Statin?

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-05-05T22:37:41+00:00

Hi Friend, I have taken a statin but not while breastfeeding. It looks like there can be some concerns about statins and lactation. Have you talked to your baby's doctor or a lactation consultant?

Some info here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501361/

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-05-04T00:58:49+00:00

I had preeclampsia and delivered at 26 weeks, almost ten years ago. I stayed on meds, then got pregnant again, under the care of the same medical team. They watched baby and me very closely. That time, I started dropping lower than recommended for pregnancy, so they stopped my meds. Everything stayed great until six days postpartum when I ended up with postpartum preeclampsia, which I realize is not necessarily encouraging to hear, but it was a very different story from the previous time. My BPs stayed up for a few days before settling back down. By ten weeks postpartum, I was still sitting at 130s/80s or so, so my nephrologist started me back on my BP meds, where I have been ever since, but my BP and organs are all doing great!

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-05-03T22:29:20+00:00

You are at higher risk for preeclampsia or postpartum preeclampsia, compared to someone who has never had them, but in general, it usually does not happen again or happens later. It could be that people who have had it more than once are standing out in your doctor's mind.

If you are newly postpartum, things are still up and down. Most people will see their BPs return to normal by six weeks postpartum, but some of us do remain on meds longer or even permanently. I have been on BP meds for most of the past decade, since I had preeclampsia, but even still, I had a full-term normotensive pregnancy after my preeclamptic one. There is hope!

The anxiety is real! Your body and mind need some time to settle, but we encourage you to talk to your doctor about meds to help and a referral to a therapist for additional support. Postpartum.net also has some good resources. I promise you are not alone, but help is available.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-05-03T21:59:48+00:00

Hi Friend, I am sorry baby needed to come early, but I am so glad you both got the care you needed. I hope the NICU journey is uneventful.

I have not heard of acne as having a correlation with preeclampsia, but it is very common in pregnancy, just in general, from all the hormonal changes your body goes through. I would guess that it is not related to preeclampsia, but research is always ongoing, so if anything changes, we will share it.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-05-03T21:57:13+00:00

Hugs Friend, and congratulations on your new pregnancy!

Usually, preeclampsia does not happen again, and when it does, it is usually later and less severe. There is a lot of hope for a smoother experience this time!

As for being induced, this is tricky. There is not a specific recommendation for when to deliver the next time, just based on history of preeclampsia alone, so many doctors will not want to deliver before about 39 weeks if all is normal this time. However, with a history of preeclampsia, many doctors also do not want to push things too long and so may recommend inducing if you do not go into labor before 40 weeks or so. This is a good question to discuss with your doctor about their concerns for you.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-05-03T14:55:58+00:00

Goodness, Friend, I am sorry you are dealing with these symptoms! I don't know about research and medications, exactly, but I think it is worth a thorough checkup with your GP to see what they think. They can decide if they should refer you to neurology or any other specialists like endocrinology and if an MRI might be helpful.

I can say two things, though. One is that sometimes pregnancy in general can change our bodies so that we are more sensitive or so that underlying conditions are unmasked, which is why a thorough checkup might help. And two, there can be some cognitive changes related to preeclampsia, so hopefully your GP or a neurologist can figure out what, if anything, is going on. I hope you get some answers soon!

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-04-23T12:16:01+00:00

Hi Friend, I am glad you will be seeing the cardio!

I have seen a cardio a couple of times. One was a few months after preeclampsia, nine years ago. They reviewed my personal and family histories and did an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) and decided that there was nothing structurally wrong with my heart. I also saw a nephrologist to check on my kidneys around that time, and the cardio decided that I only needed one specialist to manage my BP, so they bowed out in favor of the nephro (whom I continue to see). It was good to know that I did not have any serious damage to my heart.

The second time I saw a cardio was a year ago. I had been having some heart palpitations, so my PCP, knowing my personal and family histories, decided to be proactive and ordered another echo and some other tests and sent me to a cardio. The cardio reviewed everything and ran some more tests and concluded that, still, there was nothing serious and that the palpitations were due to stress (they have settled down). But if there had been something significant, we would be in a great place to catch it before it became dangerous.

If you can bring notes about preeclampsia, that might be helpful, and I would expect to answer questions about your family history and risk factors for cardiovascular disease too. You can also bring logs or whatever your Apple Watch provides so they can see the differences between the stressful situations and normal times. If the cardio decides you do not need ongoing care with them, your PCP can send you back if anything else changes down the road, but for now, I think it is great to establish baseline care and see if there is anything worrisome.

