My Pregnancy

High blood pressure and pregnancy

High blood pressure and pregnancy

If you are on antihypertensive treatment before pregnancy 

Discuss your hypertension medications before planning pregnancy or as soon as you