Postpartum Preeclampsia

Three days after the birth of my child, and one day home from the Hospital, I was surprised when I got on the scale and had only lost 5 lbs from the delivery.  My baby alone weighed almost 9, and with the amniotic fluid and placenta I was betting on a loss of at least 15 lbs.

That night, for no apparent reason, my feet and legs swelled up severely in a matter of minutes and began twitching.  I couldn't wiggle my toes and my ankles were folded.  It didn't hurt, other than feeling tight, and I could walk.  So I did what we all have been taught to do with swelling, R.I.C.E.-rest, ice, compression, elevation.  I had some Chamomile tea and tried to relax.  It was 11 pm.  I then did a little research on what the problem might be and came across Postpartum Preeclampsia.  The condition itself is pretty scary and the only remedy would be going back to the hospital and having Magnesium Sulfate run through my body.  We decided to wait and see.  Luckily for me I did not suffer a seizure, this is not a "wait and see" condition.

By the next morning my legs were still swollen and now so were my face and hands.  We contacted the emergency line for my OB/GYN.  My Doctor called us back and said I needed to have my Blood Pressure checked, and was I feeling stressed out?  But with a 4 day old and little to no sleep, what is the normal amount of stressed?  Earlier that day my husband was trying to relax me with a little joking around and I told him "Don't F*** with me!"  For me I'd say that was a good indication.

We got my BP checked it was very high, but not catastrophic.  When I called my Dr. back she said go to the Hospital.  Thankfully my Doctor did not ignore my symptoms and had contacted the ER letting them know I was coming and the condition I might have so they would not shrug off my symptoms.  I've read horror stories about this happening and the results.  We drove into the city (30 miles away), back to the hospital.

Hours later, I was finally admitted and checked.  I was diagnosed with Postpartum Preeclampsia.  This condition can lead to seizures, stroke, organ failure, heart disease and in some cases death.  It can occur anytime after delivery up to 10 weeks.  The symptoms can vary but include swelling or edema, blurred vision, pain in your abdomen often radiating toward your shoulder, headaches, infrequent urination, nausea or vomiting, high blood pressure 140/90 or higher, and protein in your urine.  Unfortunately this condition is often misdiagnosed.  If you go to your Doctor or the ER make sure they know you are Postpartum.  To read more about it check out the article in For The Record or go to Preeclampsia.org

Before I had even been diagnosed, I had used the bathroom twice and both times it felt like I had peed a liter.  The Doctors explained to me that I was retaining fluid in the space between my muscles and skin, that is why I was so swollen.  Once you are admitted and on a drip, get a Catheter.  You will not believe how much fluid is going to come out of you and on Magnesium you can't just get up and go to the bathroom.  I had a hard time even telling if I had to go while on Magnesium.  After failed attempts with a bedside toilet and an overflowing of my bedpan, I opted to make it easier on myself and my nurses.

Magnesium makes you feel awful.  But it is necessary.  I won't say anymore on this topic.

Once I was off the drip, I stayed for observation for one day.  We were able to move back to the Mother/Baby unit to be more comfortable.  After discharge, I had to monitor my weight every day for 2 weeks, if I gained more than 3 lbs in one day I was to call my Dr.  I stayed on blood pressure medication for 7 more weeks slowly tapering off.  But that wasn't the end of my high blood pressure.  At 4 months postpartum my pressure was getting close to normal.  Thankfully I had no further complications with Preeclampsia.

I have never had blood pressure problems before pregnancy, but by the end of my pregnancy I had been diagnosed with chronic hypertension.  During delivery my BP readings were alright, and afterward they were perfect for two days in the hospital.  I can't be sure, but something that might have saved me from getting Preeclampsia while pregnant, and from my condition postpartum being more severe was supplementing with Calcium.  Since I was unable to drink milk during my pregnancy I decided to supplement with 500 mg of Calcium daily.  Some of the milk substitutions that I used, such as Almond milk and Coconut milk, also had Calcium added.  Research has indicated that supplementing with as much as 2,000 mg per day can be beneficial in preventing the condition.

Postpartum Preeclampsia still isn't entirely understood.  In Preeclampsia the cure is birth.  Afterwards, no one is sure why some women get it, or if it might reoccur after medication.  Also, the condition can show up anytime from after birth to as much as 10 weeks postpartum.