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jgrumet
Junior Member
486 Posts |
 Posted - 11/05/2009 : 11:07:49 AM
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I probably started getting PE at around 30 weeks, but it didn't get really bad until the day I delivered Aram (that I'm aware of- they sent me home two days before that saying I was fine)
It took about 4 weeks before my body went completely crazy. I know it takes an average delivery time of 2 at time of diagnoses, but what does it mean when your body is able to hang on under the radar for so long? |
Jamie (22)
Brian (26)
Aram 6/22/2008 born 33 weeks 5 days- HELLP class II
Adopting next baby 2010! |
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Caryn
Ask the Experienced Moderator
USA
8780 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2009 : 12:59:56 PM
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That you're human. :-)
All pregnant women are right on the verge of developing this, and would develop it if they were pregnant for long enough. We're all carrying a ton of adaptations for it. It's a targeting problem -- grow a baby just the right size -- and if things start to go haywire in one way, there are multiple other ways to compensate for falling off track, so a lot of women likely have one pathway that's compromised but are able to compensate, at least for some time. Compensate for long enough, and you just don't develop it because you deliver before you get sick.
The primary reason we're having difficulty developing diagnostic tests is that all pregnant women are so close to tipping over the threshold that we haven't been able to develop something with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to pick out all of, and only, the future preeclamptics. IIRC one of the best tests out there at the moment picks up on about 85% of the women who will go on to develop PE -- which means it misses 3 in twenty of us -- and also puts a whole bunch of women who won't go on to develop it into the high-risk, extra monitoring group. |
Science is getting us closer to finding a cause, and even a cure. The articles you don't want to miss:
The Preeclampsia Puzzle (New Yorker) and Silent Struggle: A New Theory of Pregnancy (New York Times)
Looking for recent articles and studies? Lectures from researchers? A chance to participate in research?
Caryn, who is not a doctor and who talks about science stuff *way* too much
DS Oscar born by emergent C-section at 34 weeks for fetal indicators, due to severe PE |
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jgrumet
Junior Member
486 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2009 : 3:11:09 PM
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well that is a relief. So the fact that my body was able to compensate for so long doesn't mean I have some underlying disease---you know it even sounds crazy when I'm typing it. I just was thinking that since my body was able to hold on for so long there must be something wrong with me. My bp didn't get super high consistently until the day of delivery.
I had no idea all women would eventually get it if they were pregnant long enough.
I know that PE girls are at greater risk for heart problems, but what about the women who get it once and then never get it again? i'm confused on how they are at greater risk?
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Jamie (22)
Brian (26)
Aram 6/22/2008 born 33 weeks 5 days- HELLP class II
Adopting next baby 2010! |
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Caryn
Ask the Experienced Moderator
USA
8780 Posts |
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jgrumet
Junior Member
486 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 03:36:48 AM
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Well, increased still means some women go their whole lives without CVD, right? I just don't understand how women that have hypertension or a heart problem don't end up with PE with any of their pregnancies. I know one woman with a heart defect that carried to term fine and a lot of chronic hypertensive women that don't develop PE.
Those posts would be kind of comforting if I was overweight or was unhealthy. It is kind of frustrating to try and prevent these things when there is no family history of heart disease or metabolic issues in the woman's family.
My doctor thinks I'm worried for no reason- that's basically how my whole family feels. Everyone attributes my horrible pregnancy to how screwed up my body was at the time of conception...but I don't want to discount the fact that I could have a heart issue. What I have noticed is my husband has every single risk factor for this. high cholesterol, family history of diabetes, family history of heart disease- ugh, the list could go on and on....
what about the women who have some other underlying disorder like lupus or a single kidney? are they still at risk for cvd? |
Jamie (22)
Brian (26)
Aram 6/22/2008 born 33 weeks 5 days- HELLP class II
Adopting next baby 2010! |
Edited by - jgrumet on 11/06/2009 03:48:30 AM |
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question about time-delivery
