Pre-eclampsia and placenta abruption

Brianna - posted on 07/19/2011

I had pre-eclampsia from about the 26 weeks mark. Many hospital trips and stays for large amounts of the following weeks! I managed to get to 34 weeks when i starting cramping, my placenta had a abrupted and was raced in for a c-sec. It's only now i realised how close we both were to not making it. My son was born 4lb 3oz and stayed in the special care nursery for 4 weeks. He didn't need oxygen (had steroids at week 30) and was tube fed for 3 weeks. Other than that we have never had problems related to the pre-eclampsia that have affected him so i am so grateful. On the bright side for those wanting more. We were advised that the risk of getting it again were very low and that we would more than likely not get it again if we stayed with the same partner. Apparently changing partners makes it a much much higher risk. I had a 10lb 1/2 oz 'little' girl born 2 years later and I am currently 36 weeks pregnant with my third - and final :) bub. No problems with blood pressure and booked in for a c-sec for 37 and a half weeks.

Anna - posted on 01/22/2010

Yes I was at work (luckily only 10mins from the hospital!) and I had a massive bleed at 26 weeks. The ambulance took me straight to Maternity Dept. where they hooked me up to hear the baby's heart beat. I relaxed thinking i'd just be kept in overnight then baby's heart rate dropped to 40bpm, next minute i'm being pushed into theatre signing consent forms for a c-section whilst being prepped. I wake up an hour and a half later to be told i have a little boy who they don't expect to last 24 hours. An hour later i'm watching from the corridor on a trolley whilst he is baptised. I was later told it was a placental abruption that caused the bleed and if I hadn't been so close to hospital it was likely I would have lost him! It was a complete shock as my pregnancy had been with out any problems at all. My son is now 5 years and very healthy, I also went on to have a completely "normal" pregnancy with my daughter who was born by c-section at 38 weeks weighing 7lbs, almost 4 years ago.

Kelsey - posted on 01/22/2010

i had both kinda... i had placenta abruption early in my pregnancy and was put on pelvic rest for over two months...thankfully it corrected itself...then after my son was born 6 weeks early they said i had post-eclampsia...i still have no idea what that means just that i have a small pharmacy of pills i have to take for now

Ume Ammara - posted on 01/20/2010

i always thought i had the most horrible experience but ther are ,many other stories like mine.i had preclampsia at 28 week.my son was born at 34 week because my bp was high and it was effecting him.my doc asked for 24 hours urine report but i had c section before i got the report.my son was very weak,1.75 kgs.he had developmental delays,especially he started walking at 19 months and started crawling at 18 months.u can imagine how tough it was for me and my hubby.myb sobn will be 4 this april.he is fine now.his eyesight is weak and will ve to wear glasses.he is my only kid.i always thought i cant ve more babies after such a scary experience but now my son wants someone he cud play with so i dont know....

Lisa - posted on 01/20/2010

I'm so happy your son did so well for being so little and that you are ok to!!

my daughter Peyton came at 33 weeks. one night I started getting cramps every two hours and then at 9 in the morning I was bleeding. went to the hospital found out there was no amniotic fluid around her my placenta was turning to calcium and Deteriorating. and I was in fact in labour but very early labour. so they gave my a shot of steriods and then sent me to a better hospital 3 hours away. once I got there they gave me two more shots and then I had a c-section. she was born exactly 33 weeks 3lbs 9ounces and only had to be in the NICU for 3 weeks. she did so well, she didn't even need any help breathing ::)

Barbara - posted on 01/19/2010

I only have the one child and due to how severe my preclampsia was and how early my daughter was born I will not be having any more children. I have seen 4 doctors and no one can figure out what caused it so my odds of having it again are quite high.

Rochelle - posted on 01/19/2010

omg it was the scarest thing i went through. I had a bladder infection at the time and when i call the nurse she told me i was just stretching and thats was the pain. I didnt know better it was my first. Pain got so worse finally went to hospital. The whole time the monitors said i was in labor but i started bleeding and it was black blood. So they ended up doing an c-section and found out my placenta abrupted. It was not good we just about had to decide between me or our son cause and stoped breathing myself. But we have a great young man now. Then there was our daughter had problems again almost lost us both again. Now cant have more kids. But I did have her natural. They say that dont happen.

Gemma - posted on 01/19/2010

my son is now 3 months old (3 weeks corrected age) he is doing really well. been seen by docs today and he is doing most of the things a 3 month old should be doing developmentally which is so good as i was told he would not catch up until he was at least 2 years old. my docs were very honest with me about my chances of it having again at first it was very scary but i know that i would be closely monitored. i have 25% of pre eclampsia and 50% placenta abruption. i know i do not want another for a while but will do eventually.

