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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Assessment online. A doctor can explain your risk, readings and aspirin; diagnosis, monitoring and treatment are with your maternity team.
- What it is: new high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with protein in the urine or signs that organs such as the liver or kidneys are affected.
- How common: about 1 to 5 in 100 pregnancies; severe pre-eclampsia in about 1 in 200, and seizures (eclampsia) in about 1 in 3,000.
- Warning signs: a severe headache, vision problems, pain below the ribs, sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, vomiting, or feeling very unwell.
- Emergency: call 112 for a seizure, severe breathlessness, chest pain or collapse; contact your maternity unit straight away for any warning sign.
Do not book a video appointment if you are pregnant or gave birth in the last few weeks and have a severe headache, vision problems, pain below the ribs, sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet, vomiting, or feel very unwell: contact your maternity unit straight away. Call 112 for a seizure, severe breathlessness, chest pain or collapse.
Can an online doctor help with pre-eclampsia?
With understanding your risk and your readings, yes; with the condition itself, no. Pre-eclampsia is diagnosed with blood pressure checks and urine and blood tests, and it is managed by your maternity team, sometimes in hospital, until the baby is born. A doctor by video can go through your symptoms and home readings, explain your risk factors and whether low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks is usually advised, and help you prepare for your antenatal appointments. Any warning sign means your maternity unit straight away, not a video appointment.
How an online consultation helps with pre-eclampsia
- Risk explained: Which of your risk factors count, and whether low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks is usually advised.
- Readings understood: What your blood pressure readings mean, and which numbers need checking straight away.
- Warning signs known: The symptoms that mean your maternity unit now, so you never wait on them.
- After the birth: Blood pressure after the birth, the next pregnancy, and your long-term heart health.
What the doctor checks in an online assessment for pre-eclampsia
The doctor first rules out the warning signs, then looks at your readings and your risk. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: a headache that will not go away, vision changes, pain below the ribs, sudden swelling, vomiting or breathlessness.
- Your readings: recent blood pressure measurements at home or at antenatal checks, and any protein in a urine test.
- Your stage: how many weeks pregnant you are, or how many days or weeks since the birth.
- Risk factors: high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, lupus or antiphospholipid syndrome, pre-eclampsia before, a first pregnancy, age 40 or over, twins.
- Medicines: aspirin, calcium, blood pressure medicines and anything else you take.
- Your baby: the baby's movements and the latest scans.
Before the call, have your latest readings, urine results and antenatal notes to hand.
What is pre-eclampsia?
Pre-eclampsia is a condition of pregnancy in which blood pressure rises after 20 weeks, together with protein in the urine or signs that other organs, such as the liver, kidneys or the placenta, are affected. It usually develops in the second half of pregnancy, and it can also start in the days or weeks after the birth.
NICE defines it as new high blood pressure, over 140/90 mmHg, after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with protein in the urine, signs that the kidneys, liver, brain or blood clotting are affected, or signs that the placenta is not working well. The cause is not fully understood. Most cases are mild, but pre-eclampsia only goes away after the baby and the placenta are delivered.
How common is pre-eclampsia?
It affects about 1 to 5 in 100 pregnant women: up to 5 in 100 first pregnancies, and fewer than 2 in 100 second pregnancies. Severe pre-eclampsia affects about 1 in 200 women, and eclampsia, the seizures it can cause, about 1 in 3,000 pregnancies in the UK.
What are the symptoms of pre-eclampsia?
Often none at first: the early signs are high blood pressure and protein in the urine, found at routine antenatal checks. Later symptoms are a severe headache that simple painkillers do not ease, vision problems such as blurring or flashing lights, pain below the ribs, heartburn that does not settle with medicines, sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, nausea or vomiting, and feeling very unwell.
Pre-eclampsia is usually mild, but it can be severe and can occur very suddenly. Any of these symptoms needs checking straight away, even if your last blood pressure reading was normal, and even if you gave birth a few weeks ago.
