Entertainment
In a perfect world, every pregnancy would go off without a hitch. In the real world, however, any expectant mother has to cope with the potential for dangerous, and potentially fatal, complications. Thankfully, more and more women are coming forward about the less-glamorous side of pregnancy. In fact, there have recently been many celebrities who were open about preeclampsia.
As far as pregnancy complications go, preeclampsia is no joke. According to the Mayo Clinic, preeclampsia is a condition that entails high blood pressure and potential organ damage during pregnancy. And the scary part: there is no cure other than delivery, as the Mayo Clinic further noted. Because the condition can begin after only 20 weeks of otherwise-normal development, it can be a stressful and frightening complication.
Fortunately, those who deal with preeclampsia do not have to suffer alone. The celebrities who have been open about their struggles with the condition have served as a reminder that no pregnancy is completely safe from all potential complications. For better or worse, pregnancy can be a great equalizer: even the most famous and wealthy women in the world face the same potential conditions as anyone else. Hopefully, the increased visibility of preeclampsia and other conditions like it will help facilitate a cure, or at least a better understanding of the condition overall.
1
Brooke Mueller
Mueller had serious complications with her pregnancy, by all accounts. According to Parents, Mueller coped with preeclampsia in addition to gestational diabetes and cholestasis. Here’s hope that better days are ahead for this lady.
2
Kim Kardashian
Yes, even the richest stars of all may have to deal with serious pregnancy conditions. On her personal site, Kardashian wrote openly about her struggle with preeclampsia, calling her induced labor and delivery “the most painful experience of my life.” But she did post a tremendous amount of helpful information about the condition as well, and advised women to be hopeful about their own pregnancies.
3
Sophie Ellis Bextor
The singer has had to cope with two instances of the condition. According to the Daily Mail, Bextor’s first and second pregnancies were affected by preeclampsia. Fortunately, the family appears to be doing well now.
4
Jane Seymour
Seymour is even more of a bas*ss that you may realize. According to a piece in People, Seymour coped with preeclampsia, delivered twins, and returned to the set of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman just three weeks later. Today, she and her grown sons appear to be doing quite well.
5
Trista Sutter
As the OG of The Bachelorette, she and her husband Ryan Sutter are no strangers to the spotlight. She has been candid about her pregnancy as well. As explained in People, Sutter struggled with a variant of preeclampsia known as HELLP. As she said in the People article, “it was the scariest thing I’ve ever gone through.” Fortunately, both mom and baby got through the ordeal.
6
Mariah Carey
Carey had to go through some struggles to meet her twins Monroe and Moroccan. As explained on Hollywoodlife, Carey suffered from preeclampsia and gestational diabetes for the duration of her pregnancy. In fact, the difficulty of this pregnancy put her off of having more children, as explained in the Daily Mail. Again, it’s a serious condition.
7
Adriana Lima
The Victoria’s Secret model also had a difficult time with her pregnancy. As explained in People, Lima also had to deal with preeclampsia, which resulted in bed rest and an early delivery. However, she and the baby appear to be doing well now.
8
Tina Malone
Preeclampsia forced Malone to give birth to her daughter Flame two weeks early, according to the Mirror. Fortunately, she and her baby got through the emergency Caesarean all right.
9
Angela Burgin Logan
Logan had quite the ordeal with her pregnancy. According to her site, Logan's preeclampsia became so severe she only had a 20 percent chance to live. After facing the harrowing ordeal, she became an advocate for maternal health.
