A woman’s body goes through a lot of changes during and after pregnancy. Their hormones are responsible for these changes. One such change that most new mothers would notice is related to their vision. The changing levels of hormones and fluids within their body can cause changes in their vision, decreasing their visual acuity. About 50% of pregnant women are prone to these changes. While they may have noticed changes in their vision in the second trimester, the changes become more prominent in the third trimester and postpartum. Ocular changes during pregnancy are categorized as physiological or pathological. Pregnancy-related pathological changes may present as new ocular developments, changes in existing ocular pathology, and ocular complications of systemic diseases.

According to several studies across the globe, these are the common pregnancy-related physiological changes:

• Pregnancy can affect tear film physiology and lead to dry eye
• Changes in the cornea and lacrimal system during pregnancy may lead to contact lens intolerance
• Increase in lens curvature may cause myopic shift
• Intraocular pressure (IOP) may decrease during pregnancy

Given these potential postpartum visual complaints, it is extremely important for mothers to schedule an eye examination to avoid further eye related complications. Responding carefully, rapidly and strategically can prevent possible risks to mother and baby.

We recommend scheduling the appointment before the baby’s born because it’s easy for mothers to forget their own health needs when they’re busy caring for a newborn :)