My 35 year old daughter gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl on 8/22/26. Since roughly 2 days after the birth daughter swelled up like a water balloon, has a headache, visual disturbances, protein in her urine that is off the charts, and sky high blood pressure. She went to the ER and was diagnosed with double pneumonia and apparently a UTI. This is what bothers me: they sent her home with lasix, and a BP cuff. Since then she has swelled even more despite lasix, and her blood pressure continues to range over 140/100 or so.
If you have ever seen those baby dolls they fill with water? She looks like one of those that is so full of water that it’s near to bursting. She walks like a barbie doll because her knees don’t bend. This has gone on for about 3 days. She went in for a post partum check, didn’t see her actual doctor (or a doctor she saw a PA). Am I crazy? Why aren’t they taking this more seriously? I’m afraid she’ll have a seizure or a stroke. She’s going back in tomorrow and if they don’t fucking do something I’m taking her to the large hospital in the city. I’m over this.
These are classic post partum preeclampsia symptoms and they seem to be handwaving it away.
I’m texting her now and she’s blowing me off. They plan on going tomorrow, but if something isn’t done I’m going to do something. Dunno what but I will. I’m about ready to choke her ob and sue the bunch of them.
Yeah my wife has been suffering from it. She was fine during pregnancy (our fifth and only one she’s had these problems) but afterwards she went from her usual exceptionally good (tending low) blood pressure to dangerously high (she was admitted to hospital I would agreed with other posters she should go to ER). Her doctors too were not super awesome about treating it but after some prodding got her on some fairly strong meds that brought it down. She’s now (four months later) largely recovered and they are dialing back the meds
OK, she went back this evening. Same hospital much to my husbands and my disgust, but she left the baby with her mother in law in the same town. She didn’t want to be far from the baby.
The auto cuff showed high, so the nurse decides to do the regular one with stethascope. Closer to normal but still high. Doc came in looked at the pressure on the machine one and said they were going to work her up for preeclampsia … duh. That’s all I know so far. I told her if she gets a nurse who can’t find a vein (again) and they don’t get someone else ask for someone else. They dug with a needle and she came home looking like she had tracks. I swear she had all the damn symptoms the first time she went and they (at least that’s what she thought) decided it was because she had pnemonia. Hubster has had pneumonia many times and he never retained fluid at all, nor did he have sky high BP. In fact, surprise pneumonia doesn’t do that. She sent me a pic of her ankles they are leaking fluid through her skin. Ugh, I’m gonna’ rattle some cages at that place. They screwed up big time with hubster 10 ? 8? years ago. We don’t go there. WIC told her not to go to the small hospital we use because they don’t have OB’s or Labor and delivery. Sorry this could prolly use some paragraphs, but oh well.
Postpartum pre-eclampsia is uncommon, but when it happens, it can be devastating. She may indeed really have a UTI and pneumonia, but if she turns out to have HELLP syndrome, they’ll admit her, or even transfer her out if that’s warranted.
My SIL had pre-eclampsia with her first child, but it was controlled during labor with magnesium sulfate, which was no fun either.
She went in for baby’s first apt. and they noticed she was errm inflated. They told her to skip the local for the reason above. They also made her promise to go back to th er. On that note she went back…and the er was swamped, they were concerned about her bp until a nurse decided she didn’t like the bp the machine cuff gave and checked it manually and got one number near normal. So because of that they decided her pressure was “up and down” and still didn’t give BP meds. No one was interested in the swelling except one doc who flew in looked said it looked painful and never reappeared. They worked her up for preeclampsia (which includes a catheter which is painful as hell) told her all her numbers were normal, and sent her home. They told her to call her ob Monday, and gave her 5 more days of Lasix.
Yesterday I took my daughter to the hospital in grand rapids. They sent in an OB team and determined she had … wait for it … preeclampsia duh. Anyway they said it was severe and admitted her. She’s on Magnesium Sulfate to prevent seizures, they are going to do an echocardiogram and they did an ultra sound of her legs to be safe. They are giving her BP meds, and she’s wearing the intermittent pnumatic pressure things on her legs. She says she can bend her toes for the first time in a while.
Apparently the magnesium is pretty unpleasant, but she has to receive it for 24 hours. They she has to be under observation for another 24. She’s not too happy about the admitted thing, but she knew it was the correct thing to do. Dad and baby stayed last night, but are coming home today 'cause baby didn’t seem to like the vibe at the hospital and was awake a lot last night. Mom is NOT going to like spending the night without the baby, but for now anyway seems accepting.
It works for me. I was home very late last night and had to get the other kids to school. I think I’m too old for this crap. Anyway, I’m very pleased with her care there and very unhappy with how she was treated at the other place. Grrr. Quacks.
I stopped counting at about 132 when I was considering all the things along this story for which I’m painfully sorry.
I decided, instead, to celebrate the fact that she’s finally in good hands, getting good care, and is quite likely going to see some pretty quick and substantial improvement.
Tiger Mom … for the WIN!!
[The rest of you … please be sure to take care of yourselves. You need it. You’ve earned it]
Thank you @DavidNRockies It’s been a long week. Peanut was born the 22 and we’re just getting this crap squared away. I very much appreciate your support.
Thanks Beck. She isn’t big enough to be a macadamia I’ll be glad when she’s (daughter) is back home, and I can be normally annoyed with her again. I was reallly worried she was going to stroke out or something.
I’ll be glad when she’s (daughter) is back home, and I can be normally annoyed with her again. I was reallly worried she was going to stroke out or something.