Outcomes of early onset PE

Can anyone that had early onset PE (before 30 weeks... tho I'd really like to hear from those around 20 weeks like me) tell me how there pregnancy ended.. what gestation did you make it to, where you admitted on bedrest.. etc.. any info would be great.

Last time I was here I was 20.5 weeks... so under a week later i was admitted to hospital for a few days and diagnosed officially with PE already. I'm now 23 weeks and 1 day and been back in hospital once already when it went back up again. Having 2-3 weekly checkups, weekly bloods and 24 hour urine analysis, weekly scans... etc etc etc... bp meds have been bumped up twice so far.... bp was sitting on 140/90 today (normal bp for me is 110/70) so they're thinking about increasing it again on tuesday at my next check

they've told me they dont expect me to go past 30 weeks and my current goal is 25 weeks... of course im hoping to go past 30 weeks though, so my PERSONAL goal is 34 weeks!

Thanks,
Charmaine

I'm so sorry you have this stress, it's really difficult. I've done a lot of research into PE and what keeps emerging is the role of diet so you may find that your goal is more achievable with complete dietary changes and as much relaxation as you can manage. Meditation works particularly well. The Blue Ribbon Baby Diet by Dr Brewer is very successful in assisting women with PE.
I hope you get lots of support from everyone around you.

Charmaine, here's a short version of my story.

I woke up at 30 weeks (to the day) and thought I'd had an allergic reaction to something. My face was completely swollen, including my eyelids, and I could hardly see. I went to the doctor who sent me straight to the hospital once my BP was taken. He refused to tell me what my BP was.

Once I got to the hospital, I was given some Labetelol (sp?) and some IV medication (not sure which) immediately after my BP was taken, and told that if my BP didn't come down within 4 hours I was going to have a c/s.

It did go down, not a lot though, and I was stabilised at the highest doesage of labetelol that they're allowed to give, and my BP was still 140/90 on a good measurement. It was often more like 160/110. I was on bedrest until 34+6 when my son was born. He weighed 1.9 kilos and was IUGR.

It turned out that the severe swelling that I had had since 20 weeks was actually the early onset of PE. I couldn't see my ankles from 23 weeks and had no kneecaps from 28 weeks. I had my rings cut off my fingers at 23 weeks because I woke up one morning and couldn't take them off. By the time I was hospitalised, I had sausages for fingers and could hardly bend them (I certainly couldn't type for example.)

I later found out that when I turned up at hospital, both BP measurements were over 200, they didn't want to tell me what they were because they'd freak me out and they were really afraid I'd have a stroke. In fact, my records show that they'd called the ICU to check if they had a bed, just in case. (I found this out by reading my records later!)

They estimate that I'd had PE from about 22-23 weeks, from the swelling and the past history. My BP is normally low, about 100/60, and at my 26 week appointment was 130/90, which was high for me, but in the normal range for pregnancy. So despite the signs, nothing was done at that stage. I should point out that I was in a base hospital in the country, seeing the midwives, who don't necessarily have a great deal of experience in this sort of thing (in the country, not generally, because in this town anyone with anything severe is sent to the city, they don't take babies before 36 weeks, so they don't have the experience of dealing with people with severe PE). I'm not bagging the midwives, in fact they were wonderful, it's just that I don't think that they had the experience to deal with someone like me who was so sick.

Anyway, with my second, I was on labetelol from 12 weeks until 36 weeks, also cartia (mild dose aspirin) for the same time, and managed to get to 41+1 before the c/s (I wanted to have a VBAC but DS#2 had other ideas).

PE is also genetic, my mum had it, and her three sisters had it (see the other post in this forum about "Is it hereditary?".

Best wishes.

My pre eclampisa started 20 + weeks, but I wasn't admitted until 28 weeks where my bp was through the roof. I delivered at 33 weeks, by which time they couldn't control my bp any longer.

Good luck!!!!

PS. Divvy - I love the name Ned!

Back again for a quick update, still hanging in there. Was hospitalized last week for 3.5 days as bp spiked again. They are taking things one day at a time now but dont expect me to make it to 28 weeks at this stage (I'm 25+5 atm) protein is a bit worse than 3+ I'm told but not at 4 yet, blood count is getting worse slowly, fluid levels are quite low, umbilical flow isnt 100% anymore but was 1.5 weeks ago. They've increased my meds a cpl of times since I was here last but my bp still isnt stable. Just playing the waiting game now and hoping I'll deliver later rather than sooner. They took me around nicu and had a talk to me about babies born 25-28 weeks and said they'll have another chat to me about it in a few days if things are still going downhill.

did anyone else have it progress like this?

Charmaine, how is it all going?

hey,
Amazingly still here.. 27w and 6d today!!! Have been in and out of hospital still and PE is worsening. Sunday I started getting upper abdominal pain associated with it too which they tell me is only going to get worse. Bubs is growing well though which is a great sign.. still only affecting me. Protein levels have jumped significantly on friday but all still under management at home. For the past almost 2 weeks I've been back in hospital literally every second day (on top of all my normal appts 3 times a week) because of worsening symptoms.

They're having troubles figuring out how to manage my blood pressure because it can jump up quite high (165/100) and then after a few hours, stabilizes itself down almost to 120/70.. then cpl of hours later its back at 165/100....

Still here though, thats all that counts. Very VERY much over it all though. Best for baby to keep cooking for a long while yet but this whole pregnancy is doing my head in!!!!

Hope everyone else is keeping well.

~charmaine

Charmaine, hope Savannah is still doing well., How are you?