People who have had Preeclampsia...(Or know about it)?

Question

I am 37 weeks & 3 days pregnant. For about 2-3 months now, I feel like my body has slowly been getting weaker and unhealthy. I know pregnancy normal takes a lot from you, this is my second, but I honestly feel like something is different and going wrong. I have a feeling that I have preeclampsia but I feel like my doctors are ignoring my symptoms and the fact that at 37 weeks my baby is only 4.8LBS!
I'll tell you tmy symptoms and please tell me what you think....
-Swelling in entire body but mostly legs and ankles
-Vision changes (Blurry, light flashes, dizziness)
-Off and on High Blood Pressure
-Extreme fatigue & weakness (no matter how much sleep I get)
-Hot flashes
-Feeling swollen and "stuffy" in my face (Almost like my face is swelling and trying to pop my eyes out of my head!)
-Fevers
-Random headaches
-Protein & blood in urine
-Underweight unborn baby (4.8LBS @ 37 wks)

Those are the few I can think of... I'll add more if I can think anymore! Thanks Girls!

About getting a second opinion from another doctor... My husband is in the Air Force so our medical insurance is through Tri-Care and it would take FOREVER to get a referral and the baby would probably be here by then!
The doctors have seemed worried but aren't taking any steps to fix it. Today I went in and the doctor made the nurse take my BP 3 different times... first 2 times it was high, then he had me lay on my left side for about 10 minutes and take it again...and my BP was lower. But I'm wondering why it was high in the FIRST PLACE and what about all of my other symptoms?? They have been having me come in every week for stress tests and ultrasounds and keep acting worried but want to keep the baby in as long as possible so he can get bigger. But I'm thinking he has a better chance of gaining weight outside the womb, obviously if he isn't gaining very much weight inside... AH! Doctors can be so frustrating!

To answer some questions...
My BP was 140/88 (I believe... LoL I dont know much about BPs, may have it backwards!)
Yes, My urine was tested and they found protein.
No, I have not been diagnosed with Preeclamsia.


I also feel I should be in the hospital being monitored closely...but they don't seem to be worried!!!
I have another stress test tomorrow and if I get the same reaction I am getting now, I will be going to the ER...before my Hubby knocks the Doctor... LoL he is fed up too!

Also, now that I think about it, with a previous pregnancy that resulted in miscarriage @ 20 weeks a year ago, I lost my vision for roughly 30 seconds...I think this is a sign too... is it normal to have preeclamsia with more than one pregnancy?? I never found out if I had it then because I ended up miscarrying.

Answer 1

DO NOT WAIT FOR THEM! please do something yourself. You know your body no one else does. I say this really meaning it and I hope that you take me seriously. I had severe pre-e. I felt it for a couple months before delivery. I was checked weekly however they told me I did not have pre-e. I continued to make an almostly nightly trip to the E.R. and after hours urgent care. Ever night I got the same answer go home stay on bedrest and call your doctor tomarrow. I did this! No one would listen to my pleas. I pleaded I knew something was wrong will you please listen. My b/p was high, i showed protein in my urine however i do not know how high because my doc just said he wasnt worried, i had MAJOR swelling everywhere. My ankles were so swollen I could not walk on the stairs. I had random headaches. My doctor went on vacation the week I was due. I felt like everyone was afraid to do anything with me. The morning my dr returned I had a 10 am appt I called and was put in at 8 am because of pains I was having THANK GOD I went into labor. The dr told me to meet him in the hospital. During delivery I seen nurses and dr's talking and heard somewhere in there my bp was getting too high and i know i was given pitossin but no clue what else. I was released after having my son. Two days after leaving the hospital I went back into the after hours and insisted the help me. They said well if you did have pre-e the solution is to have the kid go home on bed rest. And once again they drew blood. I went back to my mothers (we knew i needed 24 hour care and my hubby wasnt enough with the new baby) home and woke up the next morning to her saying get up get dressed we are in a hurry you need to get to the hospital. As I stood up my mother inormed me that my face was swollen and you could see where I had slept on it. The doctor called and made me rush in. I had fluid on my brain, my liver was inflamed, and my kidneys were failing. I was put in the hospital and my doctor called in a different dr to care for me. I was finally diagnosed. Not just with pre-e but with severe pre-e! I lost 20 lbs of water within 24 hours. I had a nurse that literally sat by my bed and would not let me move without her. Those I.v>'s helped and I was soon released. However because my DR had no clue what they hell he was doing and missed ALL the signs I now have long term effects. I have high bloodpressure, edima, and suffered short term memory loss that i will never get back. Good luck and please believe in yourself I really feel like your situation is so similar to mine please beg for help dont worry about the cost! Make sure blood tests are done at the least they can check your liver and kidney function. god bless! Believe me my thoughts will be with you! Sorry this is so long you can e mail me at sxyluvd1@ ***** yahoo.**com except without all the stars if you would like I will answer any questions on pre-e i can :) Happy Holidays
your blood pressure can be read different ( i know from experience) no one really knows about pre-e so if you want to learn ask those who have had it and they will all give you similar yet a lil different answers!

Answer 2

With your symptoms, at our hospital IF you had labs which indicated you were pre-eclamptic, you would be hospitalized, placed on magnesium sulfate and most likely c-sectioned when it was safe for the baby. But our doctors are conservative.

Your symptoms are very worrisome, especially headaches, protein in the urine and vision changes. No these are NOT normal symptoms in pregnancy. Do you have epigastric pain (on right side under the ribs?) How high is your blood pressure? Have you been diagnosed with preeclampsia? You know you have protein in the urine, did they dip your urine at your last visit? Have you had PIH labs done: usually a metabolic panel including liver function tests such as AST, ALT? bun, creatinine, even a d-dimer test to rule out DIC?

