You should alert your pregnancy healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms during or after pregnancy:
• Swelling in your hands or face, especially around your eyes (swelling of your feet is more common in late pregnancy and probably not a sign of preeclampsia)
• Gaining 5 or more pounds in a week
• Headache that won’t go away, even after taking medication for pain relief
• Vision changes, like seeing spots or flashing lights, or partial to total loss of eyesight
• Nausea or throwing up, especially suddenly, after mid-pregnancy (not the morning sickness of early pregnancy)
• Upper right belly pain, sometimes mistaken for indigestion or the flu
• Difficulty breathing, including gasping or panting
It’s important to recognize and report any of these symptoms. While these symptoms don’t necessarily indicate preeclampsia, they’re cause for concern and require immediate medical evaluation.
You can also have preeclampsia without any symptoms. If you have a sense that something’s wrong, even without symptoms, trust yourself and contact your healthcare provider immediately.