Red Flags for Preeclampsia

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that is typically diagnosed after 20 weeks. It is diagnosed with persistent elevated blood pressure and additional complications such as protein in the urine, decreased kidney or liver function, fluid in the lungs, seizures or other symptoms.

Most commonly, preeclampsia can present as:

• Persistent headache
• Changes in vision (blurriness, flashes of light, seeing spots, etc.)
• Pain in upper right belly or right shoulder
• Sudden increase in weight gain
• Difficulty breathing beyond what’s expected in pregnancy
• Nausea, queasiness, dizziness, or vomiting
• Swelling of arms, legs, feet, and/or face

Often, preeclampsia manifests as a feeling that “something is not right”. Through our experience guiding hundreds of pregnant individuals through pregnancy after preeclampsia, we’ve gained insights into how their condition developed during previous pregnancies.

Most of the time, their experience went like this:

1. One or more of the symptoms above began, often earlier in the pregnancy than is typical
2. They googled their symptoms & became concerned.
3. They told their OB. Sometimes test results revealed something was off (e.g. protein in urine or elevated BP). Many times, tests came back normal. 
4. OB told them “everything is fine” and suggested they “go home & relax”.
5. They didn’t feel fine, but they tried to relax. (Hint: it didn’t work)
6. They kept discussing it with their care team. They kept being told everything’s fine.
7. One day, something big changes in their health and suddenly everything’s not fine. Many times, the baby is born (often preterm) & the baby spends some time in the NICU.

If this is your current experience, we strongly advise that you continue to advocate for yourself until someone on your care team takes your concerns seriously. If you need to get a second, third, or fourth opinion, we strongly recommend reaching out to a provider who is not in your current OB’s network to get a fresh pair of eyes. (Listen to episode 003 of the Delivering Miracles® podcast for tips on how to make the most of your second opinions.)

It’s also imperative to your pregnancy health to understand the details of preeclampsia that are science-backed but go beyond what your medical provider is telling you. 

Yes, the risk of preeclampsia is generally higher in subsequent pregnancies for people with a history. However, a history of preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy does not guarantee a preeclampsia diagnosis in your future pregnancy, especially when you learn how to reduce the risks with whole-health guidance and trauma-informed health care support.

If you’re currently pregnant, let us help you through your high-risk pregnancy.