Do you have chronic or gestational hypertension? Are you at risk of developing gestational hypertension? Here are some tips adapted from the Mayo Clinic on managing hypertension and preventing blood-pressure complications during pregnancy:
- Keep your prenatal appointments. Visit your physician regularly throughout pregnancy. Doing so will ensure that any changes in blood pressure, or signs of preeclampsia, are caught early and managed more easily.
- Take your blood pressure medication as prescribed. Your South Lake physician will prescribe the safest medication at the most appropriate dose.
- Stay active. Follow your health care provider’s recommendations for physical activity. Keep in mind, however, that bed rest might be recommended if you develop signs of preeclampsia.
- Eat a healthy diet. Limit the amount of sodium in your diet, and take your prenatal vitamins.
- Monitor your weight. Gaining a healthy amount of weight (about 25 to 35 pounds) supports your baby’s growth and development. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to pregnancy weight gain. Work with your team at South Lake to determine what’s right for you.
- Know what’s off-limits. Avoid smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Talk to your health care provider before taking any over-the-counter medications.
Taking these steps can help reduce complication for you and your baby. Remember, hypertension during pregnancy poses various risks, including these risks identified by the Mayo Clinic:
- Decreased blood flow to the placenta. This reduces the baby’s supply of oxygen and nutrients, potentially slowing the baby’s growth and increasing the risk of a low birth weight.
- Placental abruption. With this condition, the placenta prematurely separates from the uterus. Placental abruption can deprive the baby of oxygen and cause heavy bleeding in the mother.
- Premature delivery. Sometimes an early delivery is needed to prevent potentially life-threatening complications, such a preeclampsia.
- Future cardiovascular disease. Women who develop preeclampsia might be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, despite the fact that their blood pressure returns to normal after delivery.
As always, we want our patients to have the safest, healthiest pregnancy and delivery possible. Please feel free to call us at any time if you experience a worrying symptom..
Should you want to know read more detailed information about hypertension in pregnancy, as well as preeclampsia specifically, we recommend these patient-friendly articles from the Mayo Clinic and WebMd.