Two Tiny Miralces, Born Seven Months Apart

Two years ago, newlyweds Valentina and Anthony Holguin were excited when they learned that Valentina was expecting a little girl. In just a few short months, it seemed like everything they had ever wished for was coming true.

But after a smooth and uneventful pregnancy, Valentina began experiencing extreme pain at the beginning of her third trimester.

“All of a sudden, I had these awful symptoms,” Valentina recalled. “My ribs felt like they were going to break and I had difficulty breathing. I was in so much pain.”

Valentina brought her concerns to her OB-GYN, but she was told that what she was experiencing was normal, especially toward the end of a pregnancy. Valentina decided to push through the pain and do her best to enjoy the time she had left before her daughter was born. At 32 weeks pregnant, she and her husband planned a trip over Memorial Day Weekend to attend her little sister’s high school graduation.

“We drove five and a half hours to get there and we had to stop every hour because I was in such excruciating pain,” Valentina said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was experiencing labor pains.”

The morning after they arrived, Valentina proudly watched as her little sister walked across the stage to accept her diploma. She bent down to take a picture to commemorate the moment, and just then, her water broke.

“I didn’t know what happened at first because it wasn’t a huge gush, but I could tell something was off,” Valentina said. “I went into the bathroom and saw that I had some bleeding, so I called my OB-GYN and they told me to go straight to the ER.”

There, the doctors confirmed that Valentina was in labor. Because she was only 32 weeks along, however, they did everything they could to stop her from delivering that day.

“They wanted me to hold out as long as possible to give my baby more time to grow,” Valentina said. “They admitted me to the hospital and I spent the weekend there on bedrest.”

That following Tuesday, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist took Valentina for an ultrasound to check on the baby’s progress.

“I remember that the specialist was concerned because I was so swollen,” Valentina said. “I had so much amniotic fluid in my womb that the specialist said it must have felt like I was carrying twins.”

After the ultrasound, the specialist sat down with Valentina and told her some devastating news. Her baby girl had a condition called hydrops fetalis, also known as hydrops, which is characterized by a large amount of fluid build-up in the tissues and organs. The condition causes swelling and has a poor prognosis, with less than 50 percent of unborn babies surviving birth. In Valentina’s case, her baby’s lungs were filled with fluid.

“She was very straightforward with us and prepared us for the worst, saying that there was a very real chance that our baby may not make it,” Valentina said. “I tried to remain as positive as possible and my husband and I just hoped and prayed she would make it. I knew that my daughter needed me to be strong, and so I was only going to emit positive energy to her.”

The specialist told Valentina that she would need to be transferred to a hospital with a Level IV NICU before delivery, since her daughter would need specialized surgery immediately after birth. With the clock ticking, Valentina was airlifted to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (CHofSA).

The day after she arrived, Valentina went into active labor, and she was placed under the care of OB-GYN Dr. Jacqueline Battistelli, MD.

“Dr. Battistelli was an angel sent from heaven above,” Valentina said. “She really helped guide me through the process of labor.”

Before the delivery, Valentina was also paid a visit by neonatologist Dr. Sowmya Mohan, MD.

“Dr. Mohan gave me such reassurance. She told me her name, introduced me to her team, and told me that they were going to take care of me and my baby,” Valentina said. “She also explained how, after the delivery, they were going to try to let me see her for a moment, if possible, but that they would then have to take her into surgery immediately and put a shunt in her lungs to release the fluid. She gave me such clarity as to what was going to happen, which I really appreciated.”

Neonatologist Dr. Sowmya Mohan helped Valentina understand exactly what to expect when her baby was delivered at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

Shortly thereafter, Dr. Battistelli delivered a baby girl, whom Valentina and her husband named Elena Diana.

“It was a beautiful delivery,” Valentina said. “We played worship music and after just an hour of pushing, my beautiful daughter was born.”

Valentina was able to see Elena for just a few seconds before she was rushed into surgery. About an hour after the delivery, Dr. Mohan walked into the room and told Valentina that her little girl was OK.

“They were able to put the shunt in and drain the fluid, and she told us that Elena was in the NICU and ready for us to see her,” Valentina said.

