Prenatal Care & Preecamplsia

Now that our pregnancy news is out in social media cyber world, I look forward to chatting more about it on the blog! I mentioned in my last post that I would share about my likelihood of getting preeclampsia again and what my pregnancy care will look as well.

What are the chances of getting preeclampia again?  I guess the first place to start is to explain that preeclampsia (pre-e) cannot be prevented, it is unknown what causes it, and the only true cure for it is delivery. It is one of the oldest recorded conditions in the world, and as advance as our medical care is – pre-e still remains a bit of a mystery.  Pre-e patients typically see a spike in blood pressure, sudden weight gain, see puffiness (especially around the eyes, hands, and feet) and have protein spilling into their urine.

Having said that, there is no way for anyone to predict if I (or any woman for that matter) will get pre-e.  However, there are some statistics that work in my favor this time around.  Women are more likely to get it in their first pregnancy.  Also, women with a history of obesity, high blood pressure, auto-immune diseases, and other markers can have a higher likelihood of getting it as well.  After I had Elora I went through testing to see if I had any of these and tested negative for all. After my testing and consultations, I was given a 10-15 % likelihood of getting pre-e in future pregnancies.  So, a wonderful way to look at it is that I have an 85-90% chance of not getting it again. No one will know for sure of course, but I do like that stat! J

What will my care look like through my pregnancy? Typically pre-e cannot be detected until 20 weeks or after.  Right now I am at 16 weeks and my care has been fairly routine.  I had an early ultrasound at 7 weeks and have had appointments every 4 weeks.  I had an ultrasound at 12 weeks and everything has been going wonderfully so far.  My blood pressure is low, I am measuring right on, and baby is active with a strong and fast heartbeat.

At 19 weeks I will have a level II ultrasound and also have my first consultation with a perinatologist (high risk doctor).  He will review my records, discuss the pregnancy thus far, review my ultrasound, and discuss what my care will look like going forward.  He may recommend that I see him through the pregnancy, or just allow me to see my OBGYN as usual.  Either way, I will most likely have check-ups every 2 weeks from 20 weeks on.  That will give them a frequent look at how my blood pressure is doing and perform a urinalysis if needed to see if there is protein in my urine.

Because there isn’t a way to prevent pre-e, I am going about my pregnancy like anyone else would.  The only difference is that I am taking low-dose aspirin every day (studies have linked taking low-dose aspirin starting in 2^nd trimester to a lower risk factor of getting pre-e).  I am also doing a stretching routine daily (studies have suggested that stretching will decrease the likelihood of getting pre-e again if you have had it already). I am also taking my blood pressure at home daily to have a gauge on if it is going up.

I will need to have another C-Section with this baby and it will be schedule for when I am around 37 weeks.  The type of incision they had to use when I had Elora left a much weaker scar on my uterus and it will be dangerous for me to go into labor. I am not excited about another C-Section at all, but I know it's the best for my health and the baby's as well.