What are the first signs of pre-eclampsia?
For most women, the first sign is a raised blood pressure reading or protein in a urine sample at a routine check, before any symptom. That is why every antenatal appointment matters. When symptoms come first, they are the warning signs above.
Is swelling a sign of pre-eclampsia?
Some swelling of the feet and ankles is normal in late pregnancy. Swelling that comes on suddenly, or affects your face and hands, needs checking straight away. See swelling in pregnancy.
Can you have pre-eclampsia without high blood pressure?
By definition, pre-eclampsia includes new high blood pressure after 20 weeks. It can affect the liver, kidneys and blood clotting without protein in the urine, and readings can change between checks, so warning symptoms always need checking, even after a normal reading.
What are the risks of pre-eclampsia for you and your baby?
In most cases pre-eclampsia is not severe. When it is, it can cause:
- Eclampsia: seizures (fits), in about 1 in 3,000 pregnancies.
- HELLP syndrome: a rare liver and blood clotting disorder, in about 1 in 200 pregnancies and 1 to 2 in 10 women with severe pre-eclampsia; it causes pain in the upper tummy, nausea or vomiting, extreme tiredness and headache.
- Stroke, and problems with the liver, kidneys or blood clotting.
- For the baby: slower growth because the placenta works less well, birth before 37 weeks, and rarely stillbirth.
Blood pressure medicine lowers the risk of a stroke, and the birth is timed to protect you and your baby.
Who is at risk of pre-eclampsia?
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Risk level | Risk factors | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| High risk | High blood pressure in a previous pregnancy, chronic kidney disease, lupus or antiphospholipid syndrome, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure before pregnancy | Low-dose aspirin daily from 12 weeks until the birth, with any one of these |
| Moderate risk | A first pregnancy, age 40 or over, more than 10 years since the last pregnancy, a BMI of 35 or more, a mother or sister who had pre-eclampsia, twins or more | Low-dose aspirin daily from 12 weeks until the birth, with more than one of these |
The NHS also lists a Black or South Asian ethnic background as a risk factor. Your midwife assesses your risk at the booking appointment.
Can pre-eclampsia be prevented?
Not completely, but low-dose aspirin taken daily from 12 weeks of pregnancy until the birth lowers the risk in women at higher risk, and calcium supplements are advised for women who do not get enough calcium from food.
Do not start aspirin or calcium supplements unless your midwife or a doctor advises it: the dose and timing are decided with you. Going to every antenatal appointment matters most, because blood pressure and urine checks find pre-eclampsia before symptoms start. A healthy weight, a balanced diet and regular exercise may also lower the risk.
How is pre-eclampsia diagnosed and monitored?
- Blood pressure: measured at every antenatal appointment; 160/110 mmHg or more is severe high blood pressure.
- Urine tests: for protein, sometimes repeated on a second sample.
- A placental growth factor (PlGF) blood test: offered between 20 weeks and 36 weeks and 6 days when pre-eclampsia is suspected; a normal result helps rule pre-eclampsia out, while a low level can point to it and other tests confirm it.
- Blood tests: of the liver, the kidneys and blood clotting.
- Ultrasound scans: of the baby's growth, at least every 2 weeks once pre-eclampsia is diagnosed.
Care is planned around you: some women are monitored as outpatients, others in hospital.
How is pre-eclampsia treated?
There is no cure other than the birth of the baby and the placenta. Until then, treatment controls blood pressure and keeps a close watch on you and your baby, so the birth happens at the safest time.
- Blood pressure medicines: labetalol is usually first; nifedipine or methyldopa are alternatives.
- Magnesium sulfate: given into a vein in severe pre-eclampsia, to prevent or treat seizures.
- Steroid injections: usually given when an early birth is likely, to help the baby's lungs develop.
When will my baby be born?