Valentina and Anthony were relieved beyond belief. Elena stayed in the NICU for 47 days until she went home with her parents. During that time, Valentina and her husband stayed in the hospital at the Ronald McDonald House, located just one floor above the NICU.

“I hardly left her bedside,” Valentina said. “I couldn’t hold her for the first 12 days of her life because of all the tubing and how fragile she was, but I made sure to give her all the love she needed.”

Baby Elena was finally in her mother Valentina’s arms. The baby girl needed surgery immediately following her birth to have a shunt placed in her lungs.

Although the experience was difficult and at times exhausting, Valentina said she was so grateful for everyone at The Children’s Hospital who supported her and took care of her daughter.

“Every single morning our resident, Dr. Shawnee Wallace, would come by Elena’s room and answer all of my questions,” Valentina said. “I am so grateful for doctors like her that listened to all of my concerns and allowed me to advocate for my daughter. We had such an amazing experience with everyone, and I felt like I was just surrounded by such good people.”

During Elena’s NICU stay, Valentina was especially impressed with first year resident Dr. Shawnee Wallace who eased her concerns by thoroughly answering all her questions.

Valentina and Anthony were thrilled to finally bring their daughter home. But then, something unexpected happened.

“A month later, I found out I was pregnant again,” Valentina said. “We were shocked but also so excited. And we thought everything was going to be so different this time. What happened with Elena was so rare.”

For a while, Valentina’s pregnancy progressed as expected. She was monitored closely by a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist because of her previous experience, and so far, there were no signs of any complications. But then, at just 25 weeks, Valentina went into labor.

“I started work that morning at 8:00 a.m., and then by 9:08 a.m., I was on the floor with insane contractions—I thought it was Braxton Hicks,” Valentina said. “I was working from home so I got into the bathtub and filled it with some warm water just trying to soothe myself, but I was in miserable pain. Then I went to the bathroom and that’s when I could feel my amniotic sac.”

Valentina was fully dilated.

“I called my husband to come home and he rushed me to the nearest hospital, we didn’t have time to go anywhere else,” Valentina said.

Because her baby was breech, doctors performed an emergency C-section within an hour of her arrival at the hospital, and her second baby girl, due April 27, was born on January 13, 2022.

“She was so tiny, a micro-preemie, weighing just 1 pound, 13 ounces,” Valentina said.

Her daughter, Lucia Valentina, would need the highest level of NICU care, so Valentina asked for her to be transferred to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

“It was so scary because of how tiny she was,” Valentina said. “At that point, I had already lived a NICU experience and I had made friends with other parents who had shared their experiences with me, both the good and also the really tragic and sad. So, this time it just felt more real.”

At CHofSA, Valentina learned that her daughter had a grade three bilateral brain bleed, as well as a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) which is an opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart. Lucia was monitored closely by her primary doctor, Dr. Maria Pierce, a board-certified Perinatal-Neonatal Medicine physician at CHofSA. Both conditions, common among babies born as early as Lucia, were monitored closely and, thankfully, resolved with time.

Valentina wanted to make sure her daughter Lucia had the same level of care that Elena had. Again, she turned to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. This time Dr. Maria Pierce, Medical Director of the NICU, provided outstanding care to Lucia for more than 100 days.

“The doctors were so communicative with me and always let me know what was going on with her every single day,” Valentina said. “Dr. Mohan, who we had grown close to on our first NICU stay, never failed to come by and ask how we were doing, as well as answer any questions we had. She had a special way of explaining everything to us.”

The Holguins found themselves back in the NICU at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio with their second daughter Lucia who was born prematurely. They returned only a few months after Elena was discharged from the NICU. The baby girls were born just seven months apart.

Lucia stayed in the NICU for 101 days. “This time was harder because I couldn’t live with her in the hospital since we had another baby at home,” Valentina said. “But it was comforting to know that she was in good hands with her nurses. It was a whole process learning to let go and trust others to look after her, but I know the staff there loved her so much. She had a couple of nurses that I got to know well during our NICU stay, and when Lucia was in their care, I could sleep peacefully at night. Amy Parker, Jesse Battleson, Dayzee Treiber, Coral Nolan and Kristin Joyner are some of those amazing nurses that I was confident would look after her with such genuine love and care.”

