It is usually diagnosed during your antenatal appointments and is usually a combination of raised blood pressure and protein in urine in pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia affects some pregnant women, usually during the second trimester and most cases do not happen until the third trimester,Although the exact cause of pre-eclampsia is not known, it’s thought to occur when there’s a problem with the placenta.
Symptoms of pre-eclampsia
Initial symptoms include having high blood pressure and protein in your urine (proteinuria). Some women have high blood pressure and having this alone doesn’t mean you have pre-eclampsia. However if there’s protein in your urine at the same time, it’s most likely yo have pre-eclampsia.
In some cases, further symptoms can develop, including:
- swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands caused by fluid retention (oedema)
- severe headache
- vision problems e.g blurring or flashing
- nausea
- headache
- heartburn
If you notice any symptoms of pre-eclampsia, seek medical advice immediately. Although many cases are not serious, the condition can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby if it’s not monitored and treated.
Who’s at risk?
You are at higher risk if you are a first-time mother, if you are carrying more than one baby, or you have had pre-eclampsia before.
Other risk factors include a family history of pre-eclampsia , being obese, aged over 40, or suffer from diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure prior to pregnancy.
Some women are prescribed a low dose of aspirin from 12 weeks by their doctors.
Although pre-eclampsia usually gets better or disappears soon after your baby is born, complications can sometimes develop few days after birth.
You and your baby may need to stay in hospital after the delivery so you can be monitored and assessed. then you’ll be allowed to go home once its safe to do so.
You’ll usually need to have your blood pressure checked regularly and continue taking medication for some time after going home.
