hours to push her out. She was also in the NICU. I feel your pain. BUT all pregnancies are very different as your doc will tell you. My 2nd preg was wonderful. No probs at all gained 30 pounds labored 3 hours and out in 3 pushes. All of you bad and good experiences will help you with the 2nd, you know whats coming and what danger signs to look out for. Dont fret, enjoy your 2nd pregnancy. Relax and enjoy your pregnant body, before you know it it's all over. And congratz to you on your 2nd your little one will also enjoy the new baby. I have 3 girls and they are the best of friends.

Hi L.:

I've been there also with my first pregnancy; my son was 5 weeks early but he weighed a little over 5lbs so he was quite healthy and was able to come home with me. I just had another son 5 mos ago and I was scared throughout that pregnancy also but everything went fine. Just take it easy, exercise a little ( I recommend walking or walking on the treadmill) and be careful of certain things that you eat. That was my problem with the first pregnancy.. I ate alot of salty foods which aren't good for you while pregnant..but I had to have my ham and cheese subs from Blimpies w/ a sweet tea. Just hang in there..everything will be fine as long as you take care of yourself and that new blessing :) Good luck and CONGRATS!!

I had a very scary bout with preeclampsia with my 1st. she was 4 1/2 weeks early and I was on the verge of being very sick myself (I had no clue it was happening!) Everything turned out fine. She is now the big sis to her 8 mth old brother who was 1 week late! (they induced me with him!) That being said I was very concerned about having preeclamsia the 2nd time around and was reassured many times by my Dr. that my chances of having it were slim to none. You have a 50 50 chance of getting it with your 1st baby and then it drops significantly with the 2nd. Just discuss it with your Dr. and address any concerns you have then just enjoy being pregnant. It's a wonderful time in your life!
Hope this helps!
A.

I had my first baby at 27 weeks due to pre-e. He was 1lb 15oz 13" and spent 74 days in the NICU. We just welcomed our second baby last month. He was born at 40 weeks and 1 day, a healthy 7lbs 21". I had no signs or symptoms of pre-e. I took baby aspirin and Omega-3 supplements. I stayed active and ate healthy, I think that made a difference.

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I totally understand where you are coming from. My first child, daughter, was born 12 weeks early, she was only in the NICU for 6 weeks, she did amazing! Before I got pregnant with her, I went to talk to my OB and she said the likelihood of it ever happening was pretty slim, but that the earlier the first pregnancy, the chance of having another pre-eclamptic pregnancy grew. They also told me that the sooner you try to have another the chance grow. We waited until our daughter was 4 1/2. I had a son who was 13 weeks early. He is doing amazing now, he's 4, but it was scary for awhile. With my son the symptoms, came on a LOT quicker and were totally different from what I had experienced the first time, if my doctor hadn't been looking for small signs, he wouldn't have known and the situation could've been a lot worse. I wish you the best!! Just know that everyone iss different and you never know, you could go all the way this time.

My best friend and I each got pregnant twice at the same time. Our daughters are 3 years old, and my son and her daughter are 8 mos old. I had pre-eclampsia the first time, and she developed eclampsia afterwards (seizures and all). My doctor told me I had a 50% chance of developing it again. The second time around I was fine (thank goodness), but my friend developed eclampsia again. Thankfully, she had the same doctor she had the first time, so they caught it before she seized the second time. I would check with your doctor. I changed doctors (due to relocation) and my new doctor wasn't worried despite my previous complications. Despite what anyone might tell you, NO ONE knows what causes pre-eclampsia. There is a very long list of "possible" causes, but the only thing you can do is live a healthy lifestyle and hope for the best. Make sure to monitor your blood pressure often, and any sudden spikes in bp or weight bring to your doctor's attention immediately. My friend bought a blood pressure cuff to use at home. You might want to make that investment. Good luck!

hi. i had my daughter 3 years ago. i had the whole nine with her. i had hypertension/preeclampsia and had to under go a csection a few weeks early with her.i am pregnant now with my 2nd child and fear the same thing you do. will this one be as bad pregnancy wise and will it affect my baby i am pregnant with now. i was reassured there should not be any complications and because of my first experience with hypertension i would be watched more carefully as things develope. trust your doctor but most of all trust your instincts. good luck

Diet is a huge issue with this. I have a friend who also went thru this. She was told to strictly follow the Bradley diet (given with Bradley childbirth classes and I am sure could be found on the internet...I may even have a copy of it since I also used the diet), it can prevent complications such as but not limited to preeclampsia, preterm labor and gestational diabetes. Food is everything! Good luck and I hope you have a safer, more enjoyable pregnancy. I also had a complicated 1st pregnancy, though no preeclampsia. My other 2 went fine despite I was told I was high risk for having complications again. Just relax, eat a good well balanced diet, exercise if you can and really enjoy it this time around. I am one of these people that love pregnancy. My 1st was horrible, but I was so happy to finally be pregnant with one that was staying that I didn't care how miserable or dangerous it was...just take it a day at a time and don't stress. Baby will sense that too. You can do it, and if it turns out you do get preeclampsia then you will be well prepared for what to expect. Hang in there mama!

B. :)

I my self had Preeclampsia with my first one. My second Pregnancy i was lucky not to have it. I dont think it would happen again but i am no doctor. Good Luck and Congrats

Hi L.,
Every pregnancy is different and I'd tell you to pray about it and leave it to the Lord, who has blessed you to mother this child as well. All my children were born normal weights except the last one who worried the hell out of me. She was a preemie too, 4lbs, 4ozs. But, they let me bring her home at four pounds becasue they could tell she'd get a lot of love which helps them to thrive. No smoking, drinking, stay valm, and eat healthy. Stay in touch and let me know how you are doing, ok?

Queen

My daughter had pre-eclampsia with both of her pregnancies, but it wasn't really severe either time. It was a little scary when it was time to deliver, and with the first she was very disappointed not to be able to do anything except lie on her left side with several monitors during her labor. Both girls were born at a little over 5 pounds and are healthy and beautiful. One is almost 9 and the other will be 5 next week. Good luck to you and your little family.

Hi! I know all too well what you are going through. I had an awful pregnancy the first time around and am 28 weeks pregnant with my second (well, third, since one of my twins passed away the first time.) I'd love to talk more - just don't want to share my whole story on the website! I've also started a yahoo group for those of us who are scared about a second pregnancy!

R.
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