Even though we feel perfectly healthy, we to tend feel like a whale at times. When we feel bloated and we feel a lot of swelling it might be an indication of a serious problem.

This problem is called pre-eclampsia, and it is thought to happen when your placenta is not working properly. If you are not treated for it you could get really ill. Pre-eclampsia usually occurs during the second half of your pregnancy. But you can start to show symptoms as from 20 weeks, even though you are most likely to only develop this round about the 27th week.

Pre-eclampsia is known to cause swelling, increase your blood pressure and cause protein in the urine. It can range from mild to severe, with mild being the most common. When you have it mildly, you may not even notice until your doctor or midwife picks it up during some checkups.

With early detection you can help to keep yourself and your baby well and safe, therefore it is important for you to be able to understand and notice the warning signs. And luckily for all of us, the severe type of pre-eclampsia is rare, so we will concentrate more on the mild cases.

Are you at risk? You may be at risk if you are having a multiple pregnancy, or if you have high blood pressure or diabetes. You may also be at risk if you have kidney problems or if you have previous pre-eclampsia in the family like your mother of a sister. You may be at risk if you are overweight or older than 40 or younger than 16. If you have a blood disorder like being prone to clotting, or if you have poor placenta development or also if you had pre-eclampsia with a previous pregnancy. Also if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome, if you have lupus or some other auto-immune disease that affects connective tissue. And also, it tends to be more common amongst the black population.

What are the early warning signs you should look out for when you are pregnant? Sudden weight gain around 20 weeks, sudden swelling of your face and hands. A lot more urinating, headaches, blurred visions, spots in your sight, and pain in your upper part of your abdomen.

These above symptoms can come suddenly without warning, or at times gradually over time. These symptoms may often be mistaken for normal pregnancy blues, and it is common for many women to have the disease for weeks without even suspecting it.

How serious can pre-eclampsia be? If left untreated, it can have some really serious implications. You can experience fits and convulsions caused by some smaller vessels in the brain going into spasms.

The baby can be oxygen deprived when there is a rise in blood pressure in the small vessels of the placenta, and this causes intrauterine growth restriction. If you show any signs of pre-eclampsia, you need to be monitored closely. It some cases it may even mean that your baby need to be delivered early. Sometimes in severe cases pre-eclampsia can develop into eclampsia which can manifest in extreme fits in the mom, which is ver dangerous to you and your baby.

You can get it treated, but how? It involves monitoring your blood pressure, and also treating you with anti-hypertensive medication. In severe cases, you might be admitted to hospital, and your blood pressure will be monitored closely. You will be advised strict bed rest to enhance blood flow to your placenta.

If your baby is not growing, labor may be induced. Your baby will be given steroids to boost his lungs in case he has to be delivered prematurely. In these cases pre-eclampsia disappears soon after the baby is delivered.

Pre-eclampsia may seem scary, but it is only scary when it is left untreated. But when it is picked up early, and it is well managed, you can still give birth to a healthy, happy strong baby.

Every single day holds the possibility of a miracle.