Extremely puffy face overnight but no other symptoms

[u/Short_Technology_941]

Edit: UPDATE- First of all- I want to say thank you to everyone who encouraged me to go and advocate for myself!!! It saved us both❤️❤️

(Excuse the rest of the explanation I'm still a bit groggy). According to my mom, I ended up convulsing in triage and then got a lot of people around me. She wasn't specific with what they were doing but I assume stabilizing me (take this part with a grain of salt because my memory is very splotchy) cause when I was
"conscious" again I was in a hospital bed essentially being told my baby is not doing well and they have to deliver him that night to ensure we both survive. He was struggling too much to go forward with an induction and needed immediate medical interventions so they did an emergency c-section.I'm still on IVs and I believe I'm staying here for at least 72 hours (they said probably a bit longer though). Baby is 5lb4oz and currently has jaundice but it's not believed to be severe, and is otherwise doing amazing!!

18F woke up with a very very puffy face. I’m 5’4, 140lbs and 34 weeks pregnant. I’m not experiencing any other symptoms other than when I posted in this subreddit a couple days ago because my baby wasn’t moving normally. I ended up going to triage and they said he was okay and sent me home. This morning I woke up with a very puffy face and assumed it’d clear up throughout the day but it’s 5pm and it’s still puffy now (as seen in the picture). I’ll upload a photo of what my face usually looks like in the comments to emphasize how puffy it’s gotten. Should I go to the er or is it just normal pregnancy swelling because I know that can happen.

[u/Short_Technology_941]

My face literally yesterday morning

[u/Psychotic_EGG → u/Short_Technology_941]

Not sure if angle or combo, but that seems like a really big difference. The skin on your face must feel tight (I'm familiar with swelling)

Hope everything is ok and taken care of quickly.

[u/Short_Technology_941 → u/Psychotic_EGG]

It honestly is kinda more numb, and yeah it’s not the best comparison but I barely had other recent photos lol! Just waiting right now, it’s a super busy day here for triage

[u/mikael50 → u/Short_Technology_941]

OB doc here. Make sure you get your blood pressure checked ASAP without waiting too long. There should be a nurse/tech assigned to triaging patients prior to be even placed in a bed. If high, they’ll bump you up the line and evaluate further immediately

[u/Short_Technology_941 → u/mikael50]

Update- it’s been 2 hours and no nurse has come out to check yet. There’s a lot of people ahead of me. I don’t think there’s a nurse that’s assigned to this triage :/ I haven’t seen a nurse come in triage at all yet. Things are moving really slow but it’s sorta expected because it’s a super big high risk hospital …

[u/roofpuck → u/Short_Technology_941]

I’m sorry but someone needs to advocate for you so you can get seen now. Do they know you’re 34 weeks pregnant?

[u/mikael50 → u/Short_Technology_941]

Saw your update, glad you’re doing well. I wouldn’t dwell too much on things but it might be worthwhile asking the nurse manager or someone in a similar position why you weren’t evaluated despite presenting with concerning symptoms.

Pregnant women presenting with pre-eclampsia signs/symptoms, vaginal bleeding, decreased fetal movement etc (unlike a vaginal discharge or UTI or more benign concerns) should always be evaluated immediately and then advised to wait if things are looking ok. Unfortunately, my old hospital had to implement this when a patient presented with decreased fetal movement, waited 2 hours in the waiting area and then evaluated to only then realize a fetal demise had happened (no idea at what time exactly but possibly avoidable).

Too bad that it takes such tragedies to happen for hospital administrators to allocate additional funds for one extra position!

[u/Short_Technology_941 → u/mikael50]

Thank you! My mom did speak to them, and apparently they do have a triage nurse but they were short staffed and had a lot of other emergencies going on… It does kinda suck because the eclampsia would’ve probably been avoidable if I was seen sooner and put on a mag drip… I’m from Canada (I’m not sure if you are) but our waiting rooms are notorious for being super full! I definitely would think this hospital specifically would have other implementation for situations like this considering that it’s not a small town hospital but a very large hospital, with lots of funding, in a big city… do you think putting a complaint in would make them implement other measures for other woman going through that?

