Pregnancy can be an incredibly beautiful experience, but it’s totally normal to feel a little anxious during those anticipatory months. One concern usually on the mind of expecting mamas is preeclampsia, a common and serious condition that is usually not caught until your blood pressure gets dangerously high and, if not caught early, can lead to some pretty severe complications for you and your baby. These can include poor growth of your baby, preterm birth, NICU or prolonged hospital stays, maternal seizures, organ damage, and other life-threatening conditions with lifelong impacts.
Understanding all the risks of growing a human is important for you to stay healthy so your little one is safe too. So, let’s chat more about early-onset preeclampsia, why early risk prediction is so important, and what you can do to find out if you’re at risk.
What is early-onset preeclampsia?
Often showing up without any warning signs, early-onset preeclampsia is a serious condition that can develop before 34 weeks of pregnancy, making things more challenging for both mom and baby.
Preeclampsia is a growing problem in the United States that now affects 1 in 12 pregnancies, or around 8%, double the rate of cases seen in 2008. Even more concerning, nearly 60% of preeclampsia cases are classified as severe preeclampsia – up from 40% in 2008. Preeclampsia is more severe and dangerous the earlier it strikes, which is why it's crucial to know your risk early and have an action plan to prevent it or catch it as early as possible. Plus, it’s tricky to catch — often developing without noticeable symptoms in its initial stages.. If it’s not caught early enough, the condition may have progressed significantly by the time symptoms appear. This is one of the main reasons why your blood pressure is checked so frequently during pregnancy, as it is a reliable way to see if the condition has already developed.
Early risk assessment is priority number one
You might wonder, "Why is it important to know my preeclampsia risk?" Well, preeclampsia can lead to some pretty serious complications for both you and baby, including:
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Poor fetal growth
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Preterm birth
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Organ damage
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Extended hospital stays for baby
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Severe headaches and potential seizures for mom
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Long-term health impacts for both
The good news is that prevention is possible when your risk is revealed early. Innovative solutions like the Encompass test, an at-home blood test used between 18 and 22 weeks of your pregnancy, can predict your unique risk for preeclampsia. Determining your risk early and working towards prevention can make a huge difference in supporting the healthiest pregnancy journey possible
What is Encompass?
Designed to predict your unique risk for early-onset preeclampsia, Encompass is a groundbreaking at-home blood test performed between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. The Encompass test identified 9 out of 10 eligible pregnancies that developed preeclampsia between 20 and 37 weeks, months before symptoms typically appear.
Your Encompass test result includes your risk assessment and a personalized action plan for preeclampsia prevention. You'll also have access to an SMS-based virtual assistant to make implementation of that plan easier. This tool can simplify implementing your prevention plan and provide support and guidance.
The best part of Encompass is the clarity it provides for the rest of your pregnancy. No more guesswork when it comes to understanding your preeclampsia risk.
Your action plan
After knowing your risk, the next step is to implement Encompass's personalized action plan as soon as possible. Expect it to be comprehensive and tailored to your specific needs and concerns. Some key elements that might be included:
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Medication conversations to have with your care team
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Recommended lab tests to monitor liver and kidney function
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Home blood pressure monitoring tips
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Dietary adjustments and potential supplements
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Lifestyle modification suggestions, like exercising safely
It's important to note that while this action plan is an important piece of the puzzle, it does not replace your clinician(s) or care team. It is designed to be a tool for you and your provider. Only your care team can give you medical advice and monitoring.
Don’t wait for symptoms to show up
Unfortunately, relying solely on symptom-based detection of preeclampsia isn't enough. Here's why:
You may have overlapping symptoms.
Many preeclampsia symptoms, such as swelling and headaches, can easily be mistaken for common pregnancy discomforts, making them easy to overlook or dismiss.
Progression is often silent.
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Some key indicators of preeclampsia, like high blood pressure and protein in the urine, may not be noticeable without regular check-ups or monitoring.
Many women are asymptomatic.
In some instances, women with preeclampsia may not exhibit any symptoms at all, allowing the condition to progress undetected.
This is why early screening tools like Encompass are so valuable. After revealing your risk months before you show any symptoms, the results can give you a window of time for prevention.
Preeclampsia and fertility treatments
If you got pregnant via IVF, there is some research suggesting you may be at a higher risk for preeclampsia but the reasons aren’t fully understood. After a long journey through infertility, the last thing you probably want to hear about is a serious condition that could usurp any joy from your pregnancy.
If this sounds similar to your motherhood journey, learn about your risk and, if needed, discuss a preventative care plan with your healthcare provider. Understanding and managing your preeclampsia risk is about more than just preventing a medical condition. It's about taking control of your pregnancy and advocating for yourself and your baby.
Taking the next step
Pregnancy should be a time of joy and anticipation, not fear and uncertainty, right? We recommend preparing now so you won’t have to stress later. If you're between 18 and 22 weeks pregnant, the Encompass test might be right for you. Join the waitlist here, and enjoy this time, you deserve it!
Blair Sharp is a freelance writer who lives in Minnesota with her husband and son. Her words have been published in various publications, including Parents, SheKnows, The Bump, and Insider. She also writes the Hey Freelancer! newsletter. When she’s not writing, you can find her watching reality TV and sharing too many reels with her friends. To connect with Blair, find her on LinkedIn or head to her website www.blairsharp.com.