Anyone have experience with Pre-E?

I had my normal appt today with my OB. I'm 30w4d. I told him that I've been feeling off. My head has hurt for 3 days now, swelling in my hands/feet, spots in my vision, and a dull ache with some sharp pains in my kidneys. He insisted we test for Pre-E. We did blood work and I am doing a 24 hr urine collection. I am so scared! I haven't had the best pregnancy. In and out for dehydration, contractions that were stopped at 29 weeks, and now this! How likely is it that if I do have Pre-E that I will have to have a C-section? I'm a FTM so I am seriously scared as heck! Any help would be appreciated!

I had pre-e with my twins. It is really scary but everything worked out alright.
I went to my regular 30 wk OB appointment on a monday and my BP was nearly 200/100 (I usually run 110/70). I was admitted to the hosptial and given steroid shotsto mature their lungs in case they had to deliver my twins early.
3 days later my BP was still high and my urine protein count was very high (I forget the exact #). Basically my kidneys were shutting down. At the same time, Twin A was having a slow heartbeat which worried the doctors, so I had an emergency c-section at midnight at 30 wks 5 days.

My twins were 2 1/2 lb each and spent 6 uneventful weeks in the NICU, they were on room air and basically just needed time to grow and gain weight before we could take them home.
Within hours of delivering my twins, my BP was normal again and I felt a million times better.

A csection is not always nessesary, they can try to induce you first, but that doesn't always work. In my case, they chose the csection because one baby was in distress from the pre-e

Good luck! Keep us posted! Even if you do end up delivering early, 30 wks is past the "danger zone" for preemies. My girls had no developmental delays from being so early.

((hugs))

Wow...thank you for sharing your experience. I am still so very nervous. Another question I just thought of....they ran a UA today and there was no protein in my urine (but there was sugar). Well he decided to go ahead with the 24 hr urine and the blood work for kidneys. Even with no protein in my urine is there a chance I still have it?

For it to be pre-e, there needs to be protein in your urine and high BP (150/90, I think).

Maybe you're just dehydrated? WIth my last pregnancy I had to drink a minimum of 100 oz a day to keep from getting dehydrated, it felt like I was drinking 24/7. Thankfully this last time I did not have pre-e and had a very eneventful and normal pregnancy.

I hope it turns out to be nothing.

I had pre-e with my first one.  My blood pressure was always high and they even had me on medicine to try and bring it down.  It would run about 190/110.  I started having protein in my urine at the end and I was put on bed rest for a month.  My water broke and I ended up having to have pitocin started because labor never started for me.  No dialation or anything.  The pitocin worked and I delivered vaginally, no need for a csection.  I will say that the contractions were off the chart painful with the induction but I did 8 hours of non stop contractions with no drugs until I just couldn't handle the pain anymore.  I had really bad back labor and she was born sunny side up.  But just because you have Pre-E, doesn't mean that you have to have a csection.

I guess I should have included that my BP was 140/90. Before pregnancy it was 125ish/80ish. Within normal range. 

the 24 hour urine is the most accurate test in determining if you have pre eclampsia...basically it checks for the amount of protein in your urine (which can be missed with the dip stick they do each visit)... a protein level of under 300 is normal, and anything greater than 300 but less than 5000 signifies mild pre eclampsia...so as you can see there is a wide margin... at my 35 week appt my bp was 150/90... i got sent for labs and did a 24 hr urine... came back with a protein level of 350 so i am considered to have pre e.. now they are doing nst's 2 x per week and inducing me anytime after 37 weeks to avoid further complications...  good luck to you!

My best friend was induced because of Pre-E with her first baby. She was having blurry vision, headaches and dizziness. No protien was found in her dip stick but her BP was skyhigh ( like 230/100ish). They admitted her to L&D to be on bedrest and perform the 24hr urine. She was about 36 wks at this time. Unfortunately she never got to finish the 24hr urine. Her BP was too high regardless of position. They ended up starting her induction that night and she gave birth to a perfect little girl the next afternoon. There was no need for NICU or any other extra care once she was born.

She is pregnant again with her 2nd child and has not had any BP issues so far.

Hi

Sorry this is stressing you out. It is no fun at all. I have been induced with 2 of mine due to PIH & HELLP. I'm alot different in that my BP starts of at 85/56-90/60 so very low. When I start to get unstable with my BP I am watched very closely. Lately I have been "bouncing" between 85/56 upto 117/90 even though it's not in the "normal range for pre-e or PIH" the fact that it jumped up so much is what gives my Dr's a warning that something is going on, I'm just over 26 weeks. I have been told I will be getting induced at 34weeks. I really want to make it to atleast 36-37weeks but I will do what's best for a healthy baby ^_ ^.
 By the time I have my baby or even a few days after my BP is sitting at 160/100 - 180/110 and then it starts to come back down. we are trying to not get to that point this time around.

It sounds like your Dr wants to be ontop of things to rule things out or to get base readings so if you have the tests again he can see if they have risen.

Best wishes
Crystal