High blood pressure

High blood pressure and pregnancy can be a dangerous combination If you have high blood pressure and are thinking about getting pregnant make sure you check in with your doctor Youll want to do everything possible to keep you and baby safe High blood pressure is a problem even when youre not pregnant If not treated it increases your risk of heart attack and stroke It can also cause problems with your kidneys and your vision High blood pressure wont usually affect your ability to conceive However once you become pregnant high blood pressure brings a new set of risks It can reduce the blood flow to the placenta The placenta is the babys connection to your own body allowing oxygen and nutrients to pass from you to him her Without proper blood flow the placenta doesnt work right and your baby cant grow properly Another risk from high blood pressure is placental abruption Normally the placenta is attached to the wall of your uterus until the baby is born If it detaches too early which is called abruption you can have severe bleeding into the uterus This is dangerous for both you and the baby High blood pressure can also increase the chance of your baby being premature If you normally control your high blood pressure with diet and exercise following the same routine may be all you need to do Check with your doctor to find out if your exercises are safe for the baby or if theres a time in pregnancy when you should stop Some blood pressure medications are considered safe to use during pregnancy but some are not If your high blood pressure is mild your doctor may have you stop taking medicine altogether Most women experience a drop in blood pressure during the first half of pregnancy Its possible that your blood pressure will be normal during that time Later on close monitoring will help you know if treatment is needed

Doctors dont know if any blood pressure medicines are 100% safe during pregnancy but some are safer than others Methyldopa Brand name Aldomet is often used for the combination of chronic high blood pressure and pregnancy The FDA rates it as usually safe in pregnancy Side effects include dry mouth and sleepiness Serious adverse effects include liver problems Pindolol Brand name Visken This medicine is a type of betablocker Many betablockers are not used in pregnancy because they are thought to cause mild fetal growth restriction Pindolol seems to have a lower risk of causing this problem although doctors cant say for sure Its also rated usually safe by the FDANifedipine Brand names Adalat and Procardia This is a type of calcium channel blocker The FDA says that safety during pregnancy has not been established which simply means that it hasnt been thoroughly studied Many doctors feel that its safe your own doctor can help you make the decision

Angiotensinconverting enzyme ACE inhibitors Brand names Vasotec Prinivil and Altace ACE inhibitors should not be used during pregnancy They can cause the babys kidneys to develop improperly and even lead to fetal death Angiotensin II receptor blockers are another type of medicine that work in a similar way They should be avoided during pregnancy too

Early in your pregnancy your doctor will do some routine tests to check for anemia and other problems For women with high blood pressure these tests should always include a urine test for protein and a blood test for liver function This is because preeclampsia a dangerous condition that can develop during pregnancy involves high blood pressure protein in the urine and sometimes liver problems The high blood pressure in preeclampsia has a different cause than chronic high blood pressure and it can signal immediate danger If your blood pressure goes up during your pregnancy your doctor will need to know if its just your usual high blood pressure or a sign of preeclampsia .