Despite two high-risk pregnancies, the Holguins welcomed two baby girls into their family during a short span of seven months. Here the couple is shown with daughters Lucia and Elena.

Today, both girls are home, surrounded by their loving parents and doting extended family. Although Lucia still has some hurdles in her growth and development—she is being treated for retinopathy of prematurity, an eye abnormality common in premature infants—she is making strides with a bright future ahead.

“We are just so in love with these amazing little babies,” Valentina said. “I still can’t believe I have two little miracles, and I am eternally grateful to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and its outstanding staff for taking care of my girls so well.”

To learn more about the Level IV NICU at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, visit https://www.christushealth.org/get-care/services-specialties/womens-services/neonatal-intensive-care.

A Rainbow After Many Storms

Every time Stephanie Rodriguez and her husband, JC, lay eyes on their 6-month-old daughter, Vida Rose, they can’t help but call her their miracle rainbow baby. The couple never imagined having another child would be a struggle filled with lots of heartache. After two miscarriages and a chemical pregnancy,* Stephanie wasn’t sure if a viable pregnancy was even possible for her.

“When I had my son, he was a total surprise,” said Stephanie. “I didn’t have any complications carrying him to term. Then, when he turned 4, my husband and I wanted to have a second baby so our son could have a sibling. It took me nine months to get pregnant. At our baby’s 24-week anatomy scan, I found out our daughter, Ruby Rose, had passed at 18 weeks. It was when COVID first started. My appointments were spaced out because my doctor reduced our visits during COVID. When I heard the words, ‘There is no heartbeat,’ I never thought that this would happen to me. Because literally, no one in my family that I know of – my mother, grandma, my aunts, the women in my family – had a miscarriage. I hadn’t felt the baby move because I was overweight. I thought maybe I’m just too big to feel her move. The loss was so painful for me.”

Dr. Emma Rodriguez provided preconception counseling to help Stephanie have a healthy pregnancy.

After her miscarriage, Stephanie began seeing Dr. Emma Rodriguez, a high-risk maternal fetal medicine physician at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and Dr. Mary Stokes, an OB-GYN with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. Because she had a prior history of miscarriage, Stephanie had preconception counseling with Drs. Rodriguez and Stokes to plan for a future pregnancy. Struggling with the devastating loss of her daughter, Stephanie wanted to get pregnant right away because she felt a nagging feeling inside of her – she had a baby one day and the next day it was taken away from her. In July 2020, Stephanie was pregnant again.

Dr. Mary Stokes with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, was Stephanie’s OB-GYN as she continued to try and have for a second baby.

“I was happy to be pregnant, but I was nervous at the same time,” said Stephanie. “I didn’t want this pregnancy to be like the last one. So, my husband and I were cautiously optimistic. When I came in for a six-week ultrasound, my doctor saw a fetal pole (first visible sign of a developing embryo) but there wasn’t a heartbeat. We went week by week to see – maybe the baby is too small. Every week when we went in for an ultrasound, there was no heartbeat. When I was nine weeks along, I had a D&C.** A few months later, I had a chemical pregnancy in February 2021. As much as I wanted another baby, I cried because I just felt like a failure over and over again.”

Stephanie was cautiously optimistic about being pregnant again after several miscarriages. She is grateful to the doctors at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio who were there for her every step of the way.

Then, in April 2021, Stephanie found out she was pregnant with Vida Rose. But this time, she didn’t tell her husband the baby news just yet. She waited until she had her blood drawn at her OB-GYN’s office to confirm the faint pink lines she saw on her pregnancy test were indeed true.

“When the time came for me to share the baby news with my husband, I wanted to make it extra special for him,” said Stephanie. “I had a box that I made, and I ordered a onesie with a rainbow on it. I bought some little baby shoes and put them in the box along with the positive pregnancy test. When he opened the box, he was happy because he knew how sad I was with our losses. My mom was thrilled to hear the news. The rest of our family was hoping for the best for us.”

