The Arsenal

First off, there is absolutely no known medicine or method to completely prevent pre-eclampsia from happening again. Search on the Internet and you'll find plenty of scams, herbal remedies and supposed diets. I wish there were. How easy it would be to take X or follow Y diet and be guaranteed an avoidance of this dreadful thing. That being said, it would be just as foolish to eat junk food and not aim for a healthy diet and lifestyle during pregnancy to increase my chances.

So this is my arsenal:

• -Low-dose aspirin: Doesn't work for everyone but has also proven to be harmless to the fetus. Works by thinning the blood to reduce chance of blood clots forming in the placenta. Many of those with pre-e get diagnosed with blood clotting disorders that contribute to the onset. Hence certain women are put on much heavier anti-coagulants like Lovenox and Heparin.


• -Higher doses of folic acid: Some genetic mutations cause women to be unable to metabolize folic acid which causes homocysteine levels to increase which can cause stroke, pre-e and other placental complications.


• -In addition to my regular prenatal, I am also on extra calcium, Vitamin D and take fish oil daily. Calcium deficiencies also increase the risk of pre-eclampsia.

Is all this going to guarantee me a full-term baby? No, but why not try to create optimal living conditions for the being inside? And honestly, taking "something" admittedly makes me feel like there is something I can do to feel like I have some control in this however small it may be. Ahh the power of the placebo!