If your doctor has ignored these symptoms, I think you need to see another doctor. If these symptoms continue, please go the ER and see the OB/GYN on call, please tell them your symptoms and how long you've been having them. Don't leave until you are properly evaluated with labs, exam and monitoring of vital signs and intake/output/weight for you and your baby, you and your baby's health depend on it! A blood pressure of 140/88 is just borderline elevated but you said it was the third time they checked it and only after they had you lie on the left for awhile.

Edited to say: if you are military that explains the relaxed attitude. I've found military hospitals tend not to be all that great (at least around here). However, if you've already lost a baby at 20 weeks and this is your first live birth, I wouldn't take a chance. You and your baby deserve to be properly evaluated, I know it's hard to take a stand but no one cares about this baby more than you do. If the symptoms continue and especially if they worsen, please go to the hospital and get a full laboratory workup along with your stress test and monitoring. Don't let anyone tell you that you are overreacting or "spazzing out" - I can't believe a pregnant woman would say that to another. Even if it turns out to be nothing - so what. You are pregnant and pregnant women worry, believe me. They come in all the time for stupid reasons, I've heard it all but I'm a mom too so I understand. The worst thing that can happen is that you'll be fine and they'll send you home, right?

Just looked in my maternal-child text published 2006 and it states "Mild preeclampsia is defined as two blood pressures taken at least six hours apart at 140/90 or above" and 2) "Protein of +1 or +2 found in the urine" and those are the ONLY criteria. Worsening preeclampsia includes swelling especially in face and hands, blurry or double vision, epigastric pain, some of which you have. The fact that you are getting weekly stress tests tells me they know something is going on too. Don't know why I'm getting thumbs down for my answer. Better to be safe than sorry.

Answer 3

Well either you just read a "symptoms of preeclampsia" site .. or else you need a new dr? Either your Dr is stupid or else things arent 'severe' enough-- are they at least monitoring you more??????? Many of your symptoms are NORMAL pregnancy symptoms.. fatigue & weakness are VERY NORMAL in pregnancy as are "hot flashes".. your bodys blood volume has increased by 50% making your heart work harder- so of course, like every other pregnant women out there you are very hot all the time! Also the way they determine the weight of the baby is sooo innacurate. They go by measuring their bones during an ultrasound. I had this with my first pregnancy- and oh good lord- "we have to get her out soon she weighs over 10lbs" emergency c-section and "oh oops.. here is you're 7lb baby (and i was 2 weeks over-due) we were wrong-- she is just really tall for a baby"
Blood in your urine stems from kidney problems.
Protein in your urine can be a sign- however with pre-eclampsia you have LARGE AMOUNTS of protein in your urine. Also your blood pressure wont be "off and on" it will suddenly get very high and stay that way. IE- you go in one week for your appointment and have "normal" blood pressure and then in 2 weeks when you go back it's extermely high- and even after you've rested or laid on your side or whatever it's still extremely elevated- it doesnt go back down.
Swelling is VERY VERY normal in pregnancy-- especially swelling of the feet and legs...
Vision changes are normal also-- because of the increase of blood and fluid in your body- most pregnant women do get light headed and dizzy...

And to your part about them watching you-- thats what they do "they watch you" they cant just give you a pill to cure it.. By laying on your side- your blood pressure went down THATS A GOOD THING- they can put you on bedrest etc etc.. to keep your blood pressure down if need be. If you had pre-eclampsia- your blood pressure would have stayed the same- no matter how long they had you lay on your side for.

Also a blood pressure of 140/88 is not THAT extremely high... my blood pressure with this pregnancy has been right around there the whole time... it's elevated- but it's not extrememly high--

you are spazzing out and looking for things to be wrong. your doctors sound like they know what they are doing! It's not only weight gain they keep the baby in for- it's so the babies lungs can develop properly.. you just sound like you want any excuse to have your baby right away ! relax and calm down.

Answer 4

i had preeclampsia with my first and i had all the symptoms you are describing, except my baby was 6 lbs at 37 wks. if your doctors don't seem to be worried i would trust them, but just in case, see if you can get ahold of a perinatologist. they specialize is things like this and hopefully they can give you some advice. if you can't get ahold of one, you should see one when you have your non-stress test and you can talk to the dr then, or even the nurses. buy a blood pressure checker that can go on your wrist (you can find them at big lots or maybe walgreens) and take your BP every few hours, especially before and after activities. record them and let your doctor know. i was induced because of my toxemia and it wasn't as extreme as yours sounds. i hope you can make it though. i certainly know what you are going through. try not to do any activity at all if you can, that helped me the most, especially with the vision changes. good luck and feel free to email me if you have any other questions or just need to vent about anything! take care of yourself! :)

Answer 5

if you're that worried, see another dr to get another opinion. if you can't make an appointment with someone else for some reason, just go right to the hospital. I'm guessing your going by u/s for the weight of your baby, that can be off by a lb or 2 either way so hopefully it's off and the baby is actually a little more.
definately go see another dr tho, sounds like something could be going on. good luck

Answer 6

I had it. I had my daughter at 36 weeks. She was 4lbs 8oz. But she was fine. My hands, face, and feet, and ankles were swollen, and my blood pressure was high. I didnt have high blood pressure until my 35th week. They induced me because they said the baby will do better on the inside than out. My doctor sometime ignored my symptoms, but I kept going to the hospital. They finally decided to keep me for a week after realizing my blood pressure wasnt going down they decided to induce me. Good luck to u.

Answer 7

I'm not really sure if you have preeclampsia but I would say to get an opinion from another doctor.