What should you know about pre-eclampsia?

Pre-eclampsia can develop during pregnancy and may also cause problems after birth. Blood pressure checks, urine testing, blood tests, symptom review, and assessment of the baby's growth and wellbeing help the maternity team judge how the condition is behaving. Some people have few symptoms, which is why scheduled antenatal appointments matter.

Headache, visual disturbance, pain beneath the ribs, sudden swelling, nausea, vomiting, or feeling very unwell can signal a need for urgent review. The condition can affect the placenta, liver, kidneys, brain, or blood clotting, so changes should not be dismissed as ordinary pregnancy discomfort.

Attend monitoring appointments and take prescribed medicines exactly as directed. Ask which blood pressure readings, symptoms, and fetal-movement changes should prompt a call. Rest advice, admission to hospital, steroid treatment for fetal lung development, or planning birth may be considered according to gestation and the health of you and your baby.

Keep your maternity unit's contact details available. Do not stop a prescribed medicine or delay assessment because you are waiting for a routine appointment. A caesarean section or induction of labour may be discussed when birth is safer than continuing the pregnancy.

Contact your maternity unit immediately for a severe or persistent headache, flashing lights or blurred vision, strong pain under the ribs, sudden swelling of the face or hands, repeated vomiting, shortness of breath, chest pain, vaginal bleeding, or reduced fetal movements.

If you feel suddenly very unwell, faint, confused, or have a seizure, call emergency services. Pre-eclampsia can worsen quickly, including after birth, so urgent symptoms need assessment even if an earlier check was reassuring.

What do my blood pressure, urine, and blood results show? How often will I be monitored? Which symptoms mean I should call immediately? How is my baby being assessed? When might induction or caesarean birth be recommended?