Patient information from BMJ

Pre-eclampsia: questions to ask your doctor

Last published:Dec 06, 2021

Finding out that you have pre-eclampsia can be frightening. You will probably have lots of questions.

Here are some questions that you may want to ask your doctor if you just found out that you have pre-eclampsia.

• What is the best treatment for me?

• How does it work?

• Does it have side effects?

• Will I need to stay in hospital?

• How do you know if my baby is OK?

• Will my baby need to be born early?

• If my baby has to be born early, will he or she be all right?

• How will my baby be born? Will labour be induced?

• How will you know if the pre-eclampsia is getting worse?

• Is there anything I can do to help myself?

Here are some questions that you may want to ask your doctor before your next pregnancy, if you have had pre-eclampsia before.

• What are my chances of getting pre-eclampsia again?

• Is there anything I can do to stop it coming on?

• Are there any tests I can have to detect medical problems that will make me more likely to get pre-eclampsia again?

• What sort of care will I need in my next pregnancy?

• How will you know if I am getting pre-eclampsia again?

• I had to have an operation to deliver my last baby. Will I need to have one again? (This operation is called a caesarean section.)