Rebecca Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Hello Hive, Our beautiful twin girls were born last week (7/13) at 40 weeks and 1 day. They were 8 pounds 2 ounces and 7 pounds 13 ounces. Unfortunately- in week 39 my blood pressure starting rising and I was hospitalized the 12th (day before delivery/c-section) with high blood pressure and some protein in urine. Here I am about ten days out and it is still high. I had to start blood pressure meds. yesterday and just increased my dose- trying to get it down. I am scared and discouraged. Does anyone have any BTDT experience? I did not have high blood pressure during my pg nor did I have it before I got pregnant. Thx, Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogMom5 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 First, congratulations on your daughters! That's wonderful news. I am sorry that the preeclampsia has not resolved itself yet. What did your doctor say about it? Is he/she concerned? I did have preeclampsia near the end of my first pregnancy. It took a full 2 weeks after my ds was born for the swelling to go down. When it did, I lost 30 lbs. in a few days. :) I do think my blood pressure was down a bit before they released me from the hospital. It was still higher than normal but not as high as prior to the c-section and I was not put on meds. The medication is temporary, right? I hope your blood pressure comes down soon and you can go off the meds. It is my understanding that preeclampsia is temporary, though it can take a few weeks to fully recover. Unless there is something different about postpartum preeclampsia? You are in my thoughts and prayers. :grouphug: Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 Thank you so much for replying to me! My OB is concerned enough to put me on these meds. Hopefully temporary... My bottom bp number is staying just under 90 right now... which is scaring me. :( I guess I am still at risk for eclampsia? :confused: Thank you again. Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogMom5 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yes, I think you are still at risk. The medication should keep your bp under control while your body recovers. Keep us posted. More :grouphug: Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Congratulations on the twins! I only had pre-eclampsia before I delivered, not after. In my cases we had emergency-you're-going-to-die-if-baby-dosen't-come-out-now-surgery and that ended the pre-elampsia. I'm sorry I don't have any advice to offer, just :grouphug:s and a prayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Congratulations on the twins! I only had pre-eclampsia before I delivered, not after. In my cases we had emergency-you're-going-to-die-if-baby-dosen't-come-out-now-surgery and that ended the pre-elampsia. I'm sorry I don't have any advice to offer, just :grouphug:s and a prayer. This was pretty much the situation I was in with my dd, which is why she was born at 37 weeks. From what I remember, my bp went down pretty quickly, but the swelling took a few weeks to go down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 My blood pressure was higher after delivery than before. It took almost a month to come down, if I remember right. I didn't have to go on meds, but had to check it daily. If it had gone up even a little bit more I would have been put on meds. It's scary, but a bit normal for it to take a while to resolve. My midwife explained that the blood vessels clamp down after birth, which causes it to go up more. And the hormones from nursing (oxytocin) can continue this, but it evens out. At my 2 week visit it was still up, and I had to really stay on top of it, and take magnesium supplements to keep it down. By my 6 week visit it was totally normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I've been borderline high every pregnancy, but on my last pregnancy, when I went into labor, it changed into full blown preemclampsia. Because I'd already had one c-section (for a breech), they insisted on another. I'm one of the really rare cases whose blood pressure did not return to normal. She's nineteen months and I'm still on meds. That is quite rare. Most return to normal soon after birth, and most of the rest within about two months. (My sil was one of the latter.) There are meds for bp considered safe for nursing (I was on one called Verapamil, but anything in that class is okay). Once she was weaned, I switched to a more conventional one because the Verapamil gave me headaches. Hang in there. Do what you need to to be healthy for your little ones. They are here safely and that's the most important thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnlvr Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) Preeclampsia/Eclampsia is a condition ONLY in pregnancy. Postpartum, it is resolving, but one does not *still* have it, as the cause has been removed/delivered. I practice medicine and have also experienced preclampsia. I was on bed rest for the last month (gained 4 pounds per day of fluid and developed sky-high BP by the end). Mine took several weeks to resolve after my delivery and I also took 2 medications to help with BP and diuresis after birth. HTH Bcnlvr Edited July 23, 2011 by bcnlvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Oh, and I should say, she was born on my 44th birthday, so my body is probably telling me I'm getting too old for this. My sil is ten years younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Thank you very much. We upped the dose and it is much better numbers... but the medicine is totally exhausting me. Really appreciate all the BTDT advice. I really wanted to be one of those people who would be all better by the end of week 1. But here I am with this residual thing... If you keep your blood pressure down- does that reduce the chance of eclampsia? Thx, Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmvaughan4 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Congratulations on your little ones! I had pre-eclampsia with with of my boys. DS1 was born at 37 weeks via c-section, after being on bedrest about six weeks. With DS2, I made it full-term, but had doctor appointments every other day to check blood pressure and urine. I was on modified bedrest (no working) for a few weeks. Once they were born, it went away. Unfortunately, the doctors think I will have pre-eclampsia with every pregnancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I developed severe preeclampsia with my 3rd and delivered at 35 weeks via emergency C-Section. It was scary. My blood pressure didn't come down until around 8-10 weeks postpartum. The meds drove me absolutely crazy, too. I could barely function. I had no blood pressure problems whatsoever with baby number 4. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindergretta Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I have had pre-e 3 times and HELLP Syndrome once. My sister had post partum pre-e. It is actually fairly common for bp to stay elevated for a few weeks after delivery. It is more about how your liver and kidneys are functions, protein spilling in your urine, etc. It is also common to be on bp meds until your post partum check up. Monitor your pressures daily, if possible. Drink plenty of water. Try to keep your feet up as possible. Get rest as possible. Unfortunately, I am on bp meds for life. :( After my first, my pressure never came down. I am now the proud carrier of chronic hypertension. :-/ Anyway, congratulations on those precious babies!!!!!!! Try not to let this garbage get in the way of a happy babymoon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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