Preeclampsia

Ahem, trouble, well, I had such trouble. Up until 29 weeks, I was hopping around, as they say, like a goat. After that, it started: swelling, protein in urine, blood pressure, first 140, then 160, after that 180, in short, we dragged it out until that very preeclampsia, but it was justified—we waited until it wasn't too tight for me and the baby was still fine. They performed a C-section at 33 weeks. Well, what can I say about the consequences: for me, everything cleared up within two days, as it should have; my son is now a year old, babbling in his own way, running around, just this week a slight strabismus appeared (not from prematurity, but from me—we'll operate later), hypoxic-ischemic CNS damage—we're monitoring with a neurologist. Overall, everything's a solid 4.

I, of course, thank my doctor; at another maternity hospital, they wanted to perform a C-section right away—that would have had consequences... at 29 weeks.

I don't plan to have more children; my gynecologist said there's a 90 percent chance it will happen again, since it's genetically predisposed. In that case—I pass, I've had enough fear.

Thank God everything ended well for you. For me, tragically, everything went wrong, even though, strangely enough, my first childbirth was on time, and my son is 7 years old.

I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia. Everything was fine until 30 weeks, and then it all went downhill... I completely stopped urinating, my blood pressure was 150, there was protein in my urine, and the blood flow issues were so severe that the baby wasn't even gaining 100 grams per week. In the end, after three emergency admissions with my blood pressure hitting 200, I had a C-section at 34 weeks. The baby is perfectly fine, just small at birth. Now she's six months old with no complications at all. Knock on wood. I also had the added complication of multiple fibroids, with seven stitches on my uterus from their removal. But I probably won't be having more children—I'm already older, and it wasn't in my plans anyway. I was also very lucky with the maternity hospital; it's probably the best in our country. It was private, of course.

It's wonderful that the outcome is good. How is your blood pressure after giving birth?

And at what stage did this happen for you?
I was 29, and at first I kept wondering why everyone talked about age, as if everything was so easy, and then it hit me. But of course, it's not about that—it's about the body. My husband went gray while all this was happening—first child, 35 years old, beloved wife in serious condition—and now I have some gray hairs too.

I'm 28 now, I don't think it's about age, although... No one can say for sure why this happens, what goes wrong in the body. It hasn't even been two months since everything, I want to get my hormones and blood checked. Little by little, I'm coming back to myself, it seems.

From the 25th to the 26th week, they observed, so to speak, in the hospital, but didn't help with anything.

I never had any blood pressure issues even before giving birth, never at all! And after the C-section, on the second day they left me with an infusion pump that was pouring magnesium in hellish doses 24/7 for 3 weeks, so I fainted with it, my blood pressure was 70/40. And now my blood pressure is perfectly fine. But during pregnancy, they tried everything—I won't even mention all the Dopegyt and Corinfar stuff, they injected me with Euphyllin/Clonidine, gave me emergency drugs, had IV drips running 24/7—nothing could touch my blood pressure.

Unfortunately, in such matters it's hard to help with anything. The doctors told me, your minimum goal is 28 weeks. Maximum - 32. Then we'll save both :) And money, of course. With money, sometimes more is possible than usual.

Oh, and by the way, I heard there’s some kind of test now that can show early on what the predisposition is for preeclampsia in a particular pregnancy. It seems like it just came out recently. Too bad I didn’t know about it in time.

It's absolutely not about age. This happens at any age. Especially since you're very young, and it's not your first pregnancy.

Wow, they really overdid it! You could die from hypotension too! Mine was fluctuating again before my period, the diastolic was high, and I felt like I had the flu, it was hellish. A week after it ended, I felt better. I'm blaming it all on hormones, we'll see what happens next. They say everything should go back to normal within two months, at least physically.

You should definitely monitor your next pregnancy with a good obstetrician and ultrasound specialist. If you're in Moscow, I can recommend someone.

When I first encountered it, I didn't even have time to understand anything properly, it all happened so quickly, no one really explained anything. Now, taught by bitter experience, I know that I am the only one responsible for my child and for myself...

I had moderate preeclampsia with blood pressure of 140-150, swelling, and increasing protein in my urine. At 38 weeks, the doctor decided to induce labor because nothing was really helping me anymore, and the Doppler showed impaired blood flow. I gave birth, and the baby is healthy. The swelling took another week to go down. I was very afraid of another pregnancy, but I got pregnant unexpectedly. I ended up with a good gynecologist who ran tests on me for predisposition to preeclampsia: coagulogram, homocysteine, thyroid hormones, etc. Everything was fine. There was no preeclampsia in the second pregnancy, not even simple swelling. I've read that with a second pregnancy, there might not be preeclampsia if the baby is from the same man. But if the father is new, it might recur.

