What Is Pre-Eclampsia

While at the appointment with my midwife yesterday, I found out that my blood pressure is high. Last week, my blood pressure was slightly high so I went for a blood pressure profile but everything turned out fine. This week was completely different – my initial blood pressure was about 140/85 and ended up being 150/90! I was sent straight to the hospital for another blood pressure profile, especially when I am now getting more symptoms of pre-eclampsia.

I had to ask what pre-eclampsia is because, while I have heard of it, I have never really understood what it actually is. Is it a blood disorder? Is it something to do with my immune system? I decided to ask my midwife but I still did not get a very clear answer – just that it is very dangerous for mother and baby. Afterwards, I decided to do some research into it to find out exactly what pre-eclampsia is.

What Is Pre-Eclampsia?

In short, this is a problem that about 10% of first time mums suffer from. Those who have suffered from it in their earlier pregnancies are likely to suffer from it in subsequent pregnancies. It can occur any time from 20 weeks pregnant but the majority of expectant mothers find that it occurs from the start of the third trimester – around the 27^th week. I am 40 weeks today (it is my due date!), which shows that it can occur at any stage in the third trimester and no-one is completely clear until after giving birth.

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that happens during pregnancy. Very little is understood about it but it is linked to the placenta causing a problem. The placenta carries all the nutrients to your baby and gets rid of waste, so it is extremely important. There are thoughts that the placenta is damaged or there are problems with the blood vessels.

Since this is linked to the blood vessels, there are fears that the problem can pass around the expectant mothers’ body. This damages the mothers’ blood vessels and may cause them to leak.

The Symptoms of Pre-Eclampsia

The main symptom is high blood pressure. However, pregnant women can suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy without developing pre-eclampsia. Another symptom is protein in the urine. When you attend your antenatal appointments, you will always be asked to have a urine sample with you. The doctor, midwife or caregiver will check the sample for any protein. You will only be diagnosed with pre-eclampsia if both of these symptoms are present.

Other symptoms include:

·         Visual disturbances – blurred vision or flashing lights

·         Pain in the upper abdomen

·         Swelling in the feet, hands and face

·         Severe headaches

Who Is Most at Risk?

As with everything, there are some people who are more at risk than others. While this is something that anyone can develop during pregnancy, there are some women who are considered to be more at risk of developing pre-eclampsia:

·         Those over 40

·         Those who are obese

·         Pregnancies with multiple babies

·         If your mother or sister have had the condition

·         First time mums

·         Those who had pre-eclampsia in another pregnancy

·         Those who have a baby 10 years after another one

Some Symptoms Are Common Pregnancy Symptoms

Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of pre-eclampsia are common during pregnancy. Swelling in the body is completely normal. Your body will have more blood being passed around, which means that more blood is able to pool in places. The lower body is most likely to suffer from swelling but it can also occur in the hands – some pregnant women complain of swelling in their hands during the night but the hands are normal during the day.

When it comes to swelling, it is important to look into the amount of swelling and whether it will go away. Normal swelling will usually disappear when the swollen body parts are elevated; as the blood is able to circulate around the rest of the body. Sudden or severe swelling and swelling that does not go away may be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

High blood pressure can also be common, especially during late pregnancy. Gestation high blood pressure may occur from the 20^th week. Without the presence of protein in the urine, high blood pressure is just considered to be just that. However, your caregiver will continue to check your urine at each check as you may develop protein in the urine at a later date.

Treating Pre-Eclampsia

The good news is that this can be treated during pregnancy. More good news is that it will usually go away after pregnancy. Caught early enough, there are fewer risks to mother and baby; however, there are complications if pre-eclampsia is not caught early enough. This is why it is important to attend all antenatal appointments or to rearrange at the earliest time possible if you do need to cancel for any reason.

The first test usually done in the UK is a blood pressure profile. Specialists will check your blood pressure while also monitoring the movements of your baby. This makes sure that you and your little monkey are doing well. An average of your blood pressure is taken after five measurements, usually about 10 minutes apart, have been taken.

You may also need blood tests to check how your kidneys and liver are functioning. If the protein is new, there are chances that you will be asked to collect samples of your urine over the period of 24 hours. This will help to check your urine throughout the day to determine just how much protein is being leaked from the kidneys.

If pre-eclampsia has developed during the second trimester or in the early stages of the third trimester – before the baby reaches full term – and it is not severe, it is likely that a doctor will put you on medication to help prevent the pre-eclampisa getting worse. The only way to completely cure the condition is to give birth but doctors do not want to do this before your baby is regarded as being full term to ensure full development has occurred.

Where pre-eclampsia is severe, the best thing is to deliver the baby. If this is earlier in the pregnancy, there are chances that you will be given steroids to help your baby develop before the baby is born. This helps to ensure that the lungs and brain have developed enough to survive in the outside world.

If you are full term when you develop pre-eclampsia, midwives and doctors will likely talk to you about being induced. This is something that I may need to talk to a doctor about tomorrow after my next blood pressure profile. However, I know that my little monkey is happy where it is at the moment and shows no signs of wanting to be born. This could lead to complications with being induced and means I am more likely to need a c-section.  Of course, they will induce me in two weeks if I haven’t given birth anyway!

After researching pre-eclampsia, I felt much better knowing what it is and how it will affect me and my baby. I am thankful that it has happened so late in pregnancy but I will now worry for any subsequent pregnancies I have. However, I hope this helps you if you have found out that you may have pre-eclampsia or you are looking out for the symptoms. While there is very little you can do about it, you may be happier knowing that medical professionals do take it seriously and will do everything they can to ensure you and your little monkey will be healthy.