Pregnant
Blood pressure is the amount of force with which the blood travels through the blood vessels. It is considered high when it is greater than 140/90. During pregnancy, high blood pressure can be dangerous to the mother and fetus. It can harm the mother's kidneys and other organs. It can cause low birth weight and early delivery. One of the most serious effects is the development of preeclampsia. This condition affects the placenta and damages the mother's kidneys, liver, and brain if left untreated. The only treatment to preeclampsia is the delivery of the fetus.
Exercise
One of the best ways to ensure that blood pressure stays normal during pregnancy is to exercise. This is regular physical exercise for 30 minutes three times a week. Exercising needs to be started before high blood pressure appears. Exercise during pregnancy reduces constipation, backache, fatigue, sleep problems, varicose veins, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Pregnancy-approved exercises include strength training, walking, swimming, low impact aerobics and yoga. Do not do anything overly strenuous or potentially dangerous to the baby. Avoid exercises where falling is possible. Exercise programs can be started after conception. Just start slowly and gradually build up the length of time each day. Be sure to get medical approval before starting a new exercise routine.
Diet
If high blood pressure hits, then adjustments in diet can be made to try to lower it. First, avoid alcohol and tobacco since they both have a negative effect on the blood vessels. Also limit high sodium foods. These are processed meats, salted snack foods, cheese and canned foods. Eat fresh foods. Increase eating high potassium foods like bananas, potatoes, avocados, grapefruit juice and tomato juice. Lower the intake of saturated fat foods like fatty cuts of meat, bacon and butter.
Prenatal Care
Blood pressure is carefully monitored by the care provider during each prenatal medical visit. Chronic high blood pressure is usually treated with medications before conception, but that medication may be adjusted because of dangerous side effects to the fetus. Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy. The medical provider will keep an eye on it because it could turn into pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). This is the dangerous form of high blood pressure that is related to preeclampsia. The care provider is looking for severe headaches, vision problems like blurriness, swelling of the hands and face, and sudden weight gain of five pounds or more in one week. This is caused by fluid retention. If this occurs bed rest or hospitalization may be required.
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