What kind of advice do you get if you go for a pre-conceiving consultation for your second child? I was just told to take aspirin.

[acsf2]

[jocelyngrantham]

I was not given any advice 30 years ago! But 3 years ago my daughter who had a IUGR first baby was advised to take asprin and calcium for her second.

[snoonan]

Hi, I am pregnant with my second baby I had servere pre elclampisa my son was 34 weighing 4 pounds.This time at 20 weeks my consultant put me on aspirin to help reduce the risk of getting it again, I also see him every month and have a scan every month, I also see my midwife every 2 weeks for urine and blood pressure check, at 30 weeks it will go on to weekly x

[acsf2 in reply to snoonan]

Thanks for answering my question. I had the same - 34 weeks and my son weighed 4 pounds. As I said, I'm pretty anxious about the next (not yet pregnant, so a bit academic at the moment!). I'm gearing myself up to it mentally...cannot quite bear the idea of being in the neonatal unit while looking after a toddler. When did you know you had preeclampsia the first time round? My blood pressure started rising steadily from the 16 week check. They didn't call it preeclampsia until about week 33, as I didn't have any other symptoms...no protein in urine, weird vision, puffing up etc... But I later found out that my mum, who died before I got pregnant, had had it...just that they didn't name it when she had it. I found a letter saying that she'd been given lots of drugs to 'prevent seizures' after her blood pressure went up. Has to be preeclampsia. Anyway, lots of good luck with your second. x

[snoonan]

I was 34 weeks, and my blood pressure was stable the whole time until one day I got a bad headache, vision was funny, puffed up so much had to have my rings cut off, I was also having kidney failure where I could not pass urine the fluid was building up, I was extremely lucky as the midwife said to me if I didn't come in I would have had a fit and died. I am nurse also so it was hard for me to have my second baby as sometimes having medical knowlegde about conditions is scary..

I am now 26 weeks and at the min all is ok, but it is very much so in the back of my mind.. It took me all most a year to get over it and I had loads of blood pressure medication for months afterwards.

The thing is you will never know if you will get it again, u can not predict it. So if it is what you want do it, the midwife and healthcare teams are so suppostive and keep a very good eye on you so it should not happen so bad this time x

[Sullnic]

I had my first at 28 weeks and my daughter was born 2 pounds, 4.5oz (and is the healthiest kid I know now At my pre- pregnancy consultation for my 2nd, I sought out the best high-risk doctors around and the only advice I was given is that I could take asprin if I wanted. I started taking baby asprin a few months before conception and daily during my pregnancy. I also was a lot quicker to take sleeping aids (benedryl and the occasional ambien) because I had really bad insomnia during my first pregnancy. I recently read a study promoting a diet higher in sulfur (which is healthy food anyways- green leafy vegtables, avoiding processed foods, etc) so I will plan on doing that during my next pregnancy. My second pregnancy was totally normal with no signs of pre-e! I hope you have the same with your second!