If you or your partner was hospitalized for pre-eclampsia prior to delivering your little one, tell me about your experience

[kimhimmel]

@braesha I think you’re one of the only stories I’ve seen so far of someone who was able to deliver vaginally! I’m so glad your doula could be there to support you as well. Thanks for sharing.

 

[braesha]

@kimhimmel My hospital and the team was very dedicated to a vaginal delivery if it was at all possible because it is so much better outcomes for baby. It was funny because I picked My hospital because they had a good track record of low non-neccessary C-sections and I was worried about being tracked to A C section due to being old (34) and plus size. (they actually were published as a best practice guide because 10 years ago they had one of the worst C-section rates in the country and they from the top down changed their policies & practices to help improve outcomes) - but then going into day 3 I was joking that I was so scared of being forced into a C-section and had ended up being forced into a vaginal delivery (I was super whiny by that morning).

 

[widemouth]

@kimhimmel

1. I was admitted at 28+6 for preeclampsia with severe features. I delivered at 29+2. So I only had a few days into admission until delivery. The goal was 34 weeks.
2. BP at admission was like 200/100. I had a lot of protein in my urine and my liver enzymes were very elevated.
3. BP was very hard to control before and after delivery. When I got discharged over a week after being admitted. I was on 600mg labetalol 3 times a day, 50 of hydralazine three times a day, and 60 of Procardia twice a day. Within the first 1-2 weeks after discharge, my BP stabilized a lot. So then I was only one the 60mg of Procardia twice a day. That lasted for months. Then I weaned down to 30 mg twice a day, then 30 mg once a day and then finally was able to get off. So it took 6 months postpartum to not need BP meds.
4. I was only admitted a few days before delivery and had the magnesium drip for the first 24 hours. So I was on bed rest for that 24 hours. And then basically they just wanted me to go to the bathroom and get back in bed.
5. We were so exhausted just within those few days before delivery that we slept so much. But they consulted the neonatologist to come talk with us and help explain things and that really helped prepare us.
6. My little guy kept having prolonged decels frequently that didn’t improve with repositioning or fluids. It happened fast when they decided that they needed to get him out. I think I was in the OR within the hour of them deciding it was time.
7. C section. He was breech and I wasn’t dilated at all. I was having irregular contractions.
8. He was like 955 grams I think. 2lb 2oz.
9. 100 days in the NICU. He was intubated from July 25 until early September. Then on CPAP for another few weeks, then high flow for a month or so, then regular nasal cannula until about a week before discharge. He didn’t need any surgeries and the longest part was weaning off oxygen. He was very lucky.
10. Give yourself grace. You’re never going to feel that you’re doing enough or there enough. But you also have to take care of yourself to make sure you heal well from birth and are getting as much rest as possible. It’s going to be the hardest thing you ever have to endure. It’s going to feel impossible most days, if not everyday. Give yourself grace. Make sure you’re eating as best you can and hydrating. The nicu is a scary place with so many alarms and sounds that you’re not gonna be familiar with for a little while. Ask questions! You are your baby’s advocate and voice!!! That’s so important to remember!

 

[kimhimmel]

@widemouth Thank you for sharing this. Also, wow to your BP at admission, I’m glad they were able to stabilize you.

 

[jcoliver75]

@kimhimmel I got the preeclampsia diagnosis pretty much day 1 of the second trimester so a lot of the anxiety and my expectations of how delivery would go has been hashed out by the time they called it. But it was still a shock and of course anxiety reared it's ugly head.

I was hospitalized just a few days before delivery by emergency c-section at 32+3. It was mostly boring, interrupted frequently by annoyance with the constant bp taking thing. I was only allowed to leave the bed to use the bathroom and was supposed to be on my left side as much as possible. I had two incidents of shortness of breath that were pretty freaky and scary but otherwise I felt ok, just the normal pregnancy heartburn, and lack of sleep from being in the hospital.

