I am a Pre-eclampsia survivor
Here I would like to share all I NOW know about pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia risks, symptoms, recurrence rates and many more.
August 2008 - My dearest babygirl taken by an emergency C-section due to severe pre-eclampsia.
My first pregnancy was pretty straight-forward. I was very very excited...That whole world was so new to me and I did an enormous amount of research (or so I thought back then). I was counting days, browsing numerous sites on pregnancy and parenting, reading tonnes of magazines...
Boy, I knew nothing! :)
My encounter with pre-eclampsia
Yet another pre-eclampsia story for you...
2 days after my due date I woke up to some mild cramping pains followed by trickles of water. I called my husband to let him know I was "on my way".
God, we were both so excited! By the time he arrived, 20 minutes later, I was very uncomfortable.Contractions came every 4-5 minutes and were so strong that I had to focus. I put on my TENS and hopped on the birthing ball. The day went by and my contractions stayed strong, 4-7 minutes apart. I was getting quite tired so we decided to go to the hospital. I will never forget that ride and back...to Bob Marley!
As my pregnancy was low-risk, I was supposed to have a natural birth in the birthing pool in the birthing centre with dim lights, gentle music, aromatherapy, the lot...you name it...
I was examined and turned out I was only 1 cm! How discouraging! I was gutted! We were sent home where I laboured all night (hubby knocked out on the couch at 2am). The contractions were still 4-7 min apart and the same strength. I was rocking,walking,taking baths,dancing...
I woke my husband up at 7am, 24 hours after my contractions started and told him I was exhausted and we decided to make our way to the hospital.They measured my blood pressure and took urine and...it all went down the hill from there..
Turns out my BP was through the roof and there was a lot of protein in my urine...
The verdict - severe pre-eclampsia...
I was escorted downstairs to the labour ward and then it became a big blur.
At some point there were around 15 people in my room, I was put on so many meds, oxytocin...needles...machines...13 months later and I still get teary when remembering...
The doctors were pushing epidural on me to try to lower my blood pressure. I reluctantly agreed (only my husband knows what an achievement it was on my part as I was absolutely terrified of it). Guess what, it didn't work! When they mentioned that they would have to try again, I refused. Of course, they pulled out a trump card saying I was putting my baby and my own life in danger.
That's when I (absolutely high on meds and gas and air) started to beg some doctor to end it all...
To be honest, thinking about it now, I don't even know what I meant... Well, 30 mins later I was wheeled to the theatre to have a C-section under the general anaesthetic. My poor husband was absolutely horrified. I will never forget his face when the doors closed..
Mya was born. My husband was the first one to hold her. I came round on the way to recovery...Oh my God- the pain! I was screaming for drugs!
Mya was born tiny, 5lbs, and diagnosed with IUGR ( intra-uterine growth restriction). They should have delivered earlier. She was better off earthside. I still feel guilty about keeping her in for so long and starving her...
There was no bonding, breastfeeding to start with...I was hooked up to monitors, BP cuff, IV's for days. My head was pounding, I was thirsty, I was out of it...Sometimes I would hear my baby cry and a nurse would come, make a big fuss and cup feed her...
So, yeah, to sum up - it was a horrible experience. What was meant to be the best day of my life turned out into a nightmare. Family and friends can't really relate to what I have been through. All I heard is that "Well, at least you've had a healthy baby".
That doesn't take away the pain and horror we've been through.14 months later, my babygirl is healthy and bubbly but we are still shaken up...
Pre-eclampsia is a nasty disease that leaves its mark forever...
Brief facts about pre-eclampsia
What is pre-eclampsia? Pre-eclampsia symptoms.
Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive disease characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.
Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms.

Basically,it's a disease of the placenta when at some point the mother's immune system can't tolerate the placenta any longer so multiple organ failure occurs, and the baby often has to be delivered very early
Pre-eclampsia diagnosis:
Once you hit the 300 mg of protein with the high bp readings (140/90), you're officially diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension without the proteinuria (PIH).
Pre-eclampsia usually occurs in the 3rd trimester. However, it can happen at any time after 20 weeks and even postpartum...
Who gets pre-eclampsia?