Julie - posted on 01/18/2010

Wow, my story is so similar. I had pre-eclampsia as well. I had contractions starting at 12 weeks. I went to the hospital at 29 weeks and 5 days when I started bleeding at home. With in 3 hours I was fully knocked out and my baby girl was born. She weighed 2 lbs 9.6 oz and was in the NICU for 5 weeks. They think she may have been closer to 29 weeks due to her size but you never know for sure. How is your son doing now?
Haley is 15 months and fully caught up developmentally and in the 5th percent for size.

Did they tell you anything about risks for future pregnancies? Haley is my 2nd and I'm not sure if I want to go for one more. My son was 36 weeks for no apparent reason.

Tonya - posted on 01/18/2010

I developed pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy as well. It became severe and I was put in the hospital for 5 days then they had to take my baby by emergency c-section at 33wks She was born weighing 2lb. 11oz. and it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. She is now 13mo. old and my only child. I do want another child, but not for a couple more years. It is very scary to think that this could happen again.

Gemma - posted on 01/18/2010

it seems that pre eclampia is very very common. mine was blood pressure to start with and then the protein presented in urine 3 days before i had him, was very scary. for those of you who had pre eclampsia with first did you ever hesitate about another, and for those who have only had 1 child are you still thinking of having more knowing it could happen again?

Barbara - posted on 01/17/2010

I developed preclampsia at 24 weeks and delivered at 26 weeks due to my kidneys starting to fail. I didn't have placenta abruption though.

Jo - posted on 01/17/2010

had pre-eclampsia with my first child. Went in for monitoring on Sunday lunchtime..put me on machine and checked urine. Protein found an hr later contractions started..37 weeks..son was born by emergency c section weighing 3lbs 13 ozs. SCBU for 2 weeks. Also had placental abruption with my 4 child. Though my waters had broke at 37 weeks, but I was bleeding!! Rang hospital, and while hubbie was talking to them, I collapsed. Taken to hospital by ambulance and daughter born by emergency c section an hr later. We both nearly died...but everything worked out well in the end. She was 4lb 13ozs and in SCBU for 24 hrs to raise temperature..decided after that.. NO MORE KIDS!!

Gemma - posted on 01/17/2010

OMG that sounds a lot like what i went through, i did two 24hr urine collections one came back normal and the next never got tested as i had him via emergency c setion in the middle of it. after my c section i had 3 blood transfusions, my son luckly needed none as they got me in to surgery very quickly and did not even realise i had placenta abruption until the doctors came around the next morning.

Sechel - posted on 01/16/2010

I was going to regular midwife check ups at a local hospital and she said I was doing fine although I didn't feel that way. I asked for my medical records and went to a different hospital where they said my blood pressure was very high and they wanted me to do a 24 hour urine collection. I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and noticed that I was covered in blood. We rushed to the ER where I was put on bed rest as they tried to at least keep the baby in for 24 hours to give me steroids. I was bleeding (from the abrupted placenta) for 48 hours before they gave me an emergency c section. I needed 3 blood transfusions, my baby needed 1. She was born at 2lbs 9 ounces and was in the NICU for 2 months. She needed heart surgery to correct a PDA and she needed speech, physical, and occupational therapy for her first 3 years. She's turning 5 this summer and other than needing glasses, is like any other pre kindergartener.

Gemma - posted on 01/16/2010

is she breast or bottle fed? my son keeps getting colds well it sounds like colds more ths snuffles and i give him saline drops, be careful not to give too much as can encourage snot to be produced even more. for those of u who have had pre eclampsi and abruption have docs given you percentages of it happening again, i been given 50% placenta abruption 25% pre eclampsia

Melanie - posted on 01/16/2010

Actually, pre eclampsia had me in the same position. But baby had just turned 34 weeks so the Dr. immediately removed her via C section. It was very very frightening. My baby now experiences some minor respiratory problems and we need saline drops to give her some comfort right through. My biggest headache now is that she is 3 weeks old and has not pooped in 6 days!!

Kristen - posted on 01/15/2010

I had PE two pregnancies in a row...the first caused an abruption and she was born at 34 wks. Second was 32 wks...I fel for you! Soooooooooo scary!!

Katie - posted on 01/15/2010

I had a premature rupture of membranes with my first daughter and delivered after spending 4 days in the hospital. I had preeclampsia with my second. I found out I had preeclampsia at the end of March, but made it to 32 weeks before I had to deliver. Both times were very scary, even though they were both different... but definitely worth it in the end!

Gemma - posted on 01/15/2010

Gosh, that must have been a shock. what i went through was very scary but i look at my son now and tell myself it was all worth it x

Debbi - posted on 01/15/2010

I didn't have either, but how scary! I delivered early due to other issues - premature rupture of membranes which resulted in an infection that put me into labor that they couldn't stop.