Birth is usually advised at 37 weeks, within 24 to 48 hours if pre-eclampsia is diagnosed after 37 weeks, and sooner if you or your baby become unwell. An earlier birth is often the safer choice, sometimes before 37 weeks. Labour may be induced, or a caesarean section offered.
Pre-eclampsia after the birth
Symptoms usually improve after the birth, but complications can happen in the first few days, and pre-eclampsia can start for the first time in the days or weeks after the birth. The same warning signs apply.
- You may need blood pressure medicine for several weeks, with checks after you go home.
- A review 6 to 8 weeks after the birth checks your blood pressure and urine.
- If you still need blood pressure medicine at 6 weeks, or protein is still in your urine, you are referred to a specialist.
Will I get pre-eclampsia again?
About 1 in 5 women who had high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnancy develop it again. The risk is about 1 in 3 if the last baby was born at 28 to 34 weeks, 1 in 4 at 34 to 37 weeks, and 1 in 6 after 37 weeks.
In your next pregnancy, book early and ask about low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks. Over the longer term, pre-eclampsia raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. Not smoking, an active lifestyle and a healthy weight lower these risks.
What might the doctor recommend for pre-eclampsia concerns?
What happens next depends on your symptoms, your readings and your stage of pregnancy. This is the framework the doctors use:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A seizure, collapse, severe breathlessness or chest pain | Emergency treatment | No | Call 112 now |
| A warning symptom: severe headache, vision problems, pain below the ribs, sudden swelling | Blood pressure, urine and blood tests | No | Maternity unit straight away |
| A home reading of 160/110 or more | Urgent assessment | No | Maternity unit straight away |
| A raised home reading without symptoms | A repeat reading and a urine test | Partly, to plan | Maternity team promptly |
| Risk factors in early pregnancy | Talking through aspirin from 12 weeks | Yes | Antenatal care as planned |
| After pre-eclampsia: recovery or a new pregnancy | Blood pressure plan, aspirin next time | Yes | Postnatal and antenatal checks |
Worried about your risk or a reading, without warning signs? A doctor can go through it with you in one consultation.
See available times →Special situations
High blood pressure before pregnancy
Chronic high blood pressure is a high-risk factor: low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks is advised, and labetalol is usually the first blood pressure medicine in pregnancy.
Diabetes, kidney disease, lupus or antiphospholipid syndrome
Each is a high-risk factor on its own, so low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks is usually advised. See gestational diabetes for diabetes that starts in pregnancy.
Twins or more
A multiple pregnancy is a moderate risk factor; together with another, it usually means aspirin from 12 weeks.
In the weeks after the birth
A severe headache, vision changes or pain below the ribs after the birth is not just tiredness: contact your maternity unit straight away. See also high blood pressure in pregnancy.
When pre-eclampsia is assessed online, and when you need in-person care
Assessed online: your risk factors and whether aspirin is usually advised, what your readings mean, questions before and after the birth, and planning the next pregnancy.
In-person care: every warning symptom, a reading of 160/110 or more, blood pressure, urine and blood tests, scans, treatment, and the birth.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 now for:
- a seizure (fit), or someone found collapsed
- severe breathlessness or chest pain
- confusion, or being very drowsy
Contact your maternity unit straight away, at any hour, for:
- a severe headache that simple painkillers do not ease
- vision problems, such as blurring or flashing lights
- pain below the ribs, or heartburn that medicines do not settle
- sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet
- vomiting, or feeling very unwell
- a blood pressure reading of 160/110 or more
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your risk or readings: have your latest blood pressure readings, urine results and dates to hand.
- Leave with a plan: what your readings and risk factors mean, whether aspirin is usually advised, and which signs mean your maternity unit straight away. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
If you have any warning sign listed on this page, contact your maternity unit straight away, or call 112 in an emergency. Otherwise, tick every symptom you have to see each page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about pre-eclampsia
What is pre-eclampsia?