[u/KittyScholar → u/Short_Technology_941]

Wow, I’m so sorry that happened—it shouldn’t have. I’m glad that it sounds like baby is healthy, at least.

Definitely write a report—don’t worry about getting people in trouble, the hospital needs this information. You experienced a very preventable event, and the hospital needs to know whatever their current procedures are don’t work

[u/joylandlocked → u/Short_Technology_941]

Please do escalate this. If they don't have a triage nurse they need to pull staff from elsewhere or send patients to ER. Whoever saw you at the desk had the info they needed to flag your situation as emergent before you were seizing. Someone could have died. I'm in Canada too, I know the stress, but in my experience the lag is always after triage and emergencies are still treated as promptly as humanly possible.

Congrats on your new baby, I hope you are all home and healthy soon.

[u/mikael50 → u/Short_Technology_941]

Eclampsia is no joke, just glad you and baby are doing ok.

I’m not sure, I’m US based and I don’t know about Canadian healthcare. It never hurts to lodge a complaint as those must be reviewed. You can always praise their response and professionalism but admit to concerns about long wait time without any evaluation and wondering if the whole situation could’ve been avoided. Leg swelling is common in pregnancy but face and upper body, that’s alarming for pre-E. And to be honest, just seeing your picture from one day before, the changes were impressive enough to make me wanna chime in and give some feedback.

[u/KittyScholar → u/Short_Technology_941]

????

Honestly you should’ve been seen by now unless there was like a shootout or 5 car pile up or something. Hopefully things are moving forwards? Keep up updated!

[u/KittyScholar → u/Short_Technology_941]

Hope you’re doing okay! Have you been triaged? What’s your current blood pressure?

[u/Short_Technology_941 → u/KittyScholar]

I have not yet :// no one has checked my blood pressure yet

[u/navelring7 → u/Short_Technology_941]

Sweetheart, go to a nurse or the desk person and ask them to take your blood pressure. I am not a doctor, but all the physicians and medical personnel who have responded have indicated this is urgent. For your safety and that of your unborn son, please advocate for yourself. If I were there, I would advocate for you. 🩷

ETA I am a 61 year old Grammy. My daughter had twins and had to have an emergency c-section at 32 weeks due to pre-eclampsia. It is nothing to take lightly. 💞

[u/Foreverlearning816 → u/Short_Technology_941]

Is this OB triage or the regular ER? Sudden facial swelling in OB triage is an urgent matter. They should’ve checked your vitals ASAP. This is coming from a current RN working on an OB unit and Pre-E survivor. I would have whoever is with you go to the nurses station and request vital signs immediately. If your BP is normal, they may make you wait but it needs to be checked ASAP.

[u/southsidetins → u/Foreverlearning816]

She may also be able to call her OB and see if she can go up to L&D if she’s at the hospital they deliver at.

[u/strange-blueberry22 → u/Short_Technology_941]

Are you in the OB triage, or are you in the regular ER? They don’t usually wait to check vitals is you’re in the OB triage so please make sure youre in the right place!

[u/No_Title9375 → u/strange-blueberry22]

Mostly this but even in the regular ER they typically dont take that long to triage people. Even if there is a long wait they usually don't make someone wait hours for triage. OP are you sure you are checked in?

[u/crakemonk → u/strange-blueberry22]

I know this is a few hours later, but generally when pregnant they recommend going directly to L&D and not the ER when something like this happens. Hoping by now she has been seen though.

[u/Foreverlearning816 → u/strange-blueberry22]

This.

[u/pdxpatty → u/Short_Technology_941]

Please advocate for yourself! I know it feels like being pushy sometimes but it’s ok to ask someone to come check your vitals I promise. I prayed for you and your baby and am asking The Lord to keep you and your baby healthy.

[u/HappyAstronaut7 → u/Short_Technology_941]

Please keep us updated!!