Preeclampsia Foundation

July is Postpartum Changes Awareness Month.

Your pregnancy journey doesn't stop at childbirth. As a preeclampsia, eclampsia or HELLP syndrome survivor, you have health risks beyond pregnancy. Women who have had preeclampsia have three to four times the risk of high blood pressure and double the risk for heart disease and stroke. They also have an increased risk of developing diabetes. For women who had preeclampsia and delivered preterm, had low-birthweight babies, or suffered from severe preeclampsia more than once, the risk of heart disease can be even higher.

Knowing these risks can feel scary, but knowledge is power. 💪 You are your best advocate. While you can't change the fact that you experienced preeclampsia in your pregnancy, you can adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle to significantly reduce your risk.

Visit our Beyond Pregnancy to get a free downloadable worksheet to bring to your provider to speak about your long-term health: https://www.preeclampsia.org/beyondpregnancy

Preeclampsia (pre-e-CLAMP-si-a) is a condition unique to human pregnancy. It is diagnosed by the elevation of the expectant mother’s blood pressure usually after the 20th week of pregnancy. Preeclampsia is diagnosed by persistent high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy or the postpartum period that is associated with high levels of protein in the urine OR the new development of decreased blood platelets, trouble with the kidneys or liver, fluid in the lungs, or signs of brain trouble such as seizures and/or visual disturbances.

Important symptoms that may suggest preeclampsia are:

❗headaches
❗abdominal pain
❗shortness of breath
❗burning behind the sternum
❗nausea
❗vomiting
❗confusion
❗heightened state of anxiety
❗visual disturbances such as oversensitivity to light, blurred vision, or seeing flashing spots or auras
❗high blood pressure (140/90)

Some women will experience complications, several of which may be life-threatening to mother and/or baby. A woman’s condition can progress to severe preeclampsia very quickly. The rate of preeclampsia in the US has increased 25% in the last two decades and is a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death.

Preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy can be devastating diseases, made worse by delays in diagnosis or management, seriously impacting or even killing both women and their babies before, during, or after birth.

Learn more: www.preeclampsia.org/faqs