Gestational Hypertension: What it is and what to do if you have it

Gestational hypertension is when high blood pressure occurs in pregnancy. It is usual for everyone’s blood pressure to start to increase in the late second and third trimesters. With the extra blood volume circulating and the hard work your body is doing to grow the baby, the pressure in your vessels increases.  If your levels reach 140/90 or higher, it is then considered gestational hypertension or high blood pressure in pregnancy. Most of the time, blood pressure returns to a normal range after birth. We will follow up on this closely postpartum to ensure that this is the case. 

Having gestational hypertension increases your risk of having a low birth weight baby and preterm labor, as well as developing a condition called preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is when you have high blood pressure AND signs that your kidneys and/or liver are struggling with the pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a condition that can become severe quickly. Preeclampsia is evaluated through blood and urine tests.  See below for signs and symptoms of preeclampsia that we want you to be aware of. For gestational hypertension, it is recommended that you have an induction of labor between 38-39 weeks to prevent these risks from occurring. 

Supportive Measures for High Blood Pressure:

• Decrease your stress levels- this may mean making changes to your lifestyle or work situation or incorporating some mindfulness practices, warm, soothing baths, or pet therapy into your day.
• Maintain a healthy weight gain during the pregnancy. For a normal BMI at the start of the pregnancy, this means gaining 25-35lbs.
• Eat a healthy diet full of good protein, fruits and vegetables and use less salt on your food.
• Maintain what aerobic exercise you have been doing; if you currently are not exercising, consider walking for 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week to support movement, nothing strenuous; avoid strength training and weight lifting as this can increase your blood pressure

Warning signs of preeclampsia–if any of the following occur, call us immediately for evaluation (it does not mean that you have preeclampsia, but it does mean that we should check it out)

• A headache not relieved by 1000mg of tylenol
• Right upper quadrant pain (tucked under your right rib area), unrelated to your baby’s position
• Changes in your vision such as floaters, flashing lights, spots, light sensitivity