Due to her history of recurrent pregnancy loss and testing indicating she was at increased risk for clotting, Dr. Rodriguez prescribed Lovenox, a blood thinning medication which was taken throughout her pregnancy. When Stephanie was six weeks pregnant, she had her first ultrasound. Baby Vida Rose’s measurements were spot on. As her first and second trimesters passed by, everything was going smoothly. Stephanie and her baby were doing well.

“Every time I went in for an ultrasound, I could see my baby’s heartbeat,” said Stephanie. “When I could see her on the doppler at home and see her heartbeat, it made me feel less nervous. I’d check on her heartbeat often. Is she still alive? Is there a heartbeat? I kept thinking those things throughout my pregnancy. I could not stand to go through the loss of another baby. I wasn’t able to relax until Vida Rose was in my arms. As the days got closer to my induction, I started getting more nervous. I was like, I am going to have two babies now, a 4-year-old and now a newborn.”

The Rodriguez family was thrilled to welcome Vida Rose when she arrived in early January.

On January 3, 2022, when Stephanie was 39 weeks along, she and her husband, JC, welcomed their daughter, Vida Rose, at The Children’s Hospital. She weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Stephanie was excited to finally see her baby’s face because every time she had a 3-D ultrasound, Vida would always hide her face. She thought maybe her daughter wanted her debut to be a big surprise.

“When the nurses put Vida in my arms for the first time, it was just like we were meant for each other,” said Stephanie. “Vida is my miracle baby for sure. She is now a happy, healthy 6-month-old who loves to eat. She doesn’t want me to put her down. She’s like a little koala holding on to me. I wouldn’t have it any other way. While this was a difficult journey, I had a wonderful support system that helped me through it. My husband was definitely my rock, and my entire family was supportive. I am also thankful to Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Stokes for being with me on this journey. They were rooting for me and were always there to answer my questions and concerns. They both knew my history so they did everything they could to ensure a successful pregnancy.”

The Rodriguez family considers Vida Rose a miracle baby after they experienced multiple miscarriages.

The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio has an entire team of maternal fetal medicine specialists caring for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies. For more information about the Centers for Maternal and Fetal Medicine, visit our website:

Maternal Fetal Medicine | San Antonio, TX | Children’s Hospital (christushealth.org)

*A chemical pregnancy is an early miscarriage that happens in the first five weeks of pregnancy.

**D&C stands for dilation and curettage, a procedure in which a doctor uses a spoon-shaped instrument to scrape the lining of the uterus to remove tissue.

Heart to Heart: The Gift of Motherhood

For Tierany Narro, there’s nothing quite like celebrating motherhood for the first time. Two months ago, she welcomed her beautiful daughter, Paityn, into the world. From the moment their eyes met, Tierany fell in love with her instantly. Just as she imagined, their mother-daughter bond grew stronger than ever.

“My first day as a mother was everything I could have wanted and more,” said Tierany. “My fiancé, Byron, and I celebrated this special milestone as we bonded with our new baby. To be able to care for another life other than my own, and to love this cute little human that we created together, is such an amazing and indescribable feeling. Our daughter is the most precious gift that we could have ever asked for.”

For the longest time, Tierany wasn’t sure if she could have a baby. When she was 11 years old, she was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome (LQTS), a rare heart rhythm disorder. Her heart’s electrical system took longer to recharge causing her to have rapid and chaotic heartbeats. Even the slightest physical activity or emotional excitement could trigger an episode. LQTS causes fainting and seizures, and if left untreated, it can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Tierany didn’t know she had it until her first episode.

“I was racing my brother and cousin on the trail,” recalled Tierany. “The only thing that I remember was I could only breathe in. I could not breathe out. I was rushed to the hospital and when doctors did an EKG on me, I found out that I had LQTS. It was a crazy experience. As a kid, you want to ride rollercoasters, get spooked at haunted houses, play sports and I wasn’t allowed to do any of those things. The only sport I was allowed to play was golf. I had to avoid anything that raised my blood pressure and heart rate. I was put on beta blockers to slow my heart rate down which I still take today. When I found out I was pregnant, my doctors treated my pregnancy as if it was high risk due to my heart issue. They were concerned how my heart would handle the delivery.”

