Preeclampsia at 35 weeks: what to expect

Your maternity team will use your blood pressure, urine and blood tests, symptoms, and the baby's wellbeing to decide whether continued monitoring or birth is safer. The plan can change if either of you becomes unwell.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy condition involving raised blood pressure, sometimes with protein in the urine or signs that organs such as the liver, kidneys, brain, or blood-clotting system are affected. Some people feel well, so scheduled checks remain necessary even when symptoms are absent.

At 35 weeks, clinicians balance the benefit of more time in the uterus against the risk of the condition worsening. They may monitor the baby's heart rate, growth, movements, fluid around the baby, and placental blood flow alongside your results.

Follow the maternity unit's monitoring schedule and take prescribed medicine exactly as directed. Keep a clear route back to the hospital, notice your baby's usual movement pattern, and bring your medicines and maternity notes if asked to attend.

Do not delay an assessment to finish a home blood-pressure series or wait for the next appointment. If birth is recommended, the team will explain whether induction of labour or a caesarean birth fits your clinical situation.

Contact your maternity assessment unit immediately for a severe or persistent headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, strong pain beneath the ribs, sudden swelling of the face or hands, vomiting, breathing difficulty, vaginal bleeding, or reduced or changed baby movements. Call emergency services for a seizure, collapse, severe breathing difficulty, or loss of consciousness.

Ask what your latest blood pressure, urine, blood tests, and baby checks show; how often they need repeating; which symptoms trigger immediate return; whether admission is advised; and what findings would lead the team to recommend birth. You can also ask what pain relief, induction, and caesarean options apply to you.