Special problems during pregnancy

If you develop a medical condition that is cause for concern during your pregnancy, you will receive more antenatal visits with your midwife or doctor and it is likely you will receive more care from your obstetrician than anyone else. Sometimes, problems that crop up during later pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia, require hospitalisation, so that your condition and the health of your growing foetus can be monitored carefully. In other cases, you may be taken in on a daily basis and monitored and released at night. Typical problems some women experience during pregnancy can be:

Pre-eclampsia
What are the symptoms?
Pre-eclampsia is characterised by high blood pressure, increased swelling of the hands and feet and sometimes face (oedema) and protein in the urine. Other symptoms include persistent headaches, blurred vision, flashing lights and abdominal pain on the right side of the body below the ribcage. Many women suffering from pre-eclampsia feel fine and only learn of the condition when their blood pressure is high.

Another sign of pre eclampsia is the slower growth of your baby because of poor blood supply from the placenta to the baby. Your baby may be classed as 'small for dates' if this happens, but being small for dates does not always indicate pre eclampsia.

If you notice any of the following tell your midwife immediately:
- High blood pressure (your midwife or GP will check this)
- Protein in your urine (your midwife or GP will check this)
- Fluid retention
- Severe headaches
- Flashing lights or blurred vision
- Pain in your upper abdomen
- Vomiting
- Sudden swelling of your hands, feet ankles and face

See Pre-Eclampsia for more details

Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a condition unique to pregnancy, and occurs because the body fails to make enough insulin to cope with the increased blood sugar levels. One of the first indications is that the baby will get very large. This will be noticed at one of your antenatal check-ups and you will be referred for tests. Your baby will often be reffered to as being 'big for dates' which means he is measuring bigger than average for his gestational age.

Most women receive a sugar level test as part of your antenatal treatment. The test measures the sugar levels in your blood when fasting, and when eating a fixed amount of sugar. In some antenatal units you will be asked to drink a bottle of glucose drink and your blood sugar levels will be tested before and after drinking.

Symptoms of gestational diabetes include, excessive thirst and urination, fatigue and sugar in your urine.

Abdominal pains or bleeding
Occasional cramping during the early part of your pregnancy is nothing to worry about during your pregnancy, and merely occurs because the muscles are stretching as your uterus grows and changes. Many women experience mild stomach cramps in early pregnancy, a bit like menstrual cramps. This is because your uterus is starting to expand and is completely normal.

These cramps feel like the sort of period pains that you may already experience across your abdomen and lower back. Pregnant women are bound to worry about miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, but during a normal, low-risk pregnancy, cramps like those described are nothing to worry about.

If you experience severe abdominal pains, the pains don't seem to go away or you have any bleeding, contact your GP or midwife immediately to rule out anything more serious.

Aneamia in pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman’s body demands more vitamins and iron as the foetus requires its own supply of iron. The mother’s blood supply may become diluted and, often in pregnancy, the haemoglobin levels drop resulting in the mother developing Aneamia. Luckily this condition can be controlled with iron supplements and the right diet, but mums will be advised by their medical teams should this happen.

Other preganncy complications that can occur are:
Miscarriage
Ectopic pregnancy
Placenta Preavia or Abruptio
Premature labour and birth

Some complications during pregnancy are caused by failing to seek appropriate medical care early on in pregnancy, or by lifestyle choices that impact upon your developing foetus (smoking or drinking for example). Have a look at gurgle's lifestyle section for more details on how to avoid these problems. Finally, having one complicated pregnancy does not necessarily mean that subsequent pregnancies will be the same, just as a difficult first delivery does not mean your second will be problematic. If you are concerned about any aspect of your pregnancy health, contact your doctor or midwife.

Last Modified: 20/06/2007

pregnancy problems pre-eclampsia gestational diabetes abdominal bleeding

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Comments

By LucyRuth 1 years ago

I'm really sorry to hear your midwife couldn't care less thats awful!!

My GP and Community Midwife both took it very seriously, and refered me to the local hospital to see the consultant. I think this was because they were worried that something much more serious could be causing it - so had checks on my heart and brain function.

Yes, I found getting up first thing in the morning has to be done very slowly too, I do they same sort of thing as you. Also have been toild to drink lots of water all day, which means I'm never off the loo!!

Another thing that they suggested which is quite funny, is I'm to try and eat MORE SALT!! As it helps to raise blood pressure. They also told me I should try 6 snacks a day rather than any meals, which helps too. There is a medicine that your doctor can prescribe which can help called Stemetil, which is also used to help severe morning sickness.

At about how many weeks of pregnancy did it stop for you?? I'm only 17 weeks at moment. They told me it might stop after second trimester, but could last whole of pregnancy. :-((

Really great to hear someone else has a had something simular, as most of the midwifes I talked to at the hospital had never come across it before, I felt I was the only one. Thanks so much for replying. :-))))

I am afraid to say it didn't totally clear up until labour but towards the end they put me on iron tablets and I don't know if a co-incidence or not but I improved when on those from 34 weeks!

By herb0000 1 years ago

By LucyRuth 1 years ago

I had this but not quite so extreme and my mwf couldn't care less as she said it is healthy to have low blood pressure!! I found it helpful whenever I felt like this to drink a huge glass of water really quickly. Bizarre but it worked! Also I was worse in the morning and I found it helped to get uo very slowly- 20mins lying down, 20 mins with my head propped up, 20 mins with my back propped up, 20 mins with my legs over the side of the bed... I stopped showering in the morning too as that made me worse.

By herb0000 1 years ago

I've got very low blood pressure as a result of my pregnancy, which is apparently because I'm making a lot of the pregnancy hormone that dilates the blood vessels and gives low blood pressure.

Low Blood Pressure may not sound like a big problem, but I' getting extreem dizziness and fainting. Because of the risk to myself and my baby, I can't drive or leave the house on my own. I also feel very dizzy when in a moving car.

I am very dizzy several times a day, especially if the break between snacks is more than two hours, and directly after a meal.

I understand I may have this for several months or even the rest of my pregnancy. I'm only 17 weeks at the moment so thinking I might have this for whole of my pregnancy is not a great thought!!

Anyone else out there got this???

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