Pre-eclampsia

Thankfully, I don't have it.

We had a minor scare last night. Mid-afternoon yesterday, I developed a headache. No biggie. I came home, drank water and lay down to rest. That usually does the trick. As the afternoon rolled into evening, my headache got progressively worse. By 6pm, I was feeling slightly nauseous and the light was bothering me...typical migraine symptoms. I took tylenol and tried to relax, hoping the pain would subside. Unfortunately, the pain continued and by 11pm, I hadn't been able to sleep very well and was feeling really nauseous. I called our midwife because I knew that severe migraine-like headaches and nausea could be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia = A pregnancy disorder that results in very high blood pressure. It can be life-threatening to the mother and baby if left untreated. It can come on very suddenly and result in seizures, strokes and organ failure. Common symptoms, besides high blood pressure, include severe headache, nausea/vomiting, vision problems, swelling. The only way to resolve the disorder is to deliver the baby/babies immediately.


Knowing the definition above and knowing that carrying multiples puts you at greater risk of developing pre-e, I was worried. After talking to Sarah, our midwife at 11:30pm, she recommended that we head to the hospital. She would meet us there. When we all got there, she took my blood pressure immediately and hooked me up to the monitor to listen to the babies. Thankfully, my blood pressure was perfect and our girls, particularly baby A, was dancing up a late-night storm. I don't think I've ever been more relieved to have an ordinary nausea-producing migraine headache. Jenn and I were home by 1am. I had something to eat, took more tylenol and Gravol, for the nausea and sedating-effect, and went to bed. I woke up this morning with no headache, feeling a million times better. Here's to at least another week of baby cookin'!