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With prenatal health appointments to attend, diapers to buy, and other baby prep to do, expectant mothers rarely consider their ocular or eye health. But they should, particularly if they’re experiencing issues.
Be aware of eye health during and just after pregnancy
During pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations can lead to eye prescription changes* and blurry Mom’s vision. After pregnancy, the focus is often on the health of the baby’s eyes, and rightly so. But the mother’s ocular health is often more at risk immediately after the birthing process (the first couple of months postpartum) than the baby’s.
Ocular complications for the mother can include, but are not limited to:
- Preeclampsia/eclampsia (blood vessel issues)
- Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (a different form of blood vessel issues)
- Inflammatory diseases of the eyes such as Uveitis
Schedule eye exam two months postpartum
Given these potential postpartum complications, expectant mothers should schedule an eye exam two months after giving birth, as hormone levels tend to regulate after six-to-eight weeks. Of course, if there are notable vision issues, they should schedule that exam sooner rather than later. We recommend scheduling the appointment before the baby’s born because it’s easy for moms to forget their own health needs when they’re busy caring for a newborn.
Call the Welia Health Eye Center at 320.679.2020 or schedule online using MyChart.
* Eye doctors often don’t change the prescriptions until after pregnancy unless vision issues are significantly hindering everyday life activities.
