Hypertension During Pregnancy: A Simple But Complete Guide

We know that for you being a mother is an amazing feeling. With every passing day, you feel excited about the growing baby in your womb. Well! This excitement comes with a lot of physical and emotional challenges. One of the challenges is high blood pressure or hypertension during pregnancy.

What is Hypertension in Pregnancy?

Your heart pumps the blood through the arteries to the rest of your body. In fact, the blood flows at a certain speed. But due to the fluctuating pregnancy hormones, the blood flow might get disrupted. It can also cause an increase or decrease in the blood pressure level. Hypertension in your pregnancy is when blood flows through the artery at high speed. 1 in every 12 to 17 of you between the ages of 20 to 44, suffers from gestational hypertension.

What Are the Causes of Pregnancy Hypertension? 

Conditions like: 

• being plus size
• pregnant first-time
• family history of pregnancy hypertension
• carrying more than one child or 
• if you’re over 35 years old are some of the possible causes of high blood pressure in pregnancy.

What Are the Types of Blood Pressure During Pregnancy?

There are mainly four categories of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy: 

Chronic Hypertension

This is the kind of blood pressure present before your pregnancy. This also occurs before the 20 weeks of your pregnancy. This may increase the risk of preeclampsia during your pregnancy. Especially in your second or third trimester. Your doctor may immediately put you on medication.

Gestational Hypertension

It starts after you’ve completed 20 weeks of your pregnancy. This condition tends to disappear after you deliver your baby. In this condition you might expect a slight rise in your blood pressure. But some of you might suffer from severe hypertension. Untreated preeclampsia can complicate your pregnancy. In your prenatal visits your gynae will check whether protein is present in your urine. He or she also checks if you have other heart or kidney problems.

Preeclampsia / Eclampsia

You had normal blood pressure (less than 120/80) 2 before. And you suddenly develop high pressure. Your doctor sees signs of pre-eclampsia if he or she finds the presence of protein in your urine on the 20th week. As mentioned before, if you have chronic hypertension, there are chances that you will get pre-eclampsia in pregnancy.

How Will You Know If You Have Symptoms of High Blood Pressure in Your Pregnancy? 

When you have signs like: 

• swelling in your hands or feet
• headaches
• nosebleeds
• vomiting
• anxiety
• irritability
• shortness of breath and 
• changes in vision this would state high blood pressure during pregnancy. 

What Pregnancy Complications Arise As a Result of High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy?

As a result of hypertension, pregnancy complications can include: 

• Placental Abruption: The placenta detaches from the uterus gets detached. This causes heavy bleeding during pregnancy.

• Low blood flow to the placenta. This may result in slow foetal growth

• There are chances that your baby’s born prematurely

• There are chances of foetal death

• You might also be at risk of heart disease or stroke in the future. 

How To Control High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy?

Pay attention to hypertension in your pregnancy to prevent the above-mentioned complications.

• Choose healthy and nutritious food 
• Keep your weight under check 
• Do some meditation, and yoga 
• Take medicines for your hypertension as prescribed by your doctor 
• Don’t miss your prenatal visits 
• Keep checking your blood pressure at home and watch out for the symptoms 

Hypertension in pregnancy is a serious problem. This World Hypertension Day, do everything you can to keep it under control. Controlled hypertension can help you sail through a healthy pregnancy.

Also, follow our blog page, to get more information on pregnancy and cord blood banking.