The most significant risk factors for pre-eclampsia are:- Previous history of pre-eclampsia, particularly if onset is before the third trimester
- History of chronic high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disorder (including in the family)
- Obese women
- Multiple gestation
- Over 40 or under 18 years of age)
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Lupus or other autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis or MS
- Pre-existing hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Repeat miscarriages)
- Fertility treatment
What causes pre-eclampsia?
Unfortunately,the 100% answer still hasn't been discovered.There are many many theories, however, today most scientists agree that the problem lies in the shallow implantation of the placenta to begin with where the placenta's spiral arteries just don't get in there deeply enough. Pre-eclampsia treatment and cure
The docs can put you on all sorts of medication raging from BP meds, Lovenox, Heparin to Aspirin. However, these measures can only help to control the symptoms.
The only cure is the delivery of the baby! On average, once a woman is diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, they deliver within 2 weeks, although some do go on for few weeks more.
Are you measuring you blood pressure at home?
Pre-eclampsia recurrence. Will pre-eclampsia strike again?
Experts from the Pre-eclampsia foundation state the following:If patient developes severe preeclampsia before 28 weeks, recurrence
rate in subsequent pregnancy is 60%. One third of those will be
before 28 weeks again.
If she develops severe disease at 28-36 weeks, recurrence rate is
about 40%. One third will be at same gestational age.
Pre-eclampsia at term, recurrence rate is at 15-20%.
Based on our studies with HELLP, recurrence rate is always <5% even
for those who develop it at <28 weeks. However, these women remain at high risk for pre-eclampsia.
Pre-eclampsia is serious!
So,yes, it's a very scary desease!
Globally, pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death.That's why it is very important to be educated on the subject and watch out for the signs.
Get these dipsticks to measure your protein levels
Dr Brewer's diet does NOT work!!!
You heard me right, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise. I wish it did but as you can see from above, things are much more complicated and a diet is just neither the cure nor prevention.
They say never argue with people over politics,religion or football. Well,they should add Dr Brewer's diet and pre-eclampsia to the list. If everytime I had an arguement with someone over this and given a dollar, I'd be a rich woman now.How many times have I heard that following Dr Brewer's diet helped and pre-eclampsia never came back...The thing is there is no way of proving that the desease didn't occur due to the diet and not because the placenta didn't fail this time.Remember that most pregnant women do not develop pre-eclampsia and even when they do,it's unlikely to happen again.
Some of you are convinced that you had pe symptoms and the diet shook it off, like swelling,for example. But swelling is quite common during pregnancy,and, alone, is not sufficient enough for pre-eclampsia diagnosis.
I also know of women who followed the Brewer diet religiously and it didn't work, and for some of them who, turns out, had an underlying kidney condition,it made things worse. Even if you didn't, think about, your kidneys are working extra hard when you are pregnant,let alone when you become pre-eclamptic,so why would you force them to work even harder by eating tonnes of protein?
I tell you what really gets to me. Google Dr Brewer's diet, and every website advocating his theories basically states that "the basic cause of the elevated blood pressure in pregnancy is the lack of enough of the right kinds of food."
Statements like these are implying that the mother is not eating properly, i.e it's all our fault.
It's bad enough that his followers swear that this diet is a miracle cure and prevention while science says there is none, but also imply that it's our own fault due to poor nuitrition or whatever.
Ladies, by any means, eat healthy, especially when you are pregnant.
However, when it comes to pre-eclampsia, remember that there is NO peer-reviewed research or evidence supporting a causal link between brewer's diet and pre-eclampsia
This is the most popular question amongst us, pre-eclampsia survivors:
I also bought a dopler to keep my sanity!
Ok, no cure for pre-eclampsia victims...but what can be done?
Comes next pregnancy and we are dreading pre-eclampsia reocurring. We are determined to do everything in our power to keep it at bay.1. Get hold of your previous maternal records. You need to know exactly what happened. Find out your blood work results, the state of your kidneys and liver. Was your placenta and the cord examined?
2. Have extensive blood works done now. Insist if they refuse. You need to know whether you have any underlying disorders (kidney, liver problems, autoimmune disease,etc). Those can be treated with various medications (e.g aspirin, Lovenox, labetalol, etc)
3. During 2 trimester they can give you a Doppler ultrasound to detect abnormal uterine artery. If something is up, they can put you on aspirin.