Pre-eclampsia is a condition of pregnancy in which blood pressure rises after 20 weeks, with protein in the urine or signs that organs such as the liver, kidneys or placenta are affected. It can also start after the birth.
What are the first signs of pre-eclampsia?
The first signs of pre-eclampsia are usually a raised blood pressure reading and protein in the urine at a routine antenatal check, before any symptom. Symptoms include a severe headache, vision problems, pain below the ribs and sudden swelling.
Is it pre-eclampsia or ordinary pregnancy swelling?
Mild swelling of the feet and ankles at the end of the day is normal in pregnancy and eases with rest and raising the legs. Pre-eclampsia swelling comes on suddenly, affects the face, hands and eyes as well as the feet, and comes with high blood pressure and protein in the urine, often with a severe headache, vision changes or pain below the ribs. The blood pressure and urine check is what tells them apart.
How common is pre-eclampsia?
It affects about 1 to 5 in 100 pregnant women. Severe pre-eclampsia affects about 1 in 200, and eclampsia about 1 in 3,000 pregnancies in the UK.
What causes pre-eclampsia?
The cause is not fully understood. It involves the placenta, and it is more likely with high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, lupus, a first pregnancy, age 40 or over, twins, or pre-eclampsia before.
How quickly can pre-eclampsia develop?
Pre-eclampsia is usually mild, but it can be severe and can occur very suddenly. That is why warning symptoms need checking straight away, even after a normal reading.
How do they test for pre-eclampsia?
Pre-eclampsia is tested for with blood pressure checks and urine tests at every antenatal appointment, and when it is suspected, a placental growth factor blood test, blood tests of the liver, kidneys and clotting, and scans of the baby's growth.
Can pre-eclampsia be prevented?
Pre-eclampsia cannot be prevented completely, but low-dose aspirin daily from 12 weeks until the birth lowers the risk in women at higher risk. Only start it if your midwife or a doctor advises it.
What can I do myself if I am at risk of pre-eclampsia?
Take low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks if your midwife or doctor has advised it, go to every antenatal check, since pre-eclampsia is usually found from the blood pressure and urine before you feel anything, and use a home blood pressure monitor as you have been shown, reporting readings of 140/90 or more. Learn the warning signs, a severe headache, vision changes, pain below the ribs, sudden swelling, and contact your maternity unit straight away if they appear.
How does pre-eclampsia affect the baby?
The placenta can work less well, so the baby may grow more slowly and may need to be born early. Rarely, severe pre-eclampsia leads to stillbirth, which is why close monitoring matters.
How long does pre-eclampsia last?
Pre-eclampsia lasts until the birth, which is the only cure, and it is managed until then with blood pressure tablets, monitoring and, when it becomes severe or the baby is at risk, an early planned birth; After the birth, blood pressure usually settles within days to weeks, though some women need tablets for a few months, and pre-eclampsia can also start for the first time in the days after the birth.
Can you get pre-eclampsia after giving birth?
Yes. Pre-eclampsia can start in the days or weeks after the birth, with the same warning signs. Contact your maternity unit straight away if they appear.
Will I get pre-eclampsia again?
About 1 in 5 women who have had pre-eclampsia get it again. The risk is about 1 in 3 if the last baby was born at 28 to 34 weeks, and 1 in 6 if after 37 weeks. Low-dose aspirin from 12 weeks is usually advised next time.
Can an online doctor help with pre-eclampsia?
Yes, with your pre-eclampsia risk, your readings and aspirin, and with questions before and after the birth. Warning symptoms need your maternity unit straight away, and a seizure or collapse needs 112.
- Pre-eclampsia, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 23 March 2026.
- Hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management (NG133), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 25 June 2019, updated 17 April 2023.
- Pre-eclampsia: patient information, RCOG, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, updated May 2026.
- Pre-eclampsia: information and support, Tommy's, reviewed 14 October 2024.
- What is pre-eclampsia?, Action on Pre-eclampsia (UK charity), 9 May 2024.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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