Seven Ways to Support Healthy Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

 

Are you pregnant or planning to become pregnant? It's time to think about your blood pressure, even if you've never had high blood pressure. About half of pregnancy complications, such as premature birth, are related to high blood pressure. Complications during pregnancy also increase the risk of heart disease later in life. But many pregnancy complications can be prevented. You can start your pregnancy with a healthy blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg, but still develop the type of high blood pressure that occurs during or after pregnancy. The complication is gestational hypertension, which is defined as a blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or more. It usually occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy or before delivery. Another condition is preeclampsia, a combination of high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy with other signs that your organs are not working properly, such as: B. high protein content in the urine. Severe cases can lead to life-threatening seizures or coma, a condition known as eclampsia. 

Here are seven ways to protect you and your baby from problems related to high blood pressure. 

Talk to your doctor. Even if you are not pregnant, knowing whether you have high blood pressure can help you determine if you are at higher risk of pregnancy-related complications. Work with your provider to create a plan for a healthy pregnancy. This includes conversations about: