High blood pressure can cause serious concerns during pregnancy. High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. It is the force of which blood pushes against the walls of the arteries. If this force becomes too high, you have high blood pressure.
Chronic high blood pressure is high blood pressure that already exits before pregnancy. It also refers to high blood pressure that develops before 20 weeks of pregnancy and that last more than 6 weeks after giving birth.
The onset of high blood pressure during pregnancy is called preeclampsia. These two conditions although can be related, are different.
What effect will high blood pressure have on my pregnancy or my baby ?
High blood pressure during pregnancy can be dangerous for both mother and baby even though most women with high blood pressure go on to have healthy babies without any complications.
Women with chronic or pre existing high blood pressure are more likely to have complications during pregnancy than those with normal blood pressure.
The effect of hypertension on pregnancy may range from mild to severe. It can result in complications such as
- premature delivery,
- placental abruption
- low birth weight
- congestive heart failure
- vision changes
- seizures
- stroke
- liver and kidney problems.
In severe cases, the mother may develop preeclampsia which can threaten both the mother and baby’s lives.
If you are hypertensive, it is ideal for you to see your doctor before you become pregnant. This will give him the chance to see if your blood pressure is under control or check if your medications are safe for pregnancy.