High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia: what to know

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-related condition involving high blood pressure and possible effects on organs such as the kidneys or liver. It can develop during pregnancy or after birth, and some people have few symptoms at first. A blood pressure result alone cannot confirm or exclude it; clinicians may check urine for protein, blood tests, symptoms, and the baby's wellbeing.

Warning symptoms can include a severe or persistent headache, vision changes, pain beneath the ribs, sudden swelling of the face or hands, vomiting, or feeling unusually unwell. These symptoms deserve attention even if an earlier reading was normal.

Contact your maternity team or obstetric service promptly about a new high reading, concerning symptom, or reduced fetal movement. Use the measuring technique you were shown and write down the reading, time, symptoms, and any medicine taken. Keep appointments for blood pressure, urine, blood tests, and fetal monitoring. Do not start, stop, or borrow blood pressure medicine, aspirin, or supplements without maternity advice.

Seek emergency maternity care for a severe headache that does not settle, vision loss or flashing lights, severe upper abdominal pain, marked breathlessness, a seizure, collapse, heavy bleeding, or reduced fetal movement. Do not wait for a routine appointment. Prompt assessment protects both you and the baby and allows the team to decide whether monitoring or treatment is needed.

Ask what your reading means at your stage of pregnancy, how often to measure at home, which symptoms require immediate attendance, and which medicines are suitable. Ask how follow-up will check your kidneys, liver, blood cells, placenta, and baby's growth.