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Hi - I have 3 children - currently preg with no. 4..I suffer high blood pressure - family thing...With my 1st child it took a while but by 34 weeks I was spending a few days every week in the hospital - the symptoms were really gradual and I made it to 38 weeks before they had had enough and induced me..I had a natural delivery - and it was really quick , just 2 hours and no pain relief was needed..So 5 years later when we finally decided to have another I went into with it a very blase attitude...From about 15 weeks my bps started to rise and by 30 weeks I had my first trace of protein - it came and went though - and again I spent a couple of weekends in hospital and when I was at home - (I should say that I stay in a small town that does have a hospital and mat unit but they aren't allowed to deal with problem pregs - I have to go 65 miles to the next mearest unit...) when at home I had to go in every day for an hour of monitoring..By 36 weeks they had had enough - my bp was cruising along at 170/105..I never felt bad though!? I got taken in and on the day they induced 36weeks 2 days my bp was like yours 190/122 and the dr was scaring the pants of my husband telling him I was going to have a severe fit or stroke and that there was a huge chance of the baby not making it...He wanted me to have a c-section but I was still being stubborn and insisted that they break my waters first, I refused an epidural - I didn't want the labour to be slowed down..In my mind I knew that if they broke my waters I would go faster than my first and I really wanted that opportunity! Looking back I was really cocky and I'm surprised they didn't put me out of the hospital..Again though although I had protein and of the scale bps I felt fine...Well I was the patient and they had to let me have my way and I was handed over to the midwife..Although my husband told me afterwards the dr sat outside our room the whole time waiting to whisk me away..I'm in Scotland and m/wives get to deliver our babies...They broke my waters and an hour later my daughter was born - 4lb 15oz and very healthy... She was allowed to go home the next day although I made her stay and keep me company!! They really wanted me to stay in for a few days until they managed to control my bps...Having disagreed with them over everything else I finally mellowed and agreed with them...But my bps never really came down..As I said the whole of my fathers side of the family has high bps..I've been on medication for it since then....With preg no. 3 (after a m/c when they changed my med 6 weeks into a preg - don't get me started on that one!!) I was on labetalol but was warned not to expect t go full term...That if you suffer pre-eclampsia with your partner once , chances are high it will happen again - and I'd had it twice - (a diff partner might mean you don't suffer it ??(always an idea?? lol - only kidding!!) ) so chances were really high for the 3rd..I decided to risk it - and we agreed if it did happen again that would be it - family had to be thought of first....So I went into that preg expecting not to get far beyond 35 weeks..It was the LONGEST preg EVER!!! My bps stayed perfectly normal - I had no protein - nothing..A perfectly normal pregnancy!! I didn't start myself I went to 40 weeks and then blagged it - I'd so had enough of being preg...having to go 4 weeks over your so called expected due date that I had been given - for 36 weeks like - meant I was totally done in with it...they were now prepared to let me go 10 days beyond the 40 and I lied through my teeth with sob stories about having no-one to look after my other 2 kids on those dates - I still had to deliver 65 miles away...So they finally induced me 2 days later....Healthy 8lb baby....Preg again - 9 weeks and for the first time in 3 years my bp has dropped!! My normal non-preg readings are 135/90 but for over a month now I've been at 130/80 and this witha bout of tonsilitis too...So I'm very optimistic about this preg being normal too..Again I'm taking labetalol - which I know can be increased if my bps do start to climb... I think I might be slightly different because my pre-eclampsia seems to originate from high blood pressure and develop from there?? But with it controlled I've been okay? Before my 1st child my bps were perfectly normal, after he was born they went back to being normal.Preg no2 is where it went high earlier and higher and it never came down again after she was born...Drs had thought I would get away with normal bps until I was 40 before I would be affected but c'est la vie...I don't know if you can be given labetalol before you get preg when your bp is normal - I wasn't allowed to start it when I was already preg with my daughter and suffering early stage pre-eclampsia...They reckoned my body was used to it being high (although it had only climbed while preg with her) and to suddenly bring it down mid preg could cause a severe reaction...? I hope I haven't bored you with the length of this or made it to mixed up....I'm sorry , I don't think I've given you any positive help whatsoever....I would talk to both your consultant before hand to see what they can suggest and also speak to the m/wives in your area - mine were very helpful and supportive and did encourage me not to say 'no more' when I really did want more...