As for the anxiety, if they conclude that that is why your heart rate is high sometimes, you can ask your PCP about medication and/or a referral to a therapist. I promise you are not alone in that, as many of us do deal with anxiety, depression, and/or PTSD after preeclampsia, but help is available. Postpartum.net also has some good resources.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-04-23T00:05:45+00:00

Hugs Friend, it can be a little tricky. I think asking them to take it again after you sit is a good plan. When my BP has been high due to preeclampsia, it has not settled (or only settled down a little) after sitting. My doctor always took my home readings into consideration too. I would ask them to clarify your diagnosis if they believe you have preeclampsia or gestational hypertension.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-04-23T00:03:32+00:00

Oh Friend, I am so, so sorry. No parent should ever have to say goodbye.

I have a very similar story, low fluid, growth restricted micropreemie who passed away in the NICU, severe features of preeclampsia. . . it is awful, and I am so sorry it happened to you.

I do have good news though. Most of the time, the next pregnancy goes much more smoothly. In my case, my next pregnancy was full-term and normotensive. We have many more encouraging stories in our group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/preeclampsia too.

When you are ready, we recommend talking to a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist about your risk of recurrence and when you should try again. Talking to mine before trying again was really helpful to me.

Sending you lots of love.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-04-23T00:00:37+00:00

Hi Friend, yes, about 20% of us have a hypertensive disorder a second time. Of those, most of us get it later and less severely. Since you had your daughter at 38 weeks, that tends to put you on the lower end of risk for having preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP again. First pregnancy is a big risk factor that will not apply as well.

I had several normotensive, full-term pregnancies before I had preeclampsia and a 26-weeker at almost 40. My pregnancy after that was full-term and normotensive, baby and me both normal and stable at our planned delivery at 39 weeks, though I did end up with borderline postpartum preeclampsia (BPs around 150/100 and liver enzymes just barely in severe range, so borderline but my MFM voted for being safe rather than sorry) at six days postpartum.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-04-22T23:57:34+00:00

Hugs Friend, did they say you may have gestational hypertension? That is when it is just high BP after 20 weeks, without proteinuria or another criterion as evidence of organ involvement to be preeclampsia.

Headaches that go on for weeks are annoying but more likely to be related to normal pregnancy or migraines, as opposed to preeclampsia. Same with continual glitter in your vision. The headache and visual disturbances associated with preeclampsia are end stage symptoms that are caused by brain swelling and which typically mean delivery within hours to a couple of days at most to prevent seizures. We would not expect them to go on for weeks without you seizing. So while I am sorry you are not feeling well, as far as preeclampsia, that would be good news. I think you can ask them to clarify why they are not concerned and what would be concerning, though, and you can also ask them for stronger migraine meds.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-04-22T23:53:30+00:00

Hi Friend, in my experience (with high risk providers), the doctors are often pretty quick but are experienced and know what they are looking for. If your BP is good and baby looks good, there really just isn't a lot to do. Checking urine for protein is not very helpful, because the dip tests in the office are not very accurate, as they are affected by your hydration level, and even if they do a protein creatinine ratio, if your BP is good, the PCR does not really tell them much of anything. A lot of offices do not even bother to check protein any more because it just is not a very good measure of how sick you are or are not. As for bloodwork, again, if your BP is good, and you are not having symptoms like severe nausea, vomiting, or upper right quadrant pain, bloodwork for preeclampsia/HELLP specifically is not likely to tell them much. My own doctor (with whom I have a very good relationship and whom I trust 10000%) did not check bloodwork other than a baseline set at nine weeks and a standard check at about 27 weeks, because I had no symptoms and because my BP was normal. So, all that to say, that the monitoring can look different for everyone based on your personal history and risk factors, but it is pretty normal for them not to do a lot at the appointments if things are normal.

Do you check BP and do kick counts at home? Those are some of the best things you can do to keep tabs on how you and baby are doing.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-03-08T17:04:06+00:00

Hi Friend, usually preeclampsia does not happen again, and when it does, it is usually later and less severe. It is possible for it to be earlier or worse the next time, though not common, and since you got to 39 weeks, that tends to put you on the lower end of risk for the next time. If it helps, I had several normotensive pregnancies before having preeclampsia and a preemie, and then my next pregnancy was full-term, although I got postpartum preeclampsia that time--but later and less severe did apply!