Once the doctor said it's time, an army came into my room and started doing all kinds of things. It was overwhelming but I'm pretty sure the first thing they did was administer some happy drugs because I was really low-key about things like a catheter, shaving, and blood draws that would have otherwise had me all tied up on knots.

The epidural and c-section were not so great. It's intense and overwhelming and they move fast and having abdominal surgery while you're awake and already ill is unpleasant to say the least. But, although they had to work on him a bit, at the end I got to see my beautiful baby boy, so it was all worth it.

I was in the hospital for 3 days afterwards and had a normal recovery and my son did great, coming home 1 day before his due date. It was a long, long 7 weeks and I'm honestly not sure how I managed it. But he's now 16, taller than me, and eating us out of house and home like any normal teenager.

I can't give enough praise to the staff of the hospital in L&D and the NICU. Their efficiency and expertise were so reassuring and instilled a lot of confidence. Without that it could have been a very different experience.

The whole process is a lot, but somehow you manage to do it.

 

[kimhimmel]

@jcoliver75 Thanks for this story. That’s incredible that you managed at home with that diagnosis for so long!

 

[jcoliver75]

@kimhimmel I did a lot of doctor visits, every 3 weeks after my BP started climbing then 2 weeks, etc. By the time I was admitted I was going twice a week to get fetal monitoring as well as the other stuff. I was also 46 at the time so they were keeping a very close eye on me.

 

[dree33]

@kimhimmel I was 32 weeks, almost 33 weeks when I was asked to come in because my protein levels were high. I also had a lot of edema, and high blood pressure, but the high-protein was the main reason for my admittance. I was discharged from my midwives care, and placed in the care of an OB/GYN. This really bummed me out, because I really liked my midwives, but the OB’s were great. This was the weekend of October 14, 2023. I stayed for the weekend, and I was discharged on Monday with a high, but stable blood pressure. On Wednesday, we went out and met up with some friends, and then I checked my blood pressure and blood sugar, (I also had gestational diabetes,) and it was very high. It was in the 160s over 110s range. We called our hospital’s L&D to see what we should do, and they asked us to come in. My first blood pressure reading upon arrival was 180/119. The nurse made a call to the doctor, and the doctor came in and told me that I was going to be induced. I was 33 weeks and three days at this point. They induced me that night/ early that morning, and I was placed on magnesium. I slept the entire day. The funny thing is, I never really had too many symptoms. I had a lot of edema, but I never had that headache, nausea, or blurry vision. The magnesium felt weird, and I slept for most of the time. I got an epidural, and little man was born at 8:37 PM on Thursday, October 19, 2023. He spent 3 1/2 weeks in the Nicu, and was discharged on November 12, 2023. he is now four months, adjusted three, and is doing wonderfully. He hits all of his milestones, he is a happy boy, and he is just the light of our lives. I was on nifedipine for about six weeks after giving birth.

 

[kimhimmel]

@dree33 Glad he had such a smooth time in the NICU. What a whirlwind for you!

 

[parentof2boys]

@kimhimmel Hey! I had pre eclampsia with severe features and I recently gave birth to my little one. My blood pressure was around 158-160 when I went to the doctor that day and she told me to go to the hospital but was really vague about what was going on. I had protein in my urine when they tested it and they had the baby monitored for a few hours and kept taking my blood pressure. I was extreme swollen and puffy in my face, arms , hands, calves and feet. They struggled to place my iv at the time. As soon as I hit 160 they treated my blood pressure and told me they were admitting me. A doctor then came in to tell me I was looking at induction in 6 days, and I was admitted at exactly 33 weeks. I made it to 34 weeks when they started the induction but my blood pressure was constantly around 155-170, even with the medication. Was on magnesium drip when I was admitted and then again at labor, and that honestly is the worst part. Makes you feel like you have the flu, sweaty and cold, and I did throw up quite a few times. My induction total probably took total around 24 hours , they placed the foley and that was quite uncomfortable as well. As soon as I got the epidural , they started the pitocin and I progressed really slowly until the next day. But the epidural was a lifesaver, I didn’t feel much discomfort after that just nausea from the magnesium. She was born the next day 3 lbs and 15 ounces, and she was measuring small my entire pregnancy and I also had gestational diabetes as well. I didn’t have to push at all literally looked at my nurse and said I felt something and she looked down and said baby head, next thing I knew the nicu team was in there and she was stable. I got to hold her a few minutes before she was whisked away to nicu, she was never on any support for her lungs or breathing. But I did get the steroid shots to help her lungs develop when I was admitted. We had a nicu stay of about 2 weeks just until she got the hang of eating out of a bottle and gained a little weight. She’s now home with me and has been for a little under a week and is now 4 lbs and 8 ounces !

