# Natural birth with Preeclampsia?



## CougBride07 (Jun 29, 2008)

I met with my midwife today and found out that on top of my high blood pressure, I now have some protein in my urine. I have to do a 24 hour urine collection which will tell how much protein I am spilling. My midwife has pretty much said that if I'm spilling any amount, she will refer me to an OB/GYN, which is extremely devastating to me, as I've been planning a natural childbirth in a birth center. The prospect of having my baby in a hospital makes me sick. Has anyone delivered naturally with these signs of preeclampsia and should I be fighting to not be induced if transfered to an OB? I am assuming that because I am over 40 weeks, I will pretty much be admitted and induced ASAP when transfered as this seems to be typical protocol.


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## Jackies Ladybug (Jun 19, 2008)

spilling protein can be triggered by dehydration, make sure you are drinking LOTS of water, and by lots i mean LOTS!!!!! like a gallon a day minimum.
that should help, if your 24 hour collection shows spilling, ask to be given one more 24 hour collection as a precaution, this gives you an extra day to make sure its not just dehydration.
good luck!


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## nashvillemidwife (Dec 2, 2007)

How high is your blood pressure, and how do you plan to control in during labor if you have to go to the hospital?


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

I had a friend who had pre-eclampsia around 38 weeks. She was induced and had a pain med free delivery using hypnobirthing and her doula. So, it is possible with the right preparation.


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## CougBride07 (Jun 29, 2008)

My blood pressure is about 140/90 and hasn't risen in 3 weeks. I plan on just trying to relax during labor to control it and have been planning on a water birth, which naturally lowers and maintains it.


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## gorgorita (Feb 5, 2008)

Hi
I wasn't diagnosed with preeclampsia but I retained lots and lots of water. I was swollen like a pig. My BP was slightly higher than my normal but i did not have protein in urine. So, it's not quite your situation. Maybe you stay at home for as long as you feel like - will lessen the chances of induction. Just for the record, I delivered easy, quick, naturally and basicly pain free.
good luck


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## UrbanCrunchyMama (Aug 7, 2007)

My mom had pre-e with me and was induced. She had a drug-free birth (beyond the Pitocin) because she said it just didn't hurt that bad. I realize that she may not be the norm, but that was her experience. My mom went into the situation with little to no preparation and support but labored and birthed without pain medication.


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CougBride07* 
My blood pressure is about 140/90 and hasn't risen in 3 weeks. I plan on just trying to relax during labor to control it and have been planning on a water birth, which naturally lowers and maintains it.


that is what is considered mild hypertension and is sometimes very normal at the end of pregnancy. If there isn't any affect on the organs from the 24 hour urine collection, it isn't pre-e.

I'm sorry you're going through this.


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## jillmamma (Apr 11, 2005)

My first pregnancy had my BP slowly rising during the last half of it till I hit 36.5 weeks and went in for a checkup, and it was pretty high as well as I was swollen and had some protein in my urine. Since it was a Friday, they agreed to send me home on bedrest for the weekend, and I went into labor on my own on Sunday. I labored at home till about 8:00, then went into the hospital and not long after I got there I threw up and my water broke. After an hour of transition, I pushed a good hour or so and he was born right before midnight with no epidural or drugs. They did have me on my left side in bed with an internal monitor and an IV for fluids. Afterwards, I had mag sulfate (evil stuff!) for 24 hours, pit (not really sure why AFTER the birth?), and IV fluids. BUT, all this was done in one room, DS stayed with me except for a little while (hour or so) of montoring in the nursery and even though I conxented to the epidural (I would not have done that if I knew I was in transition), I did not have one. So yes, it IS possible.







My only regret is letting the nurse convince me that DS had to have formula for his first feeding instead of BF (I was on the mag sulfate then, and that stuff makes you feel like a cross between a bad hangover and just spaced out). Poor kid spit it all up right after. But next morning he had mommy milk and never looked back, going on to nurse close to 5 years.







I wish you a wonderful birth and healthy baby!


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## PookieMom (Jan 16, 2007)

The doctor that delivered my first (c/s) said I had pre-e. Every ob I've seen since then has agreed that it was probably Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and since getting out from under the pre-eclampsia label it's made things so much easier. My blood pressure got up to 140/90 or a bit higher a few times with my son (vbac) but never in labor. With this pregnancy it's been high once but dropped immediately when they switched to a larger b/p cuff. Somewhere, there is a thread discussing different things that can be done when having your b/p taken to insure that it is the lowest and most accurate (feet flat on floor, larger cuff, etc), but I'm not even sure what board it was posted in. I'm sorry I couldn't be much more help.


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## theboodges (Mar 21, 2008)

I had severe pre-e with my first, and it wasn't natural. In the end, I was thankful for it though. At the time I was a bit stressed that things weren't going as planned, but after getting through it and realizing the full scope of the situation, I was just thankful my ds and I survived. Pitocin in and of itself doesn't have to make labor much more painful. It depends on how ready your body is for labor, and how much they give you. My DS was 6 weeks early, I was barely effaced, and they needed labor to go quickly because things were going so badly, so my ob used lots of pitocin. I was in severe pain by 3cm, vomitting, and feeling like my lungs were being smashed during contractions by the end. With my DD, we made it 39.5 weeks before inducing, with things just starting to deteriorate, so we were able to use little pitocin and I made it to 8cm before contractions were even painful.

If you do got to a point where you and your doctor decide to induce, don't let it ruin the experience for you. If you have a healthy baby and you get through it too, that is what really matters.

Best of luck to you!

Christy


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