Pre-Eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia affects both mum and baby. The cause for pre-eclampsia is currently unknown. When someone has the condition, the only cure for it is to deliver the baby. This is due to the fact that the placenta is not functioning as it should be; blood flow lessens between mum and baby. Therefore making it a risk for the baby and mother's health. Midwives told me that this was due to the fact that my baby was quite smaller.

Pre-eclampsia is hard to tell by symptoms. Physical symptoms include the swelling of hands, feet and face - oedema. I had noticed this in my pregnancy but was never diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. It was at one of my routine antenatal checks that they discovered that I had very high blood pressure and protein in my urine.

This led to me being immediately taken to the emergency maternity ward where they carried out more checks. They monitored the baby's heartbeat, my blood pressure, tests on my knees, took some bloods and checked my urine again. My legs were slightly raised to try and ease the swelling. I was seen by the doctor shortly after being referred to the HDU where he said pre-eclampsia gave me a high risk of having fits due to the high blood pressure and that they would be inducing me after monitoring my blood pressure and giving me medication to try and lessen and maintain it. They also took note of now much urine I passed and how much water was being consumed.

So please make sure you go to your antenatal checks!!!

After giving birth, baby and I were healthy. My blood pressure was monitored over night again where I was given medication to try and bring it down. When I was taken into the maternity ward my blood pressure was checked every couple of hours instead of being strapped to the monitor all day. I was given the same medication at this ward and was discharged by the doctor and prescribed the medication as soon as my bp was back to normal.

Luckily, with my experience baby and I were healthy and I did not experience any fits. The swelling had gone down incredibly shortly after giving birth. My legs were kept slightly raised and "special" knee high length socks were given to me to wear. (I can't for the sake of me remember what they were called lol). Before the swelling had gone down they got really worse...

Wise words of the doctor who had discharged me were: "Things will get worse before they get better"

She advised me that during my next pregnancy I would have to be monitored closely in case I get pre-eclampsia again and that my bp should be checked every now and again.

For further information, please visit the NHS website as I found this extremely useful on the facts about pre-eclampsia that explains it so much better medically!

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pre-eclampsia/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Written by Chic Toddlers. Posted with Blogsy.