During pregnancy what is high blood pressure

In the first half of pregnancy, blood pressure normally goes down. If your hypertension is mild, your blood pressure may stay that way or even return to normal during pregnancy.

If this happens, your ob-gyn may reduce your medication or recommend you stop taking your medication during pregnancy. If you have more severe hypertension or have health problems related to it, you may need to start or continue blood pressure medication during pregnancy. Your blood pressure will be checked at every prenatal care visit. You also may need to monitor your blood pressure at home. Ultrasound exams may be done throughout pregnancy to track the growth of the fetus.

If growth problems are suspected, you may have other tests that monitor the health of the fetus. This testing usually begins in the third trimester of pregnancy. If your condition remains stable, delivery 1 to 3 weeks before your due date about 37 weeks to 39 weeks of pregnancy generally is recommended. If you or the fetus develop complications , delivery may be needed even earlier. After delivery, you will need to keep monitoring your blood pressure at home for 1 to 2 weeks.

Blood pressure often goes up in the weeks after childbirth. You may need to resume taking medication, or your medication dosage may need to be adjusted.

Talk with your ob-gyn about blood pressure medications that are safe to take if you plan to breastfeed. Do not stop any medications without talking with your ob-gyn. A woman has gestational hypertension when:. Most women with gestational hypertension have only a small increase in blood pressure. These women are at risk of very serious complications. All women with gestational hypertension are monitored often usually weekly for signs of preeclampsia and to make sure that their blood pressure does not go too high.

Although gestational hypertension usually goes away after childbirth, it may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure in the future.

If you had gestational hypertension, keep this risk in mind as you take care of your health. Healthy eating, weight loss, and regular exercise may help prevent high blood pressure in the future.

It usually develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, often in the third trimester. When it develops before 34 weeks of pregnancy, it is called early-onset preeclampsia. It also can develop in the weeks after childbirth. It is not clear why some women develop preeclampsia. Doctors refer to "high risk" and "moderate risk" of preeclampsia. HELLP stands for h emolysis, e levated l iver enzymes, and l ow p latelet count.

HELLP syndrome damages or destroys red blood cells and interferes with blood clotting. It also can cause chest pain, abdominal pain, and bleeding in the liver. HELLP syndrome is a medical emergency. They also can have lifelong health problems from the condition. For women with preeclampsia, early delivery may be needed in some cases.

Preterm babies have an increased risk of problems with breathing, eating, staying warm, hearing, and vision. Some preterm complications last a lifetime and require ongoing medical care.

Women who have had preeclampsia—especially those whose babies were born preterm—have an increased risk later in life of kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Also, having preeclampsia once increases the risk of having it again in a future pregnancy. If you have any of these symptoms, especially if they develop in the second half of pregnancy, call your ob-gyn right away. A high blood pressure reading may be the first sign of preeclampsia. If your blood pressure reading is high, it may be checked again to confirm the results.

You may have a urine test to check for protein. You also may have tests to check how your liver and kidneys are working and to measure the number of platelets in your blood. You and your ob-gyn should talk about how your condition will be managed. The goal is to limit complications for you and to deliver the healthiest baby possible. Women who have gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features may be treated in a hospital or as an outpatient. Being an outpatient means you can stay at home with close monitoring by your ob-gyn.

You also may need to measure your blood pressure at home. Visits to your ob-gyn may be once or twice a week. At 37 weeks of pregnancy, you and your ob-gyn may talk about delivery. Labor may be induced started with medications.

If test results show that the fetus is not doing well, you may need to have the baby earlier. Women who have chronic hypertension can also get preeclampsia. Preeclampsia happens in about 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States.

This is called eclampsia , which is a medical emergency. Some women have no symptoms of preeclampsia, which is why it is important to visit your health care team regularly, especially during pregnancy.

In rare cases, preeclampsia can happen after you have given birth. This is a serious medical condition known as postpartum preeclampsia. It can happen in women without any history of preeclampsia during pregnancy. Postpartum preeclampsia is typically diagnosed within 48 hours after delivery but can happen up to 6 weeks later.

Tell your health care provider or call right away if you have symptoms of postpartum preeclampsia. You might need emergency medical care. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. High Blood Pressure. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy. Minus Related Pages. On This Page. What are high blood pressure complications during pregnancy? What should I do if I have high blood pressure before, during, or after pregnancy?

What are types of high blood pressure conditions before, during, and after pregnancy? More Information. Discuss blood pressure problems with your health care team before, during, and after pregnancy. If you're already taking medicine to lower your blood pressure and want to try for a baby, talk to your GP or specialist first. They may want to switch you to a different medicine before you get pregnant. If you find out you're already pregnant, tell your doctor immediately.

They may need to change your medicine as soon as possible. This is because some medicines that treat high blood pressure may not be safe to take when you're pregnant.

They can reduce the blood flow to the placenta and your baby, or affect your baby in other ways. It's important that your antenatal team monitors you closely throughout your pregnancy to make sure your high blood pressure is not affecting the growth of your baby and to check for a condition called pre-eclampsia. Make sure you go to all your appointments. Your doctor or midwife will measure your blood pressure and check for protein in your urine.

After 20 weeks of pregnancy, you may be offered a PlGF placental growth factor test to rule out pre-eclampsia. During the first half of pregnancy, a woman's blood pressure tends to fall. This means you may be able to come off your medicine for a while. But this should only be done under your doctor's supervision. Keeping active and doing some physical activity each day, such as walking or swimming, can help keep your blood pressure in the normal range.

Eating a balanced diet and keeping your salt intake low can help to reduce blood pressure. Find out about exercise in pregnancy , healthy eating in pregnancy , salt in the diet and tips for cutting down on salt. There isn't enough evidence to show that dietary supplements — such as magnesium, folic acid or fish oils — are effective at preventing high blood pressure.

It is a problem with the placenta that usually causes your blood pressure to rise.