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Preeclampsia took my best friend's life

My best friend died a few days ago due to preeclampsia. She was never told me that she had this condition. She was getting prenatal care, doing everything the doctor told her to do, she was only 34 years old and that was her first baby.

Baby was delivered early by c-section and she was recovering pretty good and suddenly she never woke up. Why did the doctor never tell her that she was at risk? Could symptoms pass without being noticed? I just don't understand why they couldn't save her life!!! or do something about it to prevent her death.

maria

My little miracle

I was 19 and my fiancé and me had just split up after two years and I was devastated. Needless to say the separation lasted for about 3 weeks. So when we got back together of course things happened and about 4 weeks later his cousin (my best friend) Erica told me I was pregnant, keep in mind she has 4 girls. I was in such denial but when we got the test and it showed positive I was amazed and it was such a rollercoaster of emotions all at once.

So I told my husband (we got married a week after we got back together) and he was so surprised. Since we had tried for a year and nothing ever happened we just accepted the fact that when it happens it happens but neither of us expected it so soon. So I spent the next 7 months going in and out of the hospital because of my blood pressure (I was pre-eclamptic) and they decided to induce me 5 weeks early. My labor went really well but I quit breathing a few times during it. And when it was time to push I was so drained that I couldn't push the way I should have.

So after 4 hours of pushing he finally came, they rushed him right out to the nicu because he wasn't breathing the way he should and he was put on oxygen and all kinds of monitors they found that he had a premature lung and pneumonia in the other. After about 10 days he finally got to come home (on Easter day) and it was such a blessing and he saved my life in so many ways, he helped me become a better person. And I never thought I could love someone so much but just seeing him the minute he was born I fell in love like I had never before in my life. So still to this day I call him my miracle baby, he is so strong and he has overcome so much this early in his life that he is my hero and my little man. So good luck to all and just know that you think you love something a lot now just wait till that one special person comes along, they will show you what true love really is everyday when they smile at you.


Tasha Schluterman

My Life As A Teenage Mother

I was only 16 years of age when I found out I was with child. My boyfriend was 4 years older then me and we were clueless on everything from sex to love. We had a great relationship. We were best friends and knew each other for a very long time. I loved him dearly and he loved me to. I had known him since I was about 12. He had my heart and I had his. When I was 13 he was 17 turning 18, which meant that we couldn’t have sex if we wanted to. We would spend long nights together and no matter how bad I wanted to have sex with him he would tell me no. Which let me know he wasn’t in this for the sex.

When I turned 16 it was a big change for me. One day it just happened. I lost my virginity to him. I did not get pregnant the first time, but I came back for more. That's when I started getting signs. I was scared and he was to. He promised never to leave me or his beautiful son Za'Faire Bland. I am now 23 and my husband to be (my first love) Is 28 years old. We now have a nice home and the joy of or life. Za'Faire. We are happy. Not every pregnancy story ends happily.

Just know I was alone nights and day out. No one at all to help me but I came through. Yes, it wasn’t the best experience but my mom was supportive and my boyfriend was too. My dad and grandmother thought it was wrong to bring Za'Faire in the world but instead of listening to my head I listen to my heart. I am a famous Fashion Designer. I work with artist and entertainers. It's much fun. I have time to maintain a good family and a great business!


mercedes

Sage

Hi, I had a good pregnancy through without any nausea or severe back problem... however at about 8 mths I started to bleed, so timed my contraction and when they were about 3min apart when to the hospital late at night was only dilated 2cms. The doctor came in the morning and checked still same and bleeding so decided to induce and while waiting close to 6 hrs... the baby's heartbeat started to go down.... the doctor monitored closely and informed had to do an emergency c-section. He came out with the cord around his neck in 2 lopes and the side of his face was all red because of the cord having strangled and pulling his head up... but he is perfectly fine now just turned 1... such a hyper baby.

sharin

Not Again??!!

I had very mild gestational hypertension with my son 8 years ago. I was able to make it to 39 1/2 weeks with him and he was a healthy 8# 2oz. with no complications. I remarried since that time and had a little girl with my new husband last February, but developed chronic hypertension in between my first and second child. So I developed severe pre-eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension at 28 weeks and was hospitalized until 34 weeks when my daughter was delivered at only 3# lloz.

With unilateral right sided hearing loss (they say it may have been related to the pre-eclampsia). I was done having children after that. Too scary to chance another pregnancy as far as I was concerned. So when my daughter was 5 months old, I made an appointment with my gyne to discuss getting my tubes tied, my husband was looking into vasectomy on his end also.

Guess what, doctor says at consult, your urine pregnancy is positive! What??!!! So much for condoms doing their job, huh? So now I am 4 mos. pregnant, and the headaches are starting again almost daily, blood pressure is up and down (all over the place really), and at last ob appointment I had trace protein in my urine, which they said was probably due to not drinking enough water.

I am scared to death this is the same nasty disease again, rearing it's ugly head even earlier. I know the statistics say it's rare to get it again, but all the nurses at the hospital last time said "The docs will tell you it usually doesn't happen again, but from what we see, it usually almost always happens again when it's severe, and it seems to get worse with each pregnancy".

Hence, why I wasn’t going to do this again. I'm afraid to take my blood pressure, but I do. I am also afraid to even ask the doctors if there's anything they can do to check - blood work or something to see if this is developing way early this time, the medical nurses and doctors seem to not want to even consider this possibility until it's right in their faces! Anyone else ever have problems this early? What did you do?


Kristin