4. At 25-28 weeks (or earlier, depending on what your doc says) let them evaluate fetal growth. A lot of pe babies have IUGR (growth restriction). If a problem is detected, then you can have weekly (or more frequent) tests (non-stress test and bio-physical profile).
5. Should the worst happen, they will check your baby's lung maturity (amniocentesis - it's unpleasant but does not hurt that much). If the lungs are not quite ready, they can give you steroid injections. Then they will deliver.
I cannot stress enough on how important it is to watch out for the symptoms. If you feel that something is not quite right, let them know. If you feel that you are not being heard, insist or change doctors. You know your body better than anyone.
It's better to be safe than sorry!
Pre-eclampsia in the news
- Thyroid 'risk from pre-eclampsia'
- Pregnant women with the potentially dangerous condition pre-eclampsia may be more likely to suffer from thyroid problems, research suggests. ...
- Link found between preeclampsia and reduced thyroid function
- Preeclampsia may be associated with subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy and appears to predispose women to reduced thyroid function up to 20 years ...
- Preeclampsia ups thyroid problems in women
- Pregnant women experiencing a potential life-threatening condition known as preeclampsia are more likely to suffer from thyroid problems. ...
- Pre-eclampsia linked to thyroid
- BBC News reported that pregnant women who have pre-eclampsia are more likely to suffer from thyroid problems. This news comes from well-conducted research ...
Some of us were not so lucky...

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Ours For Always
How does one measure how long it had been? By the number of sunsets or by the tears that have fallen? The sweet solitude of slumber gives way to morning-teared memories of all that used to be when I had you safe inside of me. Our time together is no more. Only God knows why you went away. Sometimes I forget you are no longer here as I lovingly whisper your name. And then I remember... and life is not the same
Debbie Dickinson
Anela's Story
Warning: it's very upsetting!
Anela's Story: Our 13oz Baby
This is the story of our daughter, Anela, who passed away on June 27, 2008. I developed severe preeclampsia at 24 weeks pregnant and was told our baby had IUGR. She was born at 25 weeks. After two days they discovered that she had a severe brain hemorrhage...and she left us that night. She was with us for about 52 hours, and they were the best 52 hours of my life. Thank you for taking the time to watch this video, and share in celebrating the life of our little angel.
Runtime: 242
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14 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Please share your pre-eclampsia experience or worries here. Did you or someone you know follow Brewer's diet?
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Reply
- EmmaReed EmmaReed Nov 15, 2009 @ 10:50 am
- Firstly I just want to say I wish this Lens was around back in 2005. It is so hard to find good information on pre-eclampsia. I had pre-eclampsia with both my pregnancies. When I was 5 I had to have an operation on my Kidneys as they were not functioning correctly. I suffered from high blood pressure before I was pregnant and was closely monitored. Because my pre existing condition mirrored a lot of pre-eclampsia symptoms I was constantly being admitted to hospital. Eventually at 37 weeks I developed it and was induced. With my 2nd again I was really closely monitored but because I knew more about it I felt more relaxed and my blod pressure stayed down for ages. I got to 36 weeks and all was great, then at 37 weeks my BP shot through the roof and was induced right away. It is scary and does make me think do I want to go through it all again. We will see. eggsquid
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- herbie66 herbie66 Nov 10, 2009 @ 4:51 pm
- Welcome to the 'Pregnancy and Baby' Group
( http://www.squidoo.com/groups/pregnancy-baby ). This is a very personal and touching story! Thanks.
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- j_barnhart4 j_barnhart4 Nov 9, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
- I never had pre-eclampsia but I did have cesareans with all three of my daughters...that's the little hips, big baby syndrome :) It's a great thing to tell about our pregnancy experiences. I wrote a lens on my experience with PUPPS rash (not fun). These personal stories really help other moms-to-be relax and feel informed. Good lens. Thanks for sharing your story. Blessed :)
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- irbit irbit Nov 8, 2009 @ 4:50 pm | in reply to Carla
- Thanks for sharing your story, Carla. Congratulations and enjoy your pregnancy!
