**UPDATE** I Might Have Pre-Eclampsia, and I Am Scared

[LisaTx]

No advice, Michelle, but I did want to send good wishes for you and your baby.

 

[Boots]

{{{{HUGS}}}} and prayers!

 

[Sharon A.]

Another pre-eclampsia mom here. I didn't start with it until the last month, but I got pretty much all the symptoms -- really high bp (normally like 105/65 or so went up to 180/110, swelling so badly I couldn't bend my fingers, protein in my urine (although I could've sworn it was sugar they said, but it was a long time ago) and headaches).

And here I am years later with no problems and a beautiful daughter. Like the others said, just listen to your doctor. They deal with this all the time. I'm sure you're in good hands and soon you'll be holding your child and answering threads like these.

 

[Pooh93]

Good thoughts for you! You'll make it.

 

[Saffron]

No advice here, just lots of good wishes and a big {{{Hug}}}

 

[phins_jazy]

I've been there too. High blood pressure and swelling. Couldn't tie my shoes or wear my rings. Was admitted to the hosptial weekly. I couldn't stay hydrated. Try to relax, stay off your feet and drink lots of water. I was also told to eat as many peanut butter sandwiches as I could stomach. (Couldn't eat much of anything when I was pregnant. But that's another thread. ) And I completely agree that when you go into your dr's office don't get your bp taken right away. Just walking into that little room always made me freak. But every time I heard my baby's heartbeat I was always better. My dd was induced 3 weeks early and I'm glad she was. 7 lb 12 oz. Just imagine what she would have been if she went full term!!! Good luck to you and listen to what your dr tells you to do.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Hang in there! Your blood pressure could be up just from being pregnant.

Just make sure you work with your doctor on this. Lie on your left side as much as you can and make sure you drink plenty of water.

Good thoughts coming your way. {{{hug}}}

 

[nuke]

I had High BP with my pregnancy. I was on medication and tried to stay stress free and lie down as much as possible.

The last two months of my pregnancy I had to go to the hospital weekly for non-stress tests. They would also check the fluid around the baby every week.

I was induced 10 days before my due date and I have a happy healthy 5 year old.

Good luck and I love the names you picked out!

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

Another been there done that chiming in! Follow directions and you and the baby will be fine. We were able to delay delivery until about 6 weeks before my due date...both mom and baby were fine. I gained 90 pounds during that pregancy, 60 of it came off in the hospital due to finally losing the retained fluid. Before I delivered I looked like Elvis in the later years, LOL!

Best wishes. Hopefully since you aren't spilling protien, the elevated blood pressure is due to nerves and nothing else.

 

[Disneylvr]

BUMP

 

[perdidobay]

I'm glad you're ok But sorry you had to go through that at the doctors office. If it had been me, I would definitly talk to the OB on my next visit and let her know what the nurses said. They should be talked to IMHO.
take care,
MJ

 

[damo]

Great news! Enjoy your next 16 weeks.

 

[Kermit]

I'm so glad to hear that! I'd be upset with the doctor's office too, but at least the OB followed up and did what he needed to do to make sure you weren't really sick. Could you see if maybe they could take your blood pressure as soon as you arrive at the office from now on so that you won't have as much time to get so stressed?

 

[helenabear]

Glad to hear the good news! My blood pressure skyrockets when I go into the doctor's office as well. I hope the rest of your pregnancy is healthy and comfortable

 

[DisOrBust]

Another L&D RN here..and I agree with what everyone has said. I would recommend taking your own BP at home so you can see what it runs in a normal enivroment UNLESS it makes you crazy and anxious. Our perinatalogists want BP taking in a sitting possion after 5 minutes sitting with your feet on the floor. They say the L sided BP are always lower and not an acurate read of what your "running" most of the day unless your on bedrest. Enjoy your pregnacy and don't let this ruin it! My only other concern is your OB. Do you really like him/her? I get nervous when I hear staff don't like an MD....Remember you can always switch, its your birth experience not theirs!!

 

[Disneylvr]

I am thinking about switching doctors although at almost 25 weeks will an OB take me on as a new patient? I know it is this doctor and her staff that is causing my pressure to rise, but I do realize that I might get PIH or Preeclampsia later in my pregnancy. Since I started seeing her I have had to wait a minimum of 90 minutes beyond my appointments before seeing her, but usually over 2 hours. And it isn't always because she is delivering a baby, it is just when she gets in. That alone causes stress especially for a high anxiety person like me. I am really hoping to save as much of my sick leave from work for when after the baby is born! I end up using 4 hours or of sick leave for a 10 minuite appointment.

At the hospital they took my blood pressure sitting up upon arrrival in the L&D triage unit and it was 144/76 but of course at that point I was still scared out of my mind. Then I was on a bed (not on my side) with my upper body in an almost sitting up position with pressure being taken every 15 minutes. After that it kept going down. They monitored it for over 4 hours with my last reading as 104/55, almost too low! The did alot of blood work on me and it was all normal.

 

[phins_jazy]

Find yourself a new doc!!! I went through 3 of them while I was pregnant until I found the right doc. You have to be complelely comfortable with them. They're the one who is going to help bring your darling baby into the world. And don't feel bad about changing docs. It happens all the time.

If I remember correctly you were going to deliver at a hospital closer to your home but then decided to deliver at this new hospital where the staff was very friendly to you. Make certain that who ever you chose to be your new doc also delivers at that particular hospital. I ran into that problem. The hospials were right across the street from each other but only certain docs could deliver at each hospital. Weird, but worth looking into if you want to deliver at this new hospital.

I don't know what type of work you do or what type of company you work for but when I had my dd I was able to take short term disability after all my sick leave was gone. I had a pretty hard pregnancy and used up all my sick time before dd was born. It's been 3 years so I don't remember exactly how it goes. While on short term disability you still get a wage but not your full wage. I can't remember the percentage. And you get quite a few weeks of short term disability. I just had to have a note from my doc stating that I wasn't ready to go back to work yet. And when he did ok me to go back I had to have another note clearing me for work.

Good luck to you and your little one.

 

[Disneylvr]

My place of employment does not provide employees with short term disability. Only long term which is more than 6 months.

 

[ZPT1022]

If I were you I would look for a new doctor. Perhaps call the hospital you want to deliver at and ask for a suggestion. I have never waited 2 hours for an appointment, honestly I would have walked out by then. I never waited more than 5-10 minutes. Maybe try a group practice, that way even if there is an emergency, there is always someone there to see you. Maybe you could even look at using a midwife. I loved mine. She is so great. I call her by her first name, I don't know why but somehow that makes it feel more personal and she is so easy to talk to about anything. I really think that you need to click with the dr. who will deliver your baby,it is such a major life event. I desperately want to move out of CT, but I am not moving until I have had a second child, that's how much I like my midwife, I really want her to deliver my second child. The care I received was that good. And I did not have an easy pregnancy or delivery. I had toxemia too, it stinks, bedrest is so boring, but worth it for a healthy baby! I think I have blabbered on enough. Any more questions feel free to ask or PM or email, whatever works for you! Hope you are feeling better!

 

[Disneylvr]

Thank you!! Actually I feel great and always have throughout the pregnancy (except a bit of morning sickness early on). The only thing that has made me feel bad/stressed is the doctor and her staff.