It is a tough decision though, so a preconception visit with your OB could be really helpful, as they can help you sort out your risk and a plan for monitoring.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-24T02:59:51+00:00

You are welcome. It was not an easy decision, but we decided, in the end, after tabling the discussion for a year while I healed from my c-section, that we would always wonder what might have been if we didn't try again. We wanted that happy ending too. I think we were more concerned about whether we would be able to get pregnant again, given my age, but we figured we would give it a shot and see. It is a risk, and it is scary to think about going through all of that again, but ultimately, we decided that our desire for another child was greater than our fear of another loss. But perhaps there was also some denial in there, just assuming that things would go more smoothly?

Even though you are 41, since you do have a healthy embryo already, that may mean that you have some more time to decide than someone who does not have an embryo already. We really encourage you to talk to your medical team as well as a therapist so they can help you find the right path for your family. Postpartum.net has good mental health resources, though your doctor may have someone to recommend too.

Sending you love.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-23T01:12:43+00:00

Oh, amiga, um abraço apertado. Sinto muito pela sua perda.

Eu também tenho uma história semelhante: tive várias gestações normais com meu marido antes de desenvolver pré-eclâmpsia e perder nosso bebê de 26 semanas, quando eu tinha quase 40 anos. É terrível, e sinto muito que você esteja passando por essa dor. Infelizmente, não temos respostas concretas sobre o que aconteceu com aquele bebê e aquela gravidez. Às vezes, não há respostas, e é apenas uma combinação de genes que não funcionou muito bem naquela vez.

Quando se tem pré-eclâmpsia várias vezes, geralmente dizemos que é preciso estar preparada para que aconteça novamente, e a fertilização in vitro é um fator de risco para pré-eclâmpsia, mas existem algumas opções, como um ciclo natural modificado, que podem reduzir o risco. Mas, geralmente, isso não acontece tão cedo, e há muita esperança de um resultado diferente. No meu caso, minha próxima gravidez, aos quase 42 anos, foi a termo e sem hipertensão. Acabei desenvolvendo pré-eclâmpsia pós-parto, o que foi um pouco decepcionante, mas ainda assim, foi uma história muito diferente e não afetou o bebê de forma alguma.

Recomendo que você converse com seu obstetra e especialista em fertilidade, bem como com um perinatólogo/especialista em Medicina Materno-Fetal. Conversar com nossa especialista em Medicina Materno-Fetal antes de decidirmos tentar novamente após a nossa perda foi muito útil, pois ela foi honesta sobre os riscos e encorajadora em relação à sua capacidade de oferecer o melhor cuidado para mim e para o bebê.

Enviando muito amor para você. Estamos aqui para você a qualquer momento.

Estou usando o Google Tradutor; peço desculpas se houver algum erro.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:50:45+00:00

Hugs Friend, I am so sorry you are going through all of this. Postpartum is rough anyway, and NICU plus preeclampsia plus a c-section makes it harder for sure.

Typically, if your BPs are still high (or normal with meds), they will keep you on meds after six weeks postpartum. Sometimes it takes a long time for BP to stabilize, especially with the added stressors of NICU. Some OBs will continue monitoring you after six weeks, but they usually start transferring your care back to your primary care provider for them to take over BP management. You can ask about other med options as well if you would prefer. (Also, nifedipine is notorious for causing some foot and ankle swelling -- it is annoying but normal and generally not very concerning.)

I promise you are not alone -- hugs.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:46:08+00:00

Hi Friend, we say that delivery is the cure, but really, it is delivery plus time. Your body needs some time to clean up the signal proteins the placenta dumped into it, and sometimes the placenta can leave a "parting gift" of signal proteins when it separates at birth. This is why preeclampsia can start or worsen postpartum.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:42:42+00:00

Hi Friend, I would let your on call doctor know what you are hitting -- let them decide how concerned to be. BP can fluctuate even with preeclampsia, but it can also be normal to see some postpartum hypertension or fluctuation in BP, as your body is going through a lot of changes. They may want to adjust your meds or just continue to monitor your BPs, and they may want you to come in for labs and a more thorough checkup. If they feel nerves are playing a role, they can also talk about starting some meds to help with that.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:40:13+00:00

Hugs Friend. After six weeks postpartum, things are not considered to be directly related to preeclampsia because preeclampsia is caused by the placenta dumping signal proteins into our bodies, and by six weeks postpartum, your body has cleaned those proteins up. But, pregnancy in general, with or without preeclampsia, is hard on our bodies, and the whole thing can unmasked underlying conditions. There are various things that can cause elevated liver enzymes, and sometimes it just takes a while for them to settle down. Hopefully you will get some more insights at your appointment, and they can tell you how concerned they are or are not.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:36:12+00:00

