Things you need to know about high blood pressure during pregnancy

High blood pressure during pregnancy can cause many different problems. Some cases can develop into preeclampsia, severely affecting the fetus.

Normal blood pressure is one of the factors of good health. When your blood pressure gets too high it is dangerous for your health. During pregnancy, high blood pressure can cause many health problems. In some cases, it can develop into pre-eclampsia, a disorder that adversely affects the fetus. If you are wondering about this disease, aFamilyToday Health invites you to refer to the following article for more details!

How will blood pressure change during pregnancy?

Usually blood pressure will change during pregnancy. The hormone progesterone relaxes the walls of blood vessels, causing your blood pressure to drop during the first and second trimesters. You may feel tired if you stand for too long or get up early when your blood pressure is low.

Mother's blood pressure will be at the lowest mid-pregnancy level and start to increase gradually from week 24 of pregnancy. If you're in good health, your blood pressure should return to normal in the few weeks before giving birth.

How do doctors measure blood pressure?

Before your doctor takes your blood pressure, sit down and roll up your sleeves. Your doctor will use a blood pressure monitor to wrap around the upper elbow and pump air into it. The blood pressure cuff will swell and tighten your arm to stop the blood flow in the main blood vessels in your arm. Then, the doctor will slowly release the air in the cuff of blood pressure and read the reading displayed on the meter.

The results will be displayed as a fraction, like 110/70. The first number indicates the blood pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body (systolic blood pressure). The second number is the blood pressure when the heart relaxes between beats (diastolic). Blood pressure in each pregnant mother is usually different, so it's best not to compare the results with another pregnant mother. The average blood pressure for a healthy person is between 110/70 and 120/80.

When the results are available, your doctor will let you know if your blood pressure is high. Your doctor will diagnose high blood pressure if:

Blood pressure of 140/90 or higher on 2nd measurement 4 hours apart;

Blood pressure results in the denominator (diastolic) portion of 110 or higher. If this number is high, you already have high blood pressure.

During prenatal care, if you have high blood pressure, your doctor will order more tests in the hospital. You can stay in the hospital to have your blood pressure monitored for 3 or 4 hours.

High blood pressure often has different names, depending on the stage of pregnancy:

Before 20 weeks of pregnancy, if you have high blood pressure this is chronic high blood pressure and continues after birth;

After 20 weeks, if the mother elected to increase blood pressure, it will be called high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Why must pregnant mother measure blood pressure?

Measuring blood pressure is a way to know the health of pregnant mothers like. Your doctor will watch for signs of potentially serious complications called pre-eclampsia, especially later in pregnancy.

Many people still do not fully understand how pre-eclampsia occurs when the placenta is not working properly. This can lead to high blood pressure and other problems. Your doctor will check your urine as well as measure your blood pressure. In addition, protein in the urine and high blood pressure are signs of pre-eclampsia.

If you have preexisting high blood pressure or high blood pressure during pregnancy, you are more likely to have pre-eclampsia. Although not entirely certain, the earlier a rise in blood pressure occurs, the more likely it is that the development of pre-eclampsia will develop.

You can have high blood pressure during pregnancy and pre-eclampsia without realizing it because you don't feel the difference inside your body. That's why it's important to have a full pregnancy check-up and regularly check your blood pressure and urine.

Your doctor will explain any notable symptoms and treat you if you feel unwell or have unexplained abnormalities. Pre-eclampsia develops so quickly that you need to get medical help right away.

Will blood pressure drop after giving birth?

If you have high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy , your reading will likely return to normal a few weeks after your baby is born. Your doctor will check your blood pressure at least once within 6 hours after birth. Then, if you have high blood pressure, your doctor will continue to monitor at least 2 times over the next days.

You can take medicine to control high blood pressure for several months after giving birth. Some medicines are very safe so don't worry if you plan to breastfeed your baby. When you leave the hospital, you should see a doctor so that your doctor can control your blood pressure and change the dosage of the prescribed medicine. Also, learn more about pre-eclampsia symptoms for better prevention.

Hope this article has provided you with useful information about high blood pressure during pregnancy. Hope that expectant mothers as well as relatives know how to check and check prenatal care to better protect mothers and babies.