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When to call the doctor

Significant weight gain in one week

During the later pregnancy, a weight gain of over 2 pounds in one week is a symptom of pre-eclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). The causes of pre-eclampsia are uncertain, but some scientists believe that it is caused by an immune response against the placenta. Pre-eclampsia that is not treated may progress to very serious, even life-threatening complications. The blood clotting system may become altered, causing the blood to thicken. Thickened blood is limited in its ability to deliver oxygen to needed areas of the body. This is a very serious situation for mother and baby. The liver can also be damaged in the process, and in the most severe cases this may result in hemorrhage.

Pre-eclampsia symptoms

fluid retention in the face and hands, as well as the feet and ankles (some swelling in the feet is common for everyone in later pregnancy)
high blood pressure
blurred vision
severe or constant headaches
pain in the upper abdomen
shortness of breath at rest
protein in the urine

About one in every ten pregnant women develop some symptoms of pre-eclampsia – women who are over 30 are at increased risk. If there is significant decreased oxygen getting to the placenta, some babies will be born at lower birth weights. Treatment includes bed rest, a nutritious diet – high protein and low sodium, careful medical monitoring, and medications when required. Often these symptoms can be managed safely outside of the hospital setting, but occasionally hospitalization may be necessary when the well being of the mother or the baby is at risk.

Gestational diabetes is also associated with excessive weight gain during the second half of pregnancy. About 10% of all pregnancies result in gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes usually can be controlled with dietary measures, but sometimes, injections of insulin are required. Frequent monitoring of your blood sugar with fingerstick tests, sometime done as much as 5 times a day, will be part of the treatment plan. It is of the utmost importance that you realize the better control you have of your blood sugar (in terms of keeping it in the normal range), the healthier will be your pregnancy. Diabetes that occurs for the first time in pregnancy usually goes away after the baby is born. For some women, it may be a warning sign of things to come in the future. Often women with gestational diabetes, develop the same thing in a subsequent pregnancy, and have a greater chance of developing diabetes later in life.