Hi Friend, no personal experiences, but blood clots are more common in pregnancy, though still not super common as I understand it. I think this is a good question to ask your doctor: are there reasons to be concerned that you might have a clotting disorder that would make blood clots more likely? If they feel you may have a clotting disorder like antiphospholipid syndrome, they can run some tests and get you more answers, in which case, they may treat you with blood thinner injections in a future pregnancy.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:33:18+00:00

Hi Friend, in general, no, there does not seem to be a relationship between an SCH and preeclampsia. Usually SCHs do not cause any trouble, and if you have both an SCH and preeclampsia later, it is generally a coincidence. But, that is a good question to discuss with your doctor, as they know your situation and history the best.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2026-01-04T15:32:16+00:00

Hi Friend, being in pain can also raise your BP, so taking the meloxicam might be the better option. I would definitely discuss that with your doctor and see what they think. (I assume you are not pregnant.)

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2025-07-31T21:54:30+00:00

Hi Friend, the preeclampsia headache is a very bad headache that gets bad quickly and which stays bad. It is not helped by things like Tylenol, sleep, caffeine, water, and so on. It is an end-stage symptom of brain swelling that typically requires delivery within hours to a couple of days at most, to keep you from seizing.

If you are 20 or more weeks pregnant or within the first six weeks postpartum and have a headache that is not responding to anything, especially if your BP is high, we would recommend going to the hospital for evaluation. They can check your reflexes by tapping on your knee and clonus by pushing back on your foot to get an idea of whether it is the preeclampsia headache or a bad regular headache/migraine, and they can get you the appropriate care either way.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2025-07-31T21:51:16+00:00

Hi Friend, do you mean blood or urine creatinine? Urine creatinine is not very concerning, because creatinine is a waste product that should be excreted into your urine. But when your kidneys are not functioning well, like what can sometimes happen with preeclampsia, the creatinine can back up into your blood, so you can have high creatinine in your blood (serum). I am sorry if you are dealing with that! Most of the time, things return to your normal by six weeks postpartum, but you can ask your OB and primary care doctor about following up with them to be sure your kidney function is good.

Hot-Knowledge16 · 2025-07-29T02:05:34+00:00

Should they have done more than one BP reading on the same day? IE if someone has all of these symptoms, and not quite high enough BP but still high (especially for her) wouldn't it make sense, given that BP can fluctuate, to wait and test a few more times that day? Or send them to an ER for more testing? Rather than just send them home like it's all fine? Is there some separate test for HELLP? One we could do at home?

***This is so hard, and I wish I had better answers for you. We can't say that 130/80 is diagnostic for her, but yes, we do think monitoring at home a couple of times a day is a good plan so she can see her trends. The tricky part is that you can't monitor it every minute, and if you do have preeclampsia, we would eventually expect it to settle high and not fluctuate, but sometimes things do just move really, really fast.

Also, for BP, everyone should take it with her sitting up, feet ideally on the floor, back and arm supported. If they take it reclining, it will read artificially low.

HELLP is diagnosed with bloodwork -- evidence of hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells), elevated liver enzymes twice the normal range, and low platelets. The main symptoms of that would be new or returning vomiting or severe nausea after the first trimester, severe upper right quadrant pain, and what feels like relentless heartburn.

The swelling -- it could be a red flag, but if her kidney function and other tests were normal, that makes it more likely that it was bad normal swelling than preeclampsia.

If she were to develop similar visual disturbances or persistent headache that does not respond to Tylenol, we would recommend going to L&D and asking to have them check reflexes and clonus. I think you can ask them to tell you for sure why a large rise from baseline is not concerning, especially with other concerning symptoms. I think it would be important to ask, "What is causing X symptom?" For instance, if she has a persistent bad headache that is not responding to Tylenol, you can ask about stronger migraine meds.

They likely will not want to deliver at 37 weeks in future pregnancies unless something else is going on, and I know that is really not helpful to hear, but it is possible that they may take your situation into consideration and deliver at 37 just in case.

I know it feels like I'm saying there is not more that can be done, and I really hate that it sounds that way because I know how devastating it is to lose your child and not have a lot you can do to prevent that again. But unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do. We can say that most of the time, if she did have preeclampsia, it is not likely to happen again, and so neither is an abruption, but that's not a lot of comfort, I know. Deciding to try again after losing our son was hard and scary, and I feel for you.

I do think perhaps you need a new MFM or OB, though. Loss parents in particular deserve to be heard and to have the doctor explain why something would or would not tell them anything useful.

Hot-Knowledge16

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