First-time mum raises awareness of pregnancy complication
A first-time mum is raising awareness of pre-eclampsia symptoms to help other expectant parents spot early signs of the condition.
Lisa Hodgkinson Smith, from Sutton Coldfield, was diagnosed with a severe form of the illness, which causes dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy.
However, following careful monitoring at our Women’s Hospital, the 34-year-old welcomed Cooper in October 2025 at 33 weeks.
She said: “I feel so fortunate that I was so well looked after and that a close friend encouraged me to call the hospital when they did. I don’t know what would have happened if I’d left it any longer.
“I hope other people might hear my story and learn some of the signs of pre-eclampsia and seek help earlier.”
Some of the common symptoms are a severe headache, swelling of the face, hands or feet, severe heartburn or shortness of breath.
After a friend expressed concern, Lisa sought advice and was then admitted for monitoring.
She said: “Cooper is my first baby, so I thought a lot of my symptoms were just normal pregnancy things.
“I hadn’t heard of pre-eclampsia until friends and family said to me I looked unwell and it could be symptoms of the condition.
“I realised my blood pressure was very high so called triage at the hospital and they asked me to come in straight away. I didn’t even bring a bag. I thought it was just a precaution and I’d be home later that day.”
Lisa then spent a month in hospital where she was constantly monitored while clinicians worked to stabilise her blood pressure.
When she was 33 weeks pregnant, her blood pressure reached a limit that wasn’t safe for me and Cooper had to be delivered early.
“It was really scary.” Lisa said, “We’d tried lots of different medications, but it was clear things weren’t going to get any better and it wasn’t safe for me anymore.”
Despite being seven weeks premature, baby Cooper was born healthy, weighing 4lbs 3ozs.
Lisa added: “When Cooper was born, he was taken straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“My blood pressure still hadn’t gone down and I was really unwell. I stayed in hospital for another two weeks.
“Cooper stayed in the NICU for the first 10 days until he was stable enough to be for us to be together.”
After two weeks, both Lisa and Cooper were discharged home together. Cooper is now seven months old and is doing well.
“He’s such a joy, always smiling. He continues to reach his milestones since coming home.
“Everyone looked after both of us so well, and I’m just so glad to be home with my baby.”