Thanks, that's exactly the problem—we live in a small town, but if I get pregnant (God willing), I'll go to the regional center for monitoring)

I have the same husband, and it's not even my first pregnancy and childbirth, that's the paradox. Svetlana, did you see a private gynecologist? How do you even find them—don't think it's a stupid question, I don't think there are such doctors in women's clinics.

Then look for a good perinatal center, a good doctor based on reviews, through acquaintances. Look for a good ultrasound specialist and don't hesitate to get ultrasounds and Doppler scans; it's better to find out about blood flow issues in time, before blood pressure rises and protein appears in the urine.

Did the baby in the womb die, I'm sorry? Well, I wish you better luck next time. My advice to you is to find a good gynecologist to manage your pregnancy. I paid for private care, but I decided to give birth for free. So when I was brought in by ambulance and they decided to do a C-section, thank God I managed to call my gynecologist. She spoke with the doctor on my phone, and the ambulance took me to another maternity hospital, to an acquaintance of my gynecologist. That's where they essentially saved my little boy. Of course, I thanked them afterward—my husband brought 50,000 in an envelope upon discharge (we're in the provinces, average salary is 25,000, so that's quite a lot). And of course, I regretted thinking that the most important thing was to carry the baby to term, and that no pregnant woman would be left behind, even if they give birth for free. In any case, I wish you a speedy recovery and to carry a healthy baby. Good luck to you, I'm sending you a hug.

Thank you so much, yes, you understood correctly, it was an antenatal death. I think I felt it even before we found out. Right now, the main thing is to recover, then plan. Money makes a big difference, I'll keep that in mind. And I'm sending you a hug, thank you for your support)

That wasn't a women's clinic; it was a regional hospital. They send everyone there for screening tests, and afterward, everyone was directed to a gynecologist. That's who asked all the questions about the first pregnancy and made me take all the tests. I went to her several times. But I was actually under observation at a women's clinic. Look for a good gynecologist through friends or relatives.

Thanks)

Hello, I have also experienced such grief. I was diagnosed with eclampsia at 34 weeks of pregnancy, with a blood pressure of 240. They performed a C-section, but my little daughter passed away the next day. They said her lungs hadn't developed. I was devastated and thought I would lose my mind. I underwent examinations, and they said it was unclear where this came from. I really wanted a baby, but I only managed to get pregnant again after four years. Everything was fine, but again at 34 weeks, my blood pressure started to rise. The doctors said I had psyched myself into it, and I really was terrified of reaching 34 weeks. They put me on IV drips for 12 hours. Thank God, everything ended well—we made it to 37 weeks, and they performed a C-section. A healthy baby boy was born. Ekaterina, everything will be fine. You must believe, get treatment, and find a good gynecologist.

Thank you, we'll believe in the best, wishing you health and happiness!

Hello... It all started for me when at 34 weeks I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in the maternity hospital. The baby had changes—an enlarged liver, a larger belly, and was overweight—at 34 weeks, the ultrasound estimated the weight at 3500 grams. I was admitted to the hospital. They tried to delay things, hoping I would give birth naturally. The diet was very strict. Swelling appeared... They administered insulin. In the end, I had an emergency C-section because my test results deteriorated badly. Thankfully, the baby is fine... but they weren’t sure about me. On the second day after the C-section, I swelled up twice as much, even my face... I turned blue—my hemoglobin dropped to 68. My blood pressure spiked to 180/120. My pulse dropped to 40. Severe headaches started. My creatinine rose to 178. In the end, I had severe postpartum preeclampsia. It took me a month to recover—I struggled with blood pressure and swelling. Now, a year later, everything has stabilized... but kidney problems remain—multiple cysts formed as a result of what happened, and they are growing. I also developed blood pressure issues, or rather fluctuations—from 140/85 to 85/38... Take care of your health. Double-check everything. From my experience, I can say—you can’t rely on doctors, not all of them of course, but most of them!!

I was also given a C-section at 34 weeks due to preeclampsia; they tried to hold off since 29 weeks, but the baby died on the 12th day((, even though the prognosis was fairly good. Now, this condition is linked to hereditary thrombophilia (I need to get tested for hemostasis gene mutations) and a tendency toward autoimmune diseases. So, planning will most likely involve pills and medications.

Dear girls! Please share, how are your kidneys after severe preeclampsia? They do get affected, after all. Are you being monitored? Are you getting tests done? Does anyone have protein in their urine long after giving birth (C-section)? If so, what do the doctors say? How do you feel? What are your thoughts?

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What did you treat the preeclampsia with after?

Hello,
Two years ago, at 31 weeks, I developed preeclampsia, which rapidly progressed to eclampsia. It happened overnight, within just a few hours. The pregnancy had been normal, and my tests were fine just a week before. We called the ambulance late, after I had a seizure at home. An emergency C-section was performed, and I was placed in a medically induced coma for three days. On the fourth day, I woke up and learned everything.

The baby survived, though she spent a month in an incubator. I had a brain hemorrhage on the left side. Despite everything, I recovered quickly. Three weeks later, I was able to visit the perinatal center to see my little girl.

Now, two years later, my child is completely healthy and developing normally for her age. I also don’t have any major health issues, even though the doctors’ initial prognosis was grim.

Girls, who (in Moscow) has been treated after preeclampsia and planned for the next pregnancy?

I was also 29 years old. At 36 weeks, my urine protein suddenly spiked—first it was 1, then my blood pressure rose, but not significantly, around 130/80. There were no visible swelling. A couple of days later, the protein level was 3, I practically stopped urinating, there was almost no visible swelling, my blood pressure remained the same, and I felt perfectly fine. I was admitted to the maternity pathology department in Mytishchi, Moscow region, and couldn’t even collect urine for a test—just two drops. The protein level was 5, and I was immediately sent to the ICU. There, I started having seizures, blood in the catheter, and no urine output despite being given 3 liters of IV fluids. An emergency C-section was performed at 36 weeks. Thankfully, the baby is fine, and I recovered afterward. I’m afraid of a second pregnancy.

Good afternoon everyone, I also had severe preeclampsia at 24 weeks. My blood pressure suddenly spiked to 190, and within four days, the protein levels reached critical values, and the baby passed away. The hospital couldn't help; Dopegyt didn't work, there was no swelling, urine output was normal, but there was a grade 3a disruption in the placental-uterine blood flow. They advised me to get my kidneys, heart, and thyroid checked, but so far, no issues have been found. I'm afraid of another pregnancy—not for myself, but for the baby.

From the beginning of my pregnancy, I had high blood pressure, around 160/80. I only took Dopegyt. I worked until 9 months, maybe that's why the whole pregnancy was veeeery easy for me—I was active until 8 months, no contractions. I walked a lot, to work on foot, which is about 5 km. Plus, on weekends, at least 10 km by the sea. My due date was set for January 9th, but I ended up going to the hospital on January 7th because there was already protein in my urine. I arrived at the maternity hospital with a blood pressure of 200, protein in my urine, and not having urinated at all for 2 days. I had a C-section on January 9th, exactly at 40 weeks. The baby was healthy, 4800 grams and 56 cm. The doctors said with such a large baby and such high blood pressure, it was a miracle! I’ll say that I didn’t feel the blood pressure of 200 at all—somehow everything was just so easy =) I live in Latvia, gave birth for free. Now the child is 2 years old, not super advanced, but not slow either. Understands everything, bilingual, has been going to daycare since 1.5 years old, doesn’t get sick, sleeps a lot, even too much. So, there are positive outcomes too. I definitely want a second child, but after I lose the extra weight (I gave birth at 120 kg).

I also had severe preeclampsia, though my entire pregnancy was high-risk, but I didn’t have blood pressure issues—instead, I had gestational diabetes. At 37 weeks, my blood pressure spiked to 140/100, so we called an ambulance. At the maternity hospital, they couldn’t bring it down, plus there was protein in my urine, and it was increasing. By the time of the C-section, my blood pressure was 200 (I don’t know the lower number). The baby was hospitalized because he wasn’t breathing. But now we’re both doing well—he’s almost a year old. My blood pressure has normalized, and I’ve even managed to keep breastfeeding until now. So I wish you good health and don’t lose hope!!!

I'm 22 years old and always considered myself healthy. My pregnancy was strictly managed by a very smart gynecologist, and there were no particular problems—everything was textbook perfect. Yet, they still missed it. At 37 weeks, I developed severe preeclampsia: my blood pressure was 150/100 and wouldn't go down, protein levels were 3g, an ultrasound showed a shriveled kidney, I had no urine output at all, and the baby had impaired blood flow. Literally, just three days before this happened, all my tests were normal, the CTG was fine, etc. I was hospitalized due to high blood pressure. I calmly rode in the ambulance thinking I'd get an IV drip and have another two weeks to go. Instead, I was quickly wheeled on a gurney to the ICU. Emergency C-section. The baby was in the NICU, weighing 2360g, weak, and breathing with support. My blood pressure normalized immediately, but the protein took a long time to clear. They told me right away I'd be in the maternity hospital for about 10 days—they even wanted to keep me longer. I left on the 9th day, signing a discharge against medical advice—as soon as my daughter was ready for discharge and I was showing positive progress, I just couldn't stand being in the hospital any longer.

The baby wasn't taken to a separate hospital from me (to gain weight—minimum discharge weight was 2500g). I managed to keep her with me in a kangaroo care room (Hospital No. 68, Moscow). The baby recovered quickly. The head of the pediatric ICU, Anna Valentinovna, was a huge support. She strictly monitors every child and is a deeply caring person—I would have lost my mind without her. Now, at 5 months old, the neurologist is pleased, there are no issues, and she's gained weight.

I developed hypertension. Now I'm on medication all the time.

I had severe preeclampsia that started at 22 weeks, with my blood pressure rising to 230/150 and severe swelling. The doctors managed to prolong the pregnancy until 32 weeks, but I spent two months in the intensive care unit, connected around the clock to an infusion pump with magnesium. At 32 weeks, I had an emergency C-section. My baby was born with third-degree intrauterine growth restriction, weighing 1,200 grams and measuring 37 cm. My daughter and I spent two months in the perinatal center, where she was cared for. We were discharged when she weighed 2,100 grams. After what I went through, I’ve had severe hypertension for a year now—I live on medication, and my blood pressure still rises to 200. I found a scientific article online where Scandinavian doctors conducted a study observing women who had experienced severe preeclampsia and eclampsia over 10 years. Unfortunately, this condition has a significant long-term impact on the health of both women and children. It often affects the kidneys and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and severe hypertension tenfold over a lifetime. I don’t even want to talk about the children—it’s too painful.

Good afternoon. During my second pregnancy, I had severe preeclampsia. My first pregnancy was completely fine. Initially, when I took the glucose test, it showed 5.3, and I was referred to an endocrinologist. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and went on a diet. By 30 weeks, I had gained 13 kg. Once, my blood pressure spiked to 150 in the evening. I went to a routine appointment with my gynecologist and mentioned that I was swelling, but she didn’t pay attention to it. At 30–31 weeks, I was taken by ambulance from home with a blood pressure of 170 and bleeding. I had an emergency C-section, but my daughter died inside me. I spent 2 days in intensive care and was discharged on the 8th day. Almost two months have passed now. I’ve had my kidneys checked—nothing serious—and I’m still getting tests done. I want a second child, but I’m very afraid of a recurrence. I’m 37 years old.

And by what parameters is grade 3 underdevelopment determined? I gave birth at 29 weeks via C-section.

I had preeclampsia, my blood pressure was 200, and I spent a week in the ICU on IV drips. The baby was born healthy, weighing 2500 grams, and we managed to carry him to 38 weeks. But girls, looking back at that condition now, I think I was risking my life very seriously. I'm not even sure if we should have tried to prolong the pregnancy, since the blood flow was already poor. Thankfully, the doctors were highly experienced. I am very grateful to them. By the way, my mother had the same thing, but she was young—back then, people gave birth at 20—and she managed just fine, delivering naturally.

Please recommend a clinic and doctor

Jeanne, I unfortunately had the same experience, only at 24 weeks! With the same outcome. Everything will definitely be alright for both of us!

I also had second-degree preeclampsia that started at 26 weeks, with blood pressure of 180/120. I was hospitalized in the pathology department, and protein started to rise. They prescribed Dopegyt and Clonidine, but it didn’t help. They administered magnesium sulfate via IV, but my blood pressure wouldn’t drop, and my kidney began to shrink. They decided to perform an emergency C-section at 29 weeks. A boy was born, weighing 0.700 grams, and he passed away on the ninth day. I started having headaches, and my blood pressure was 160/120. I’m taking medication, but my kidney continues to shrink. These are the consequences. We really want a child, but the doctors have forbidden it.

Good afternoon. When I was 23, I had severe preeclampsia at 27 weeks. I was under the care of a free clinic doctor in my district. Everything was fine—I never had any issues with blood pressure at all. Then suddenly, it spiked to 185/115, and I was taken away by ambulance. They managed to lower it to 140, and it stayed like that for two days, but then fetal hypoxia occurred, leading to intrauterine death. They induced labor. During delivery, my blood pressure rose again to 180. After that, I was on magnesium for 24 hours. It’s awful to remember. Following this, I underwent many examinations, but nothing was found. It was only five years later that I took a test for hereditary thrombophilia and discovered I have it, inherited from my mother’s side. In other words, thick blood and a tendency to form clots. I’m currently being treated by a hematologist. They say I could carry a pregnancy to 32 weeks. However, I haven’t been able to conceive again for the past five years. I’ve found a good hematologist, but I’m still looking for a gynecologist. Maybe someone here can recommend a good gynecologist in Samara. I would be very grateful.

Dear guest! Please recommend your good doctor.

Girls, please recommend a good doctor or center for managing preeclampsia. In 2007, at 25 weeks, I had a C-section at 38 weeks due to gestosis, which is now called preeclampsia. Then, in 2014, we decided to try again, but the pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage. In 2015, another missed miscarriage. In 2016, we tried again with Duphaston, the pregnancy progressed, but at 22 weeks, preeclampsia set in, and I had another C-section. During health checks, they discovered thrombophilia: SERPINE1 (PAI-1) in homozygous state, FGB fibrinogen in heterozygous state, and F2 prothrombin in heterozygous state. I have stage 2 hypertension, but my kidneys are normal. We planned again with Duphaston, but at 21 weeks, preeclampsia occurred with zero placental blood flow, and I had another C-section. Doctors also love recommending tubal ligation, but I refused. There’s still some hope in my heart—maybe, just maybe...

First pregnancy, preeclampsia at 30 weeks, emergency C-section. Second pregnancy four years later, severe preeclampsia at 28 weeks, also C-section. From the first, a boy, 1 kg; from the second, a girl, 750 g. Naturally, Roma was in intensive care for 2 months on a ventilator, then a month in the premature unit with me, while Rita was on a ventilator for almost 3 months and spent 3 weeks in the premature unit.

Hello. I've been reading a lot here, and now I'm definitely not going for a second child. I went through my entire pregnancy without any problems at all—no swelling, no morning sickness, all tests were normal. At 38 weeks, I went to the clinic for a routine CTG. Before it, they always checked my blood pressure (consistently 110-120/70-80), but this time, my gynecologist's eyes nearly popped out of her head... my blood pressure was 200/100. After that, everything felt like a nightmare—she rushed to call an ambulance. While we waited, they tried to calm me down and said that once I got to the maternity hospital, they'd examine me, give me an IV, and then decide what was best... Meanwhile, I felt completely normal, except for a slight headache, which I thought was due to the weather. Anyway, they brought me in, admitted me right away, changed my clothes, and put me on an IV. I slept for a couple of hours, and when I opened my eyes, I saw a whole team of doctors around my bed... judging by their faces, I knew things were bad. They took me to the operating room, gave me spinal anesthesia, and then I heard the baby's cry... he was born healthy, and I saw and heard everything. I passed out while they were stitching me up and only woke up the next day... I had a hard time recovering from the anesthesia, and my head hurt unbearably. Exactly a week later, the pain subsided, and they discharged us... Now the baby is 10 months old, healthy, beautiful, smart, and full of energy... So, here's what I'm getting at, girls: at the clinic after giving birth, they told me not to worry, that this kind of thing only happens once... but at the maternity hospital, they said it was very likely to happen again. Who should I believe? Of course, I'm not planning on another child in the next 3, 4, or 5 years, but what if there's a surprise? I'm scared now.

I understand you well. It's been 10 months since it happened, and I remember everything like a nightmare. At 22 weeks, I was hospitalized for monitoring due to low-lying placenta and bleeding. The bleeding stopped, and they said they would keep me until the placenta moved up. At 24 weeks, the bleeding started again. They stopped it, and after it stopped, they continued giving me hemostatic drugs for two weeks, even though I was against it. They said it was necessary. And then, everything turned into a nightmare at 26 weeks: my blood pressure was 180/115 in the morning, protein in the urine... In the end, it was severe preeclampsia. I spent a day in intensive care, and my tests only got worse. They decided to perform a C-section. A boy was born weighing 600 grams, and he lived for 25 days. I seem to have recovered physically, but my soul is still crying... I don’t know if the medications I took could have caused this or not, but it’s frustrating that I was under constant hospital supervision and it still ended this way.

In 2009, at 27 weeks, I had an emergency C-section due to preeclampsia. It all started with swelling at 20 weeks. I was hospitalized for a month, had high blood pressure, protein in my urine, and after the C-section, my blood pressure wouldn’t go down, and the protein kept increasing. The baby died—a boy. In 2010, under the supervision of a gynecologist, I adjusted my male hormones and gave birth via planned C-section at full term. My son is doing well. In 2018, my blood pressure started spiking again at 20 weeks. At 25 weeks, I had an emergency C-section due to severe fetal growth restriction. He was born weighing 690 grams and died on the 20th day. There’s a hole in my soul, my heart is breaking, and I feel utterly defeated. I don’t know how to live with this—I desperately want more children.