Tierany wasn’t sure she could even get pregnancy and have a baby. Once she found out she was goign to have a baby, her OB-GYN referred her to Dr. James Hill, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, to closely monitor her high-risk pregnancy.

Throughout her pregnancy, Tierany began seeing OB-GYN Dr. George Cajas, who referred her to Dr. James Hill, a high-risk maternal-fetal medicine specialist at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. She saw Dr. Hill once a month for the first trimester. Then, halfway through her second trimester, she had weekly visits with Dr. Hill since she resumed taking her medication for LQTS. Since beta blockers can impact the growth of the baby, Dr. Hill checked Paityn’s growth curve every three weeks. Paityn was growing at a normal pace, but her growth lagged during the third trimester. Her growth would be a few days behind and then a week behind – but it was only in certain parts of her body. Her little belly was measuring the furthest behind. Paityn was doing fine. She was just on her own little growth curve.

Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialist Dr. James Hill helps expectant moms manage their high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Hill ran a number of tests during Tierany’s high-risk pregnancy to make sure her heart could withstand the stress of labor.

“My excitement grew as I neared the end of my pregnancy,” said Tierany. “During my last trimester, Dr. Hill performed nonstress tests on my daughter to monitor her heart rate and to see if I had contractions at the same time. If I had contractions, the nonstress test would let Dr. Hill know how well Paityn was tolerating those contractions. When I started having Braxton Hicks, I met every week with Dr. Cajas and Dr. Hill. They did nonstress tests on my baby twice a week. They wanted to space them apart so if I was having contractions, they could see it. At every appointment, they talked to me about my birth plan.”

The plan was to deliver Paityn at 40 weeks. Dr. Hill explained to Tierany the risks and benefits with trying to deliver naturally versus a Cesarean section due to her heart condition. The goal was to put the least amount of stress on her heart, but it was up to Tierany to make that final decision. A few days before Tierany was admitted to the hospital, Dr. Hill compiled detailed notes on what Tierany could and couldn’t do. As much as possible, he did not want her to feel any contractions or do anything that would increase her blood pressure and accelerate her heart rate especially leading up to the birth of her daughter.

When Tierany arrived at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills on March 27, 2022, the nurses started her on a Foley balloon, a catheter-like device that helps the cervix dilate when labor needs to be induced. Her cervix dilated to 3.5 centimeters before she began feeling light cramping and contractions. The next morning, Tierany had an epidural to help speed up her progress. She was on a continuous slow and light drip of Pitocin to avoid hyperstimulation because of her heart condition. Her nurses did not want her to feel the contractions. Later that evening, when Tierany had not progressed, Dr. Cajas broke her water.

“The slow drip of Pitocin helped me dilate but it wasn’t doing too much,” said Tierany. “I didn’t realize that once my water broke, my contractions got very serious. I had an IV in my left arm that had Pitocin, magnesium and other fluids. The magnesium helped with my heart. My doctors also gave me potassium pills for my heart, and I was still taking my beta blocker medications. Then, around four in the morning, I started feeling intense contractions. I clicked the epidural button to draw more medicine, but it was almost empty. I called my nurse, and she stepped in to help. Later that morning when Dr. Cajas checked on me to see my progress, he could feel my baby’s head. I was super excited and so ready to finally meet her.”

Since Tierany’s pregnancy was high risk, her doctors planned everything out in case something happened during delivery. Tierany was hooked up to an EKG telemonitor to monitor her heart rate throughout the birth process. They also had a crash cart ready just in case she had to be resuscitated. Luckily, there were no complications. On March 29, 2022, at 10:09 a.m., after three pushes, Tierany and her fiancé, Byron, welcomed their precious baby daughter, Paityn, into the world. She weighed 6 pounds and 15 ounces.

