High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy: Understanding Gestational Hypertension

During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes various changes as it prepares for the arrival of the baby. In some cases, the expectant mother’s blood pressure may become elevated, which requires special attention to prevent more serious complications.

This increase in blood pressure during pregnancy can pose risks to the health of both the mother and the developing baby. Although the statistics are not alarming, it’s a situation that needs careful monitoring, as it can affect the baby’s growth.

If elevated blood pressure is not controlled, it can lead to serious complications for the mother, including symptoms that require immediate medical intervention.

Risk factors

In many cases the symptoms can be silent, as is the case with increased blood pressure, but there are some factors that may increase the risk of the pregnant woman developing pre-eclampsia:

• First paternity;
• First pregnancy;
• Pregnancy before age 20;
• Twin pregnancy (happens when the mother will have twins);
• Previous pregnancy with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia;
• High-risk pregnancy over 40 years old;
• Chronic arterial hypertension;
• Family history of pre-eclampsia;
• Type 2 diabetes;
• Kidney disease;
• Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome;
• Congenital thrombophilic disorders;
• Fetal hydrops;
• Sickle cell anemia;
• Hydatidiform mole.

The best way to prevent any complications is by having proper medical follow-up throughout the prenatal period. Only the obstetrician can investigate whether your blood pressure is altered and whether there may be a risk of having pre-eclampsia.

The different types of hypertension in pregnant women

High blood pressure in pregnancy(Google Source)

Pre-existing chronic hypertension

In this case, the pressure during pregnancy is usually above 140 x 90 mmHg since before pregnancy. Therefore, the pregnant woman was already hypertensive and this remains during pregnancy. High blood pressure in pregnancy before the 20th week is also considered pre-existing.

Pre eclampsia

It is characterized when hypertension appears after the 20th week of pregnancy, and is associated with the loss of proteins in the urine. If there are problems with the kidneys, liver and central nervous system, it can also happen. As well, it can be a consequence of the drop in platelet levels in the blood.

Pre eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension

It appears when pre-eclampsia affects women who already suffered from hypertension before becoming pregnant.

Gestational hypertension

Understanding gestational hypertension: high blood pressure in pregnancy

This type of disease appears after the 20th week of pregnancy, without loss of protein in the urine or any other sign that indicates pre-eclampsia. In this case, even when the pregnant woman is at rest, the pressure during pregnancy is greater than 14 x 9. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to measure the pressure on two different occasions, with intervals of 6 hours.

Always in prenatal consultations, the doctor measures blood pressure. If this is altered, it indicates deeper examinations to identify the reason.

Specialists indicate that the pressure in pregnancy should be maintained at normal levels until the end of the pregnancy. As well, after childbirth, the pressure should still be monitored for another 12 weeks. If the woman has high blood pressure during this period, she may have developed chronic hypertension, which will require medical follow-up.

Symptoms of high blood pressure during pregnancy

During the entire pregnancy, it is important that the woman maintain adequate prenatal care and perform the tests indicated by the doctor. When the pregnant woman has high blood pressure, the most common symptoms are: pain in the back of the neck or head, swelling in the arms and legs due to fluid retention, blurred vision and sensitivity to light. It may happen that the symptoms are very weak and go unnoticed.

Is blood pressure 13 x 8 during pregnancy normal?

Generally, the pressure tends to decrease in the first trimester, then it rises a little in the second, to normalize in the third trimester. However, it is considered pre-eclampsia when the pressure is greater than 140 x 90 mmHg. Also, if the woman’s normal pressure is 10 x 7, she can be considered hypertensive if the pressure reaches 13 x 8.5 for example.

Risks of high blood pressure in pregnancy

High blood pressure in pregnancy(Google Source)

Risks may appear if blood pressure during pregnancy is not controlled by medication or when the pregnant woman has symptoms of pre-eclampsia.