Eclampsia

Question: What are the cause of ECLAMPSIA and how to prevent it? I don't know what exactly eclampsia is. When I got pregnant few years ago, I had this problem that I associated with eclampsia, but I'm not sure if it really is. I have pains in my bones, I can't walk straight and I am weak especially during the last 2 months!

Answer: The best thing to do is to monitor blood pressure and protein in the urine late in pregnancy. (Starting sometime in the third trimester.) If the blood pressure is too high or there is excess protein in the urine, you are usually sent for further testing to see if you have pre-eclampsia. If so, usually it is necessary to deliver the baby quickly.

Question: Is it easy to misdiagnose Eclampsia in dogs? My dog had all the symptoms of Eclampsia and my Vet charged us $200.00 and told us she was asthmatic. I of course took her to another vet for a second opinion and they diagnosed her with Eclampsia. Do you think this was a simple mistake or should I get rid of that Vet? I would think that calcium deficiancy would of been the first thing to come to his mind considering the large litter size of my chihuahua. I guess what I really want to know is if this is a common misdiagnosis and should I give my Vet a second chance.

Answer: Well, I am not a vet, but after my first experience with one of my chihuahuas and eclampsia, I definitrly can recognise the symptoms now. I don't see how a vet could not know that the dog had eclampsia. I hope she is okay now and the pups as well. I would definitely change vets.

Question: Pre eclampsia- whens the earliest it can be detected/ when are the earliest symptoms start to show? Am 32 weeks 1st pregnancy, just curious to what others have been through/if you have suffered. Have protein in urine but no swelling in hands/feet and all else is fine What are happens if detected? what has to be done?

Answer: Hello. Try not to get too worried. I had pre-eclampsia in my first pregnancy. It came on at around 28 weeks and the symptoms I had were protein in my urine and high blood pressure. I felt fine and couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. I had my urine and blood pressure tested every other day and unfortunatly the blood pressure got worse really quickly. I was admitted to hospital at 29 weeks on bedrest and my baby was delivered by c-section at thirty weeks. She was really tiny but she did really well and she's 7 now and completly fine. I've had two babies since and the pre-eclampsia didn't come back. Make sure you get regular check ups and tell your midwife/doc if anything changes. As long as it's just the protein and not high blood pressure too you should be fine but even if you do develop full pre-eclampsia then you are already at 32 weeks which means your baby will be well on the way to being ready to be born anyway. Hope I haven't scared you. You'll be fine it's really common and the professionals know what they're dealing with.

Question: My dog got eclampsia and she can't give milk to her puppies. How can I make her feel better or dry her milk? The vet told me to keep them separated but she is sad. I am not worried about the puppies because they already eat food but she is wimping a lot because she wants to feed them. What can I do?

Answer: Depending on the size of your dog get a tee shirt,childs onesy and dress her so the pups can't get to her nips then supervise her but let her in with the pups.Just watch her while with the pups.

Question: What can I do for my Friend who has Pre Eclampsia? My best friend lives about a seven hour drive away and has recently been hospitalized with a mild case. I have sent her flowers but I would like to do something else for her to cheer her up. She doesn't know if she will be sent home soon to be put on bed rest or if they will deliver the baby. It is very stressful for her either way because she is very worried, as she is only at week 30 of her pregnancy. Also, she is losing her mind having to stay in bed on her left side (to control blood pressure). I want to go there to visit and help her out, especially if she gets released from the hospital, but I have to go back to work in a week and a half (I'm a teacher) and I also have a toddler that would need to tag along. Can anyone give me some ideas?

Answer: I had preeclampsia and was hospitalized a total of 12 days so that the doctors could monitor me and induce labor. Here are the things I was thrilled to have: - Coloring book and colored pencils - Puzzle books like crosswords and sudoku - Baby/parenting magazines - Snacks - Propel bottled water and Diet Coke - A DVD (I was fortunate to have my laptop with me) - REAL pajamas (hospital gowns are AWFUL!) - Comfy slippers instead of those stupid socks - A fluffy bathrobe so that I could cover up on my daily wheelchair rides to triage for a non-stress test - A REAL pillow (not those plastic ones the hospital uses) - A book of kittens so that I had a "focal point" during labor

Question: I had pre-eclampsia with my last child. What are the odds i will have it with this one? I am 36 wks pregnant and so far i have had a normal pregnancy. I am pregnant with a girl.

Answer: Depends Usually it is a first time pregnancy disease, but if you've had it, chances to have it again go up, and go up even more if the baby is being fathered by another man. 36 weeks with no signs is a good sign that you may be in the clear. If it pops up again though, you'll be far enough to go ahead and induce. Good luck. I am 35 weeks and borderline preeclampsia with my first!

Question: What is th rcommended diet for pregnant women with pre-eclampsia? I need to provide a diet to be followed by the pregnant mother for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Answer: as salt-free as possible, and bed rest, frequent blood pressure checks, and don't skip any Dr appointments. Best baby wishes to you! Also look up Babycenter.com

Question: How long after you give birth can pre-eclampsia come back? I feel like my symptoms are coming back 8 months later.

Answer: eclampsia & pre-eclampsa may still occur within 6 weeks of childbirth but mainly within the first few days. There is no way it happen 8 months later. what are your symptomes anyway?may be something else.

Question: What is the earliest you have shown sighns of toxemia/ pre-eclampsia? I am 14 weeks pregnant with #2. I have had mild ankle swelling for the past 3 weeks. On my last 2 doc visits, I had traces of protein in my urine. My last appt., my BP had gone up 16 points but was still within normal limits. My doc said we'll re-evaluate next appt. This seems terribly early- I did have toxemia with my first, but not until 37 weeks. Any advice?

Answer: im 23 weeks and have all the signs... i also had toxemia with my first but i didnt get it till 41 weeks and they induced me... this time around they have me on meds going to the doctors every wednesday until they decide if they want to hospitalize me or not... quite scary i must say.. the advice they gave me is to stay off my feet as much as possible with elevating me feet and to watch the salt intake... good luck

Question: What are the chances of having pre-eclampsia in the 35th week? My doctor made me spend the day in the hospital yesterday because of my blood pressure and protien in my urine. Altough the test results came back negative, she is still sending me for weekly evaluations. Obviously, this is a serious issue if all that is neccesary. Has anyone else gone through this? if so, what happened? I am very nervous now.

Answer: Yes - it's totally possible. Stay down as much as possible, keep your salt intake low as that will also affect your blood pressure. You have a few weeks left - you can do this for your baby.