Pre-Eclampsia or Hypertension

On Thursday I went for my routine 38-week check up. I mentioned to the midwife that I thought baby's movements had been a bit less pronounced. She asked me if I felt it was a significant reduction in movement and I didn't really know how to answer that question (based on what knowledge would I be able to judge what "significant" means in this case?) The midwife suggested a cardiotocograph (CTG) which is just a simple heat-beat monitoring test for the baby.

After that, she measured my blood pressure. This is the only measurement I've had throughout my entire pregnancy. It has always measured around 120/70, but when the midwife checked it had risen to 130/90. She was a bit concerned about it, but I thought it was probably just related to the stress of wondering if my baby needed the CTG or not.

During the CTG that same day, my blood pressure raced up to 160/120. Now I happen to know from previous experience that I am susceptible to stress. My blood pressure has been this high before. I didn't think there was anything to worry about, but they ordered some blood tests.

That afternoon I had a call from the midwife who said my blood tests were ok but I should go to the hospital on Saturday for a follow up. That evening, however, I had another call from the attending obstetrician's office who said there were some concerns about my blood test and asked me to come back the next day (Friday).

Friday (yesterday) I went back for more monitoring. Apparently there was something about uric acid in my blood results. I had my blood pressure re-checked (the midwife said it was high, but I don't know what the measurement was) and then I had another blood test plus a urine test. The results didn't come back that same day, so I had to wait and see what happened at the hospital.

Today is Saturday. I went in to the hospital this morning with my husband by my side really not knowing what was going on. We had another CTG and my blood pressure was checked again. Today it measured 139/94, which is considered pretty high.

I asked some appropriate questions and I now know that I am being monitored for pre-eclampsia. A condition specific to pregnancy where a woman's blood pressure rises for no known reason. It starts in the placenta and can cause oxygen deprivation for the baby. It can be quite serious. At my stage in pregnancy the treatment is to deliver the baby as quickly as possible.

My obstetrician is away on school holidays, but he'll return this week. At the moment I'm not particularly under any specific obstetrician's care (just whoever is on duty). The doctor on duty this weekend didn't want to make a call today, given that he's just been introduced to my paper work (although I haven't met him because he was in theatre when I was there).

This means I have to go back again tomorrow (Sunday) for more blood/urine/blood pressure tests and a CTG and if my blood pressure has gone up or my tests come back any worse I will be induced almost immediately.

This comes as quite a shock. I'm a little bit thrown that I could suddenly be facing the imminent arrival of my baby. It's been 9 months and in just one more week I will reach my due date. My baby has already been considered full-term for 2 weeks, so having my baby now is completely acceptable it's just that I hadn't expected it to be this way.

I had assumed I would go into labour at a time that the baby would choose and it would all be a big surprise and at first I wouldn't even realise I was in labour, or I wouldn't be certain, and it would probably be in the middle of the night ... but now I'm facing a very real chance it could be tomorrow.

I sort of hope I go into labour naturally in the middle of the night and skip all this rigmarole.