What Is Preeclampsia?

It usually announces itself quietly. You're at a routine prenatal check, the cuff tightens around your arm the way it has at every visit, and this time the reading comes back higher than your team would like. That is how preeclampsia is most often found — not through drama, but through a number at an ordinary appointment. The short video at the top of this page, a three-minute-and-forty-second explainer from our library, puts the core of it plainly: preeclampsia — once called toxemia — is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy in someone whose blood pressure was normal before. Here's what to expect if it becomes part of your pregnancy story.

At the appointment where it's first suspected

A single raised reading doesn't settle anything on its own, so expect the checks to be repeated and widened. Your blood pressure will likely be measured again after a pause. A urine sample is commonly tested, because protein in the urine is one of the classic signs that tend to accompany the raised pressure. Blood tests may be added to see how organs such as your liver and kidneys are coping, and your team will ask about symptoms — a headache that won't shift, changes in your vision, pain high in your abdomen, or sudden swelling are the kinds of details worth mentioning even if they seem small. You may also be asked to come back sooner than planned, simply so the picture can be watched over days rather than guessed at from one visit.

The weeks that follow: closer watching

If preeclampsia is confirmed, the pattern of your care changes from routine to watchful. Appointments usually become more frequent, with blood pressure and urine checked each time, and extra scans or monitoring may be arranged to keep an eye on your baby's growth and wellbeing, since the placenta is part of this picture too. Some women are monitored as outpatients with clear instructions about which symptoms should prompt a call straight away; others are advised to stay in hospital for a period of closer observation. Neither route means you've done anything wrong — the level of watching is matched to how the readings behave. It's the same spirit as the extra monitoring that follows a blood sugar finding in pregnancy, which our article on gestational diabetes walks through — more checks, more information, earlier action if the pattern changes. For a longer look at how blood pressure in pregnancy is assessed, the site's six-minute video on gestational hypertension and preeclampsia covers the neighbouring condition that care teams distinguish it from.

What treatment actually looks like

Here's the part that surprises people: there is no course of treatment that simply switches preeclampsia off. Care focuses on keeping you and your baby safe while the pregnancy continues — rest and monitoring, and medication to help control blood pressure if your team judges it needed. The condition itself settles after the baby and placenta are delivered, which is why the timing of birth becomes the central decision when preeclampsia is present. If everything stays mild and stable, that may still mean waiting until close to your due date under close watch. If readings climb or worrying signs appear, your team may recommend bringing the birth forward — the balance they're striking is between giving your baby more time and not letting your own health slide. Those are judgement calls made on your readings and your baby's checks, and a good team will talk you through the reasoning as it evolves.

MedicalVideos.com has published trusted medical videos since 2007. The site was founded by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD — physician-scientist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you feel preeclampsia coming on?
Often there is nothing to feel at first, which is why it is usually picked up by routine blood pressure and urine checks at prenatal appointments. When symptoms do appear — such as a persistent headache, vision changes, upper abdominal pain, or sudden swelling — they are worth reporting to your care team the same day rather than waiting for the next visit.

Is preeclampsia the same as high blood pressure in pregnancy?
Not exactly. High blood pressure that develops in pregnancy without the additional features is usually called gestational hypertension. Preeclampsia is the diagnosis used when the raised pressure comes with further signs, classically protein in the urine or effects on organs such as the liver and kidneys. The two are related, and gestational hypertension is watched closely partly because it can develop into preeclampsia.

Does it go away after the birth?
Yes, preeclampsia settles after the baby and placenta are delivered, though blood pressure can take some days or weeks to return to normal and is usually checked during that period. Your team will arrange follow-up so a pressure that stays raised doesn't get missed once the newborn routine takes over.

Will it happen again in a future pregnancy?
Having had preeclampsia does raise the chance of it happening again in a later pregnancy, but it is by no means certain, and many women who have had it once have straightforward pregnancies afterwards. Mentioning the history early in any future pregnancy simply means your team will watch your blood pressure with that in mind from the start.

Educational only — this article is general information about preeclampsia, not medical advice. If you are pregnant and have been told your blood pressure is raised, or you develop a severe headache, vision changes, or pain in the upper abdomen, contact your own maternity care team promptly — they know your history and your readings.