unusual bleeding,2 negative tests,am i pregnant or is something wrong?!!!!!!!

[confused&bloated]

ok i had my period last month from the26th to the 2nd on the night of  the first i stopped and the next morning when i got to work i started bleeding heavy and it was dark red. my period wasVERY unusually light. i had a little girl on june 25, i was 6 months and she passed away because of maternal hellp syndrome and severe preeclampsia, it was my first pregnancy. ive had bad headaches, bloating,increased urination,mood swings, backaches, and bad cramps for the past couple weeks. i took 2 pregnancy tests last month a week apart but both came up negative could i be pregnant anyway. i used a fact plus p/t. it took me a year to get pregnant the first time. Also, what are the chances of preeclampsia and the maternal hellp syndrome coming back??? my blood pressure for the last pregnancy was 160/105!!!  HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

I'm so sorry for your loss of your girl.  That's awful.

The over the counter urine pregnancy tests are pretty accurate to test for pregnancy after 2 weeks since last intercourse.  Sounds like you probably weren't pregnant as of those tests a month ago.  If you're worried now, take a test now.

Preeclampsia goes away for many women after delivery of the child so I wouldn't be overly worried about getting it when you're not pregnant.  It's still worth checking your blood pressure on routine visits.

These are the risk factors for developing preeclampsia, but they aren't great at predicting getting preeclampsia. Removing these risk factors doesn't seem to affect getting preeclampsia.  It's frustrating:

Nulliparity
Preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy
Age >40 years or <18 years
Family history of pregnancy-induced hypertension
Chronic hypertension
Chronic renal disease
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome or inherited thrombophilia
Vascular or connective tissue disease
Diabetes mellitus
Multifetal gestation
High body mass index
Genetic polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin system (angiotensinogen gene, angiotensin-converting enzyme gene)
Male partner whose previous partner had preeclampsia
Hydrops fetalis
Unexplained fetal growth restriction

Dr. Enoch Choi, MD
Palo Alto, CA

[star queen]

I see that you are really worried and that is not unusual after losing a child.  Yes, the preeclampsia may return with the next pregnancy.  With all your worry and anxiety,  you can expect your blood pressure to be high.  For your own peace of mind, go see your OBGYN and get a pelvic exam to see what is going on.  He/she can tell you if you are pregnant or if you are having any problems otherwise.  Once you know for sure you can relax.  good luck