 

[doc37172]

@kimhimmel I had almost this exact situation.
1. 28w0d admitted for 4 days, discharged once BP was controlled on Labetalol. Admitted again at 32w4d. Delivered 34w4d. Post partum preeclampsia kept me for another 7 days. Total was about 3 weeks.
2. Week 28: 145/91, week 32: 149/82. Week 28 my kidneys were fine, week 32 they were not. Week 28 my liver was impacted, improved by 32. I had cholestasis, which they were eventually able to determine as the cause of liver function impact.
3. My initial diagnosis was gestational hypertension in week 28. They had a hard time determining if I had HELLP or not because my liver function was so impacted by Cholestasis, but the test to nail down Cholestasis takes a long time. I did mag and steroids. Eventually, they discharged me on meds with frequent BP checks and labs at the office. I lasted 4 weeks at home with this approach. At 32w1d I had a check and they said given the trend to being a bag to my appt on 32w3d. I did and they admitted me. They did repeat steroids. From there I stayed through delivery and for a week following. I was super bored but somehow very busy to be honest. NSTs 3x a day, bp checks. At 34w3d my BP spiked. My doc had warned me that my pregnancy would end when my BP got out of control or was accompanied by severe symptoms (swelling, headache that won’t go away etc). I got the headache and my BP required IV meds and magnesium that night so they delivered the next morning. At day 3 pp I had another spike (my worst one) with neuro symptoms. I had clonus in my legs. Had magnesium again. IV bp meds. This was controlled by 35 weeks and I was discharged. Babies were born at 34+4.
4 Week 28: none as I was on IV meds the entire time. Week 32: I was able to take walks around the hospital. Week 35: I walked to the NICU.
5. Tv shows, phone calls and texting. The mini walks I could take. Fun nurses. I also tried to keep doing the things I could remotely (stupid but paying bills, participating in volunteer meetings virtually).
6. Covered above but my BP spiked and was hard to control. I suspected I’d deliver the next day as soon as I required IV BP meds. At 1 am the nurse told me my food was cut off in their system and at 6 am my doc told me my appt was at 9:30 am. Babies born at 10:10 (twins).
7. C section. Twin a was breech.
8. 4lbs 11oz and 5lbs 4oz. Both went to NICU right away. I couldn’t see much of them while on mag. One required cpap for a few hours. Both needed temp help for a couple days. Discharged 13 days later. Both are growing well at home (5 weeks).
9. 13 days
10. If you care about breastfeeding advocate for it. Pump like crazy.

Good luck. Feel feee to reach out if you have other questions. I was separate for someone who has been where I was when I was going through this. I’m happy to be that person for someone else.

 

[kimhimmel]

@doc37172 Wow, you managed for a really long time with it. I don’t hear a ton of stories like yours. And what great weights you were able to get your little ones to.

I’m surprised they discharged you for a month! Where in the world are you located?

 

[doc37172]

@kimhimmel I’m in Seattle, WA. I live right by the hospital and was willing to come in multiple times a week which helped comfort them sending me home. My wife took over ALL responsibilities at home and I really did close to nothing for that month.