The short explanation
Pregnancy can cause mild changes in the eyes. Hormonal changes and fluid retention can slightly change the shape and thickness of the cornea, making contact lenses feel less comfortable and vision slightly blurry. Dry eyes are also common in pregnancy. These changes often settle after delivery and breastfeeding. Because your power may change temporarily, eye doctors often suggest waiting until a few months after delivery before getting new glasses or considering laser surgery. Switching to glasses for a while may be more comfortable. However, any sudden blurring, especially with headache, flashing lights or swelling, needs urgent checking, because it can be a sign of high blood pressure in pregnancy.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Women with diabetes should have their eyes checked during pregnancy, because diabetic eye changes can progress faster.
- Pre-eclampsia, a condition of high blood pressure in pregnancy, can cause visual disturbances.
- Keep up good lens hygiene, as dry eyes increase discomfort and infection risk.
- Mention any eye changes at your antenatal visits.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you whether your blurring is from normal pregnancy changes or something else. Your doctor needs to check you.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Are my eye changes normal for pregnancy?
- Should I switch to glasses for now?
- Is my blood pressure normal?
- When should I get my eyes rechecked after delivery?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the labour ward if blurred vision comes with severe headache, flashing lights, swelling of face or hands, or pain under the ribs.
Get help the same day
- Get same-day care if blurring is sudden or getting worse.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Mention eye discomfort at your next antenatal visit, and have an eye check after delivery.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Eye care MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
- Eye diseases MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
- Diabetic eye problems MedlinePlus (NIH)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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