Thank you so much for your answer. It does help me alot because it gives me hope for future healthy pregnancies. I was wondering ... did your doctor recommend you lose weight or become "healthier" before attempting to get pregnant again. Did they ever suggest that there was a correlation between being overweight and pre-eclampsia. My ob-gyn never gave me a definitive answer, but it makes sens that the healthier you are before pregnancy, the easier it will be. I'm a little bit overweight from the first pregnancy and have already decided to wait until I've lost my baby weight before we try again, so that maybe I won't have problems this time around.

I don't know for certain about that - but I would agree with it - I know my bp outwith of pregnancy went up when I put on a bit of weight and came down again when I lost it again...And I started doing 'proper' excercise about 8 months ago - I cycle 4/6 miles a day - (well I've totally not done that the past week but about to do it now) And again my bps dropped slightly again..But you know, I've met women who are total health freaks and still suffered pre-eclampsia.. But eating healthy and being fit can surely only benefit pregnancy.. Good luck, Irene

Hi there, Wow, it seems like I could have written your post. I am now 37 yrs old and when I was 26 when I gave birth to my daughter. I developed pre-e as well at 28 weeks. I had her via emergency section at 36 weeks as well. My vision went and my bp was 200/125. I had her and she was quite ill, but recovered wonderfully. She is now 11. I so desired to have more children but was scared to death. I eventually found a dr who specializes in high risk pregnancies. That would also be what you would be considered. Major hospitals have them. So, he told me that I would have a 25% chance of re-occurence. he told me risk factors were being overweight, older than 35, younger than 16, family history and immune disorders like lupus for example. So, when my dd was 5yrs old, we got pregnant again. I went in to the Maternal Illness clinic each week, and they were very through. At 20 weeks there is a test called an uterine artery doppler ultrasound that can check your placental blood flow, so at 20 weeks they saw that was off. Apparently that can be indication of pre-e about to set in. i was put on baby aspirin, and a variety of different vitamins. At 36 weeks, it came again very very mild though. had her via section again. NO copmplications at all for me or her. All went fine. My bp went back to normal in a day and we were good. I was in an amazing maternal Illness ward in a hospital downtown and they were fully qualified which made all the difference in the world this time around. So, then 2 years later we went back for another consult. heard the same risks again and took another chance. this time my ds was born at 39 weeks via sectrion, and my bp was perfect thru out. NO pre-de at all, nothing and all was perfect. So, I am now 37 and ttc our fourth and final baby. this will be it. My dr has again told me the ame risks although now because of 3 sections there are added risks in regards to sections but not preeclampsia. So thats my story. I would strongly advise you to see a perinatoligist and have him/her be your dr. With histories like ours, regulars ob's are not qualified enough. That made all the difference in my life. Don't lose hope, follow yhour heart and seek really good medical advice and make sure you are in a high risk dept. Good luck!!

at 18 I had pre-e. I did not show signs at all until I was 38 weeks and by time I was induced a week later I went into a coma just after my son was born. After a week and half in the hospital we were both healthy and ready to go home. I wanted to have another child and my husband was scared because apparently while I was in my coma (36hrs) the dr's/nurses told him very scary things with one of them that we were "lucky" that I lived through it. Well with my son now 9yrs old I will be 39 weeks on Monday (28th) . I was doing well until Tuesday (22nd) I had to go into the hospital {because I have to call in for everything and I did not urinate in a 12hr time span so they may me go to the hospital} my bps and labs were good and no protein either but they did say that this is the beginning signs so now I have to be real careful. But here is what I have been doing this pregnancy: 1. take baby asprin 2. take the vitamins that I was told to 3. watch sodium intake 4. drink water 5. more water 6. more water 7. eat as healthy as I can and don't give in to cravings. 8. exercise as long as I felt comfortable. 9. if i noticed any swelling then I lay on my side and that helps swelling to go down faster. 10. this is the most important, listen to what the dr/nurse says, they are looking out for my best intrest. If you decide to try again just pay attention to your body and call the dr even if you just have a funny feeling. (moms intuition is the best)