Recurring Preeclampsia: Second Pregnancy Proves as Risky as First

They say that if you had preeclampsia in one pregnancy, you have a 40 percent chance of having it your next pregnancy. I was among in that unlucky 40 percent. My second pregnancy was completely opposite from my first one in so many ways, I thought I would be lucky enough to bypass the preeclampsia that time. I had no morning sickness this time, I had no gestational diabetes this time, and I was gaining weight like crazy (my first pregnancy was exactly the opposite of that).

But at 27 weeks, even earlier than the first time, I went in for a routine doctor visit and had extremely high blood pressure and protein in my urine. They sent me immediately to the hospital. I was there for 2 weeks until they sent me home, each night I was there they kept telling me I would probably go home the next day. While I was there, my blood pressure kept getting better but the protein in my urine was still highly elevated. So when they sent me home after 2 weeks they said I would have to go to the doctor every other day to get checked out. I was only home for 4 days before I was sent right back to the hospital.

I got there on a Thursday, and by Saturday morning I woke up with such great pain in the middle of my back that I was bawling and wanted to scream with pain but didn't. The nurse asked me if I wanted a heating pad. I told her we could try it but that the pain was so severe I could barely breath so she finally asked the doctor if I could have some pain medication. She put it in my IV and instantly I felt better. I told my husband I was going to take a nap since I was up very early in the morning with this pain and was extremely tired. So he left to go do some things at home and spend some time with our daughter. At the same time he was leaving the nurse came in to draw some blood.

About an hour later, if even that, she came back and told me that they were going to do a C-section because my kidneys were failing (which, come to find out, was why I was in so much pain that morning). So I had the nurse call my husband because I was bawling. I had never wanted to have a C-section. I was so scared that I was shaking.

So about an hour later, I went in for surgery and my second daughter was born! She weighed 3 pounds 1 ounce and was a little bean just like my first daughter was. She was in the NICU for 4 1/2 weeks and has been healthy and smart ever since also just like my first daughter. I can't begin to tell you how lucky I feel that my husband and I had 2 premature babies and both of them are smart, healthy, and beautiful and we wouldn't take back anything we have been through!