Understanding Preeclampsia During Pregnancy
- bed rest, primarily lying on your left side
- drinking plenty of water every day
- frequent checkups to make sure you and your baby are doing well
- medicines to help control your blood pressure (sometimes)
If any of your symptoms worsen or you have new symptoms, immediately notify your doctor. You may also be treated at the hospital with medicines given into a vein to control blood pressure and prevent other complications. Depending on the age of your baby, you may receive steroid injections to speed the development of your baby's lungs.
If your preeclampsia is severe, the doctor may decide to deliver your baby early, especially if your baby is not doing well in the womb or your blood pressure gets too high. Normally, your doctor will try to wait until the 37th week of pregnancy.
Q: Will the condition have long-term effects for my health and that of my baby?
A: Babies born prematurely to mothers with preeclampsia may experience problems. Occasionally, the mother may also experience serious complications, including bleeding problems, premature detachment of the placenta from the uterus, liver rupture or stroke. Death of the mother from preeclampsia is rare in the United States.
In most cases, blood pressure readings return to normal by six weeks after you deliver, though they can spike during the week after giving birth. Once you've had preeclampsia, you are at risk of developing the condition during subsequent pregnancies.
Studies show that women with a history of preeclampsia are at four times the risk of developing high blood pressure and twice as likely to have ischemic heart disease, heart attack and stroke later in life.
Even without loss of the child, in severe cases of preeclampsia, women and their family members can be emotionally traumatized. Counseling is recommended, along with support from others who have had similar experiences, such as the support found on the Preeclampsia Foundation's Community Forum at www.preeclampsia.org/forum.