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- Carla Carla Nov 8, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
- Thanks for the site, my experience was almost identical, only I had been in hospital with high blood pressure nearly every week in my last trimester & still they denied it was PE until it was nearly too late. It was only admitted when they finally dragged me (still attached to the wall with needles in my hands!) for an emergency C. Then I was left in hospital for so long, my liver started to play up, things were bad. Fortunately my son Arthur was fine, very skinny, though, he had no fat on him, and his little legs were like empty sacks of skin.
That this diet should be put out there as an aid to this very serious disease makes my blood boil. Anything that gives somebody a false sense of security is dangerous. Eat healthily because it's good for you and your baby, and listen to your body. You're the only one that can pick up the signs, no diet will help with this.
I am 6 weeks pregnant now, so fingers crossed this time.
Thanks again.
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- djsnjones djsnjones Nov 4, 2009 @ 12:01 pm | in reply to djsnjones
- I would also like to apologize for wording my first sentence on this thread in such an inflammatory style. I definitely could have found a better way to say what I meant.
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- djsnjones djsnjones Nov 3, 2009 @ 5:53 pm | in reply to irbit
- No, the mods on the PEF did not allow me to present my point of view.
I do respect that you are allowing me to post what I have written, however.
My views are too expansive to post in this forum, so I will simply refer anyone who is interested to my website. There is much scientific evidence available there for anyone who would choose to see it.
I will say however that I do object to the falsehood that many women who follow the Brewer principles end up developing the PE syndrome. I have answered that story on my "inaccuraces" page as well.
Since I do not have access to the charts of the women who claim to have organ damage from their protein intake, I do not have a way to verify what their needs or diets were.
Also, some of the doctors who've confirmed these principles were from Europe and Australia.
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- irbit irbit Nov 3, 2009 @ 5:41 pm | in reply to djsnjones
- Joy, and here you are again waffling on. I don't have to accept and publish your comments but I am, just like the moderators on PE forum. We are giving you a chance and yet again you cannot produce a single solid argument, scientific fact or proof.
I think it says it all...
So many women trusted your theory and followed it religiously and most of them still ended up with PE or HELLP. A lot of us, turns out, had serious underlying disorders and damaged our organs by excessive protein diet.
I was lucky to be seen by some of the best obstetricians in Europe after my ordeal and all of them vigorously objected to this diet. Are they all fools? Is Dr Brewer the only man with his 1920s research who knows what to do?
I trully hope that you or the people you REALLY care about never go through this nightmare as only then you could ever really understand and appreciate the seriousness of it all.
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- djsnjones djsnjones Nov 3, 2009 @ 5:26 pm | in reply to irbit
- I think that you have not really read my "Inaccuracies" page because that was the only place where I was really allowed to post the fully factual responses to what was being said to me in the PEF forum. I may have looked silly on the PEF forum because I was completely unallowed to post the factual responses to what was being argued against my point of view. I was completely muzzled in that situation.
Joy
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- irbit irbit Nov 3, 2009 @ 4:48 pm | in reply to Joy Jones
- Joy, and I am sorry that you are still out there sticking to this ridiculous myth and misleading us unfortunate and vulnerable women. I've read all your posts and arguments on the Pre-eclampsia Foundation forum where you ended up looking rather silly.
As far as the scientists and doctors all over the world are concerned, preeclampsia is driven by an immune system response to the foreign placenta, THERE IS NOTHING ONE CAN DO so stop going against every single healthcare system, every scientist and qualified doctor in this world.
Here is what Preeclampsia Foundation EXPERTS have to say about the Brewer's Diet
http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3919
More links on Brewer's Diet:
www.preeclampsia.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2274
www.preeclampsia.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=788
www.preeclampsia.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=287
www.preeclampsia.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=839
Stop this nonsense. we have enough on our plate!
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Useful websites
During my research I came across an amazing website - Pre-eclampsia foundation.It is full of doctors,researchers,professors,etc.There is a forum there that I found absolutely invaluable.Suddenly, I didn't feel so isolated any longer.
The Pre-eclampsia Site
Action on Pre-eclampsia
Diagnosis and Management of Pre-eclampsia - American Academy of Family Physicians
Good articles in the press on the mechanisms of preeclampsia:
The New Yorker: The Preeclampsia Puzzle - A must read!
New York Times: Silent Struggle: A New Theory of Pregnancy
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