High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy (Cont.)

Diagnosing High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy

High blood pressure in pregnancy is diagnosed after taking several readings to find the average blood pressure. To do this, your blood pressure needs to be taken two or more times, and each reading must be from a different day.
 
If the average of the two blood pressure numbers is greater than 140/90, then a pregnant woman has high blood pressure -- just like women who are not pregnant. A woman is also considered to have high blood pressure in pregnancy if the systolic blood pressure increases more than 30 mmHg or the diastolic blood pressure increases more than 15 mmHg.
 
A single reading that is more than 140/90 doesn't necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure, but your doctor will probably want to monitor it over a period of time to see if it stays there. You can also have high blood pressure if the average of only one of the numbers (systolic or diastolic) is too high.
 

Treating High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy

The treatment recommended for high blood pressure in pregnancy will depend on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Type of high blood pressure
  • At what week in pregnancy the high blood pressure is diagnosed
  • The woman's age
  • Other medical conditions.
     
Some treatment options may include:
 
  • Observation
  • Bed rest
  • Medications
  • No-salt-added diet
  • More frequent prenatal visits
  • Early delivery (after 36 weeks).
     
(High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD