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Hey there! I had Pree and HELLP syndrome in my first pregnancy and can say with confidence, it is very serious and to advocate as much as possible with your doctor (demand testing, ask every possible question, ask for more appointments, etc.) With that said, sounds like you are already doing all this.
One thing I really wish people knew about Preeclampsia is that there is nothing you can do to prevent it or predict it will happen. There are risk factors that can make a woman more likely to develop it, but ultimately it is extremely unpredictable. I had the most severe version and fit none of the predictors. Twins is indeed a risk factor.
Taking low dose aspirin clinically reduces the chances of getting it by about 10%. So not a cure all but worth taking it daily.
Another thing I wish people knew, the origin of the issue happens at the START of pregnancy (implantation). The placenta doesn’t fully implant correctly which causes hormone/communication issues from the placenta to and from mom/baby. Symptoms and issues start to arise when the baby is large enough and demanding more blood (usually after 20 weeks). When the placenta thinks the baby isn’t getting sufficient blood, it starts to do wild things to moms body like spike her blood pressure to increase volume to the placenta.
I found reading other women’s stories in survivor groups really helpful. There’s a global network on facebook where women post and share experiences all the time. There’s also really great guides and myth busting about it. I highly suggest it for your wife. It can be a bit scary but helpful to know how doctors tend to proceed and make sure you’re asking the right questions.
And lastly, I saw someone brought up the mag drip above. It’s pretty standard to give this to any Pree delivery and I will second, it’s brutal. The first 5-10 minutes are rough. Your wife will likely vomit and it will feel like fire in her body. It mixes you up and you kinda don’t know what’s going on. The purpose is to ensure she doesn’t become eclamptic so it’s vital but can be hard to watch. They often won’t let you get out of your hospital bed for 24 hours after since it messes with muscle communication and makes your legs weak.
I don’t say any of this to scare you. Just echoing above that it is very serious and to support your wife as much as possible. Many women do suffer from PTSD after Pree or HELLP births. Many also navigate it with close monitoring and bring home healthy babies 💗💗. Hopefully you have a fantastic OB/MFM team who will give you even more attention going forward.
Should be taking baby aspirin starting weeks 12-16 through end of pregnancy to reduce the risk of preeclampsia
She was doing that starting week 12. This is week 16. Her blood pressure was 138/98 today so the doctors are now going to check in with her weekly but it’s possible that it’s too late. Still unclear pending tests but they’ll have a baseline this week.
So sorry she’s going through this. It may be gestational hypertension-had it myself. It is early enough that if she and the doctor are comfortable, she can potentially take BP pill approved for pregnancy. That’s what we did in my case, and I’m so grateful we did. We got the baby to 37 weeks which is term for a single. If she goes that route, just be careful to force them to analyze not just BP and protein in urine in third trimester to rest fr preeclampsia but also liver function. Based on BP and protein, I didn’t have preeclampsia, but a complete panel with liver function showed that I actually did
I understand. It was very scary for us as well. The good thing is that the OB seems to be on top of it.
I’d reiterate that it is good that they are checking her baseline stats now, but if the decision is to medicate for gestational hypertension (not a a bad one; we did), then please, please, please make them repeat liver function in 3rd trimester.
The meds can mask when preeclampsia has actually developed in 3rd trimester. It can still develop even if she doesn’t have it now.
I was on preeclampsia watch with my first for my whole second and third trimester. Unfortunately there isn’t a ton (besides the aspirin) that can actually be done, you just watch it like a hawk. I had to undergo twice a week monitoring and was glad because it gave me peace of mind. You can also get an at home blood cuff which I have this pregnancy to help me take a reading when I’m feeling symptoms (just know they are notoriously off). Eventually my blood pressure was at a point that they wanted to induce labor a few weeks early. The best thing is to have a dr who is on top of it and watching her for the rest of her pregnancy, which it sounds like they are! I ended up developing it right after I gave birth and had to go on a round of magnesium (not fun, but clears it up). So sorry you are going through this, any complication isn’t fun!