“I got so emotional when I saw Paityn for the first time,” Tierany. “I got to see her little face looking right at me. We didn’t see her face but one time during my pregnancy because she always covered herself. Our daughter is two months old now, and she is nothing short of a miracle. She has a such a little attitude and a big personality. She is a happy baby, but she will give you mean faces when she demands something. She loves to be held all the time. She loves to eat. She eats four ounces every two hours. And she just started sleeping through the night. When she wakes up, she’ll scream at the top of her lungs like mommy, please feed me. She’s the cutest thing ever. While there were risks involved with me being pregnant, I was blessed with wonderful, caring doctors. Dr. Cajas and Dr. Hill were both amazing and followed my pregnancy closely. The nurses were great. They understood me and validated my concerns. They were always there whenever I needed them. They cared for me not just as a patient, but as a human being.”

Tierany says 2-month-old Paityn has a big personality. She’s grateful to the doctors who cared for her and for those who will monitor Paityn’s condition throughout her childhood.

After her daughter’s birth, Tierany had Paityn tested for LQTS since this heart problem can be genetically passed on. Tierany got the LQTS chromosome from her father. After taking a buccal swab test, the results came back two weeks later. Just like Tierany, Paityn also has the same heart condition. She’ll have regular visits with her cardiologist at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, Dr. Arpit Agrawal, throughout her life – but just like her mother, she can still enjoy life to the fullest.

Because Paityn was diagnosed with LQTS through genetic testing, Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Arpit Agrawal will now monitor her heart as she grows.

“I am glad we did the buccal swab test and caught it when she was a newborn,” said Tierany. “Most kids find out they have it much later when they get their first episode, since there are no symptoms early on. While I didn’t want her to have LQTS, I know my baby can still live a healthy, vivacious life just like me.” To learn more about the Centers for Maternal and Fetal Care at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and how we care for high-risk pregnancies, please visit:  Maternal Fetal Medicine | San Antonio, TX | Children’s Hospital (christushealth.org)

You’ve Been Diagnosed with Preeclampsia: Now What?

Q&A with Dr. Emma Rodriguez, maternal fetal medicine specialist

Preeclampsia is a serious health problem for pregnant women around the world. It is one of the more common pregnancy complications, affecting about 5 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. It is also the leading cause of premature birth, contributing to 15 percent of all premature deliveries in the U.S.

The disease is sometimes referred to as a silent killer because most pregnant women can’t “feel” their blood pressure going up. As a result, patient awareness of the early warning signs is one of the most important tools around to successfully help pregnant women receive the immediate care they need.

So, what exactly is preeclampsia, and how can it be managed effectively? We recently sat down with Dr. Emma Rodriguez to talk about preeclampsia and what women need to know.

Dr. Emma Rodriguez is a maternal fetal medicine specialist with The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. She helps her patients manage high-risk pregnancies when they develop conditions like preeclampsia.

What is preeclampsia? What symptoms should I be looking out for?
Preeclampsia is a serious medical condition characterized by high blood pressure that can happen after the 20^th week of pregnancy or after giving birth (called postpartum preeclampsia). Symptoms include high blood pressure, protein in urine, swelling, headaches and blurred vision. This condition needs to be treated by a health-care provider. If left untreated, preeclampsia can endanger the health of the mom and her unborn baby. In the most severe cases, preeclampsia can cause organ failure and even death.

How is preeclampsia diagnosed?
Preeclampsia is diagnosed by measuring a woman’s blood pressure and conducting routine urine tests during prenatal visits. The purpose of the urine test is to see if there is protein in the urine, which can indicate a kidney problem. If the blood pressure reading is high (more than 140/90), especially after the 20^th week of pregnancy, and there is protein in the urine, a diagnosis of preeclampsia is made. To determine the severity of the diagnosis, more extensive lab tests may be ordered, including blood tests to evaluate the level of platelets in the blood and to test for abnormally high levels of serum creatinine and liver enzymes in the blood that may suggest impaired kidney and liver function.

Pulmonary edema (excess fluid in the lungs) is another symptom of severe preeclampsia that may present as shortness of breath.

What is the typical medication/treatment for a pregnant woman with preeclampsia?
Treatment during pregnancy will depend on the severity of a patient’s high blood pressure and the health of her and her unborn baby. In general, prenatal care may include frequent prenatal visits, close monitoring of blood pressure, adjustments to blood pressure medications as needed, and regular maternal blood testing to check for signs of the condition worsening. In mild cases, patients are monitored more closely as previously mentioned.  In severe cases of preeclampsia, treatment may include giving anticonvulsant medications to prevent seizures, corticosteroids to speed up the baby’s lung development and early delivery may be indicated.

