Protein in urine and varying BP

[Leigh Wood]

Hi, I'm 34 weeks pregnant, type 1 on an insulin pump. All has been fine with my pregnancy up until last week when I started getting protein in my urine and bouts of high blood pressure. They're monitoring my urine/bloods every 2 days and PCR level has gone from 32 to 69. BP is generally ok but goes up to about 156/88 at its highest. Just wondering if anyone else had a similar situation in later pregnancy and what the cause was, ie, preeclampsia or kidney-related issues due to the diabetes. First baby was born at 28 weeks due to being in distress but no known cause was ever established. Thanks, Leigh

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Leigh Wood, sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time!
My understanding is that the high BP is treated and you may need hospital admission for close observation.
BP being 'generally OK' may not be good enough.
You and they do not know what your BP is between measurements.
I have heard that more continuous means of measuring BP, such as can happen in hospital, are needed.
Having diabetes and 'pre-clampsia', if that is what they have called it, makes you at high risk. according to
What is High risk pregnancy? NICHD nichd.nih.gov
Please consider urgently asking them for more care but in hospital.
This is about you and your baby's life, not sodding economics via the NHS.

 

[Cocosilk]

It's a nervous time towards the end of pregnancy. I'm 30 weeks with #3. When I was pregnamt with #1 my normal blood pressure was 100/60 for the first half of pregnancy. In the last trimester it crept up 120/80, then 130/80. No one really blinked an eye at that level. Then my right foot started swelling and the heartburn became evil. I kept waiting... past my due date for baby to come naturally and because my BP was still only 130/80 at 41 weeks, no one was particularly comcerned. But that BP was high for me. I reached 42 weeks! Suddenly my BP was 150/90, protein in urine = preeclampsia. I think my anxiety about the whole thing made everything worse. I was induced so it wasn't considered an* emergency but after 2 days of induction, 12 hours of labour and an emergency C-section when bubs went into distress after I was given syntosinon to speed up contractions, a few days after giving birth my BP jumped to 178/110 and I was wheeled off, red lights flashing, for a 24 hour dose of magnesium sulphate to prevent further preeclampsia complications. I was lucky though. Didn't progress to seizures. Took a couple of months on BP meds for things to go back to normal though. I wasn't diabetic then, just close to 40yo. I wouldn't muck around if I had a BP that was 30 points higher than my normal and protein in my urine - just in case. They'll look after you if you get checked out early. All the best and I hope it was nothing serious!

 

[Leigh Wood]

Thanks, all, for your advice. I ended up being admitted on Weds evening with preeclampsia and had an emergency section yesterday morning. Baby Jess is doing well for a 35 weeker. She spent the night in NICU but is with me on the ward now.