5 Important Reasons Why a Preconception Appointment for Preeclampsia Survivors is Needed

Today I wanted to share 5 reasons why a preconception appointment for preeclampsia survivors is needed. A preconception appointment for preeclampsia with your OBGYN is always a good idea, but for preeclampsia survivors, it is crucial to have that appointment. During this appointment, your provider can tell you all of your risks and the recommendations for the next pregnancy. You also are able to ask any question you have about what a next pregnancy would look like or what you can do to prepare.

Last year, I met with a maternal-fetal medicine doctor to learn about my risks and what my next pregnancy would look like if I were to have one. I learned so much at my preconception appointment for preeclampsia that it helped me make a choice to have another pregnancy or not. You can read more about my journey with pregnancy after ectopic pregnancy and after preeclampsia here.

I wanted to get all the information I could get so I could make the most informed and best decision for me and my family. At the preconception appointment for preeclampsia, I brought all the questions I shared over on my post titled After Preeclampsia: 30 Amazing Questions to Ask Your Doctor. I also gave my large stack of medical records to my doctor beforehand that way both of us were prepared for the appointment.

Before I made the preconception appointment for preeclampsia with this doctor, I asked moms around my area (since I moved to a new city from my last doctor) about what doctor they had and if they would recommend him/her. I then googled a bunch of different clinics and looked around their websites. I also checked for board certifications. To me, it was extremely important that the doctor I chose was board certified because I know my pregnancy will be extremely high risk and I wanted to best care I could get.

Once I chose a doctor I wanted to see, I made a preconception appointment for preeclampsia and explained to the receptionist that I had preeclampsia with severe features and premature birth during my last pregnancy and I wanted to give them my medical records before the appointment. Later that afternoon I dropped off a copy of my medical records to them.

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During the preconception appointment for preeclampsia, the doctor asked about my current medical status and exactly what questions I had for him besides finding out my risk. He told me that my risk of reoccurrence was 20%. He then also asked clarifying questions about my condition. Such as, at what week did my blood pressure start rising, when did I start seeing symptoms and more about both of my hospital stays.

Something I appreciated that he did was he acknowledged was what I went through was very traumatic and that if I decided to have another pregnancy it could be very triggering. He explained that he saw that often with patients who had similar experiences to mine. My doctor also was able to give me counsel about attempting a VBAC during the next pregnancy and explained all of my risks. I used my printable from this post so I knew what questions I wanted to ask.

After I shared that I was getting a preconception appointment for preeclampsia I had so many questions asked on Instagram about preconception appointments for preeclampsia. So as promised, here is the blog post about preconception appointments for preeclampsia.

5 Important Reasons Why a Preconception Appointment for Preeclampsia Survivors is Needed

1. You need to be carefully monitored

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, if you’ve had preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP Syndrome in a previous pregnancy you have a chance it could happen again. This fact is one of the main reasons a preconception appointment for preeclampsia survivors is needed. Even though the risk for recurrence for most patients is low, it is never guaranteed. Your doctor may prescribe you 81 mg of aspirin to help prevent preeclampsia from occurring again. Since you do have a chance, it is important that you are carefully monitored from the beginning to ensure you have the safest and healthiest pregnancy possible.

BONUS TIP: Keep track of your blood pressure at home with an at-home blood pressure cuff. And be able to bring in a log of your blood pressure so you know your normal numnbers outside of pregnancy.

2. Some medical conditions can affect pregnancy and fertility

March of Dimes shares that some medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, certain drugs (street or prescription), and not being at a healthy weight can affect pregnancy and/or fertility. I want to make it clear that preeclampsia can occur to any woman during any pregnancy and it was nothing you did or didn’t eat that caused it. But as of now, the research does suggest that there are a few things that can be controlled to help reduce the risk. Talk to your doctor about the things you can do to help reduce the risk and also what they recommend to help you have the safest and healthiest pregnancy you can have.

3. Your previous pregnancy had complications

If you’ve had complications such as premature birth (birth before 37 weeks), a baby with birth defects, miscarriage, stillbirth, preeclampsia, IUGR, or many other different kinds of complications, it is important to have a preconception visit. This visit is for you and your doctor to discuss what can be done to prevent the same thing from happening again. A preconception appointment for preeclampsia survivors is so important because during this appointment you will discuss things like low-dose aspirin or any other individual recommendations your doctor will make.

4. Get your questions answered

So many of us after surviving preeclampsia have many questions about what happened. This is another reason why a preconception appointment for preeclampsia survivors is so important. Both you and your doctor can discuss what occurred and you can get any question you have answered. Sadly, we still don’t know why preeclampsia happens, but we do know some ways that can help prevent it (aspirin). Both you and your doctor at the preconception appointment for preeclampsia can come up with a game plan of what you both can do to get the healthiest pregnancy possible.

Don’t know what to ask? I have such a great FREE printable pdf filled with questions you can ask your doctor.

5. Get Guidance on how to prepare for another pregnancy

This guidance can include lifestyle changes like gaining or losing weight or exercising regularly. It can also be recommended to let your body heal before another pregnancy or get to a point where health conditions are managed. This can be a time to also heal emotionally and mentally. Going through preeclampsia can be a traumatic experience and it can be helpful to seek support and help from a mental health professional.

I know not every preeclampsia survivor will have the ability to get a preconception appointment for preeclampsia because they find themselves pregnant sooner than they wanted. But if you are in a position where you can see a provider before another pregnancy or maybe you aren’t quite sure (like me) if you’ll have another pregnancy, it can be a great resource. As I always say on Instagram when I share information, knowledge is power. The more knowledge you have the more informed of a decision you can make for what is best for you and your family.

Preconception Appointment for Preeclampsia FAQs

What to expect from a preconception appointment for preeclampsia?

You should expect your doctor to go over your past medical history (including pregnancy) and current medical conditions. You should expect them to tell you your risk for reoccurrence of preeclampsia and allow time for you to ask any questions you have. They may ask if you want to schedule an appointment to get off your birth control (if applicable). Your doctor may also counsel you to start taking prenatal vitamins a few months before you plan to start trying to get pregnant.

Should my husband/partner come to my preconception appointment?

They can if you would like. It may be helpful for them to hear your doctor give the information instead of you just repeating back. I personally didn’t because my husband stayed home with our daughter while I went. Before I went to the appointment, I asked my husband if he had any questions he wanted me to ask.

When should I make a preconception appointment?

You should have a preconception appointment at least 3 months before you plan to try and get pregnant. Although, if you are still unsure if you want another pregnancy you can still make an appointment. A preconception appointment for preeclampsia survivors is an important part of the process of deciding whether to have another pregnancy or not.

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