What Were Your First Symptoms of P/E or HELLP?

[naomihope427]

Looking back on number 1 pregnacy, Id say around 20 or so weeks, I just "felt" something wasnt right, had that huge gut feeling. I was also on the small side, kept being told I would grow, and I really didnt.

I had HORRIBLE backpains, but dont know if that was any URQ pain, or related. I also started to swell in my hands & feet early on, doctor said that was normal. I knew it wasnt due to the fact how early I was and small I was, I had no weight to cause any of that.

This pregnancy, well, I was just waiting for it to come up, my bp has been a little high,but now I am swelling in the face, and feet, gained a bit of weight within a week, and proteins have jumped. So I know its there, a month further than when I had my daughter, but its progressesin, slowly, I hope it stays that way,

[ktsl123]

After looking at pics from when I was pregnant I could see I was pretty swelled up and still can't believe nobdy said anything!! besides that I felt normal. My highest bp was 160/90

[glimmer]

I never had !! any Symptoms at all !! - at least none that I could feel.
For me it was a pure "lab disease". Hi BP, protein, etc. Without the medical system I wouldn't have
known ever and probably wouldn't be alive to tell (BP was 240/140 in my first pregnancy, when I was induced immediately).

[jenmatt1]

also I did not feel swollen- but when I look back at pics I see that my face was swollen much earlier than the HELLP came on. I did not gain lots of water weight because of PE, but I was still more swollen than I thought. But I thought that was a pregnancy symptom anyway.

I had one high BP reading in late 2nd trimester- it wasn't super high but higher than normal. I still attribute this to the fact me & my husband were moving and he had left the morning before to go live there first- about 2 months before me. But my doctor had me come back in every day for 2 weeks and I never had high BP again until the very end. I still attribute that high BP reading to the stress but I was lucky that doctor asked me all the PE/HELLP questions then. So even though I did not have lots of the classic signs of HELLP, I still knew enough to call the doctor when I did not feel good at the end. I did not wait it out to my next appointment. I think all docs should tell their patients about this disease early in the pregnancy- not to scare anyone- but to make everyone alert that you need to call them. And they have to be willing to help you when you do call

[marijke]

For me, it was mostly a flu-like feeling. I had just recovered from Bronchitis and was feeling weak, fuzzy, tired and achy. I was short of breath and had mild headaches and lower back pain in the region of my kidneys. My vision was also go wonky - seeing floaters, halo's, seeing double, etc.

[mrss]

I felt completely fine until I had a high BP reading in the OB's office at my 32 week appointment. I continued to feel great for another couple weeks when I really started to feel off and started getting the shakes when my BP would spike.

[riehlism]

My very first symptom was swelling. My wedding rings were tight. Then it got to the point where I couldn't wear my rings. My feet were also really swollen. It was pretty significant pitting edema because my feet were still marked by the inside of my shoes.

It was the swelling that made me check my BP between OB appointments. I then called my OB and saw him the next day.

Long story short: I delivered my son in two weeks with severe PE and HELLP. He passed shortly after his birth.

[miamibunnie]

I had a cold it felt like I was coming down with the flu, but for like 2 months the staff in my dept were sick with bronchitis. And of course I caught it since my immune system is so great ):
Then I had pain on my shoulder blades and everytime I was breathing. It took about 10 days than to get severe PE.

[shanak]

I had the epigastric pain on the right side off and on for about 3 weeks before I went to ER, my OB at the time told me it was BH. I Also was gaining tons of weight and in looking back at pics I was super swollen. I was having headaches and severe indigestion and had been vomiting daily since 25 weeks. My BP and protein dips were fine three days before I went to ER. What ended up making me go was severe tightness in my chest, like someone was sitting on me.

This time around I have had very labile pressures, extreme headaches, vomiting daily for the last 3 weeks and have been dipping protein but always come up clean on my 24 hour urines and my labs are all fine. So, it's not pre-e....yet.

[kqkitty]

Well, I gained 10 lbs (4 in one week!) in one month...I'd been eating lots of cupcakes, so I attributed it to that...I had a high BP at that visit, too, but it went down when I laid down.

Then, I'd been getting winded and feeling dizzy/light-headed. I was so oblivious, I thought I was gestational diabetic or something because it was right around the time I took the test and I failed the first one (but passed the 3 hour).

I actually had what I now know was a gallstone attack that landed me in L&D and got me diagnosed! My BP was 180/120 lying down!!! Thankfully, the pain subsided and it was not HELLP like my OB suspected, and then my BP stabilized. Still high, but 130/80s lying down.

I think gallstones may have saved both of our lives!