What are some common risk factors associated with preeclampsia?
There are certain risk factors that predispose a woman to develop preeclampsia. First, if you had it before with another pregnancy, the likelihood of you developing it again is greater. Also, if you have chronic (pre-existing) hypertension, are pregnant with more than one baby, or have underlying health conditions like type 1 or type 2 diabetes, kidney disease or certain autoimmune diseases, you may be at higher-than-average risk for preeclampsia during pregnancy. Other risk factors include being African American, having a family history of preeclampsia, or having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.

How can you prevent and/or reduce your risk of developing this condition?
As with most pregnancy-related complications, the best way to prevent preeclampsia is to keep up on all your prenatal appointments, and let your doctor know if you are experiencing any unusual symptoms that need attention. Other ways to decrease your preeclampsia risk is to eat healthy, exercise, and maintain a healthy weight. That means staying away from sugary and processed foods and eating more nutrient dense foods including high-fiber fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and dairy. Also, incorporating exercise into your daily routine, like taking a 30-minute walk during the day, will also help. You should consult your doctor about how much exercise you should be getting. For high-risk women, taking a low-dose aspirin (81 mg) daily after 12 weeks of pregnancy may reduce their risk of preeclampsia. Before taking any medications during your pregnancy, check with your doctor first.

What causes preeclampsia?
No one knows for sure what causes preeclampsia, although experts believe it begins in the placenta as your body amps up your blood production to support your growing baby. A decreased blood supply to the placenta in some women may lead to preeclampsia. The genetic makeup of a fetus could predispose a pregnancy to preeclampsia. Because a family history also increases the risk, your own genetics may play a role as well. 

How can you manage preeclampsia during pregnancy?
If a woman has been diagnosed with preeclampsia, it is important for them to get plenty of rest and to take prescribed medications to manage their blood pressure. It’s also important to go to regular prenatal visits for close blood pressure monitoring and weekly labs to make sure the preeclampsia hasn’t gotten any worse. Frequent ultrasounds to monitor amniotic fluid and baby’s growth are also very important. Slow fetal growth is often associated with preeclampsia.  

How does preeclampsia affect pregnancy and the baby?
Preeclampsia is one of the most common causes of premature births. Unmanaged preeclampsia can prevent a developing fetus from getting enough blood and oxygen and damage a mother’s liver and kidneys. In rare cases, untreated preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia, a much more serious condition involving seizures, or HELLP syndrome, another serious condition that can lead to liver damage and other complications. Additionally, if the condition is not monitored closely and treated promptly, it can also cause the placenta to suddenly separate from the uterus (called placental abruption), which can lead to serious pregnancy complications and death.

If you have preeclampsia, can you carry your baby to full term?
It depends. Your doctor will determine when to deliver based on how far along your baby is, how well your baby is doing in your womb, and the severity of your preeclampsia. If your baby has developed well and preeclampsia is mild, delivery at 37 weeks is recommended.  In severe cases of preeclampsia, or if there is evidence of worsening disease, preterm delivery may be indicated. Your doctor may want to induce labor or do a cesarean section to keep preeclampsia from getting worse. The only cure for preeclampsia is to give birth.

Do preeclampsia symptoms go away after your baby is born?
The symptoms of preeclampsia usually go away within six weeks after delivery. In some women, the symptoms stop almost immediately after birth. However, in others, high blood pressure sometimes gets worse the first few days after delivery. Even if you were not diagnosed with preeclampsia before delivery, you are still at risk for preeclampsia for up to six weeks after delivery.

In a previous blog, expectant mom Vanessa shared her experience with preeclampsia that led to the premature birth of her daughter Luna.

Xochitl Scott developed preeclampsia during her pregnancy. She and her husband leaned on their faith and the expertise of doctors at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Xochitl shared her story with us in January 2022.

If you have received a diagnosis of preeclampsia and would like to make an appointment with one of our high-risk pregnancy experts, please visit: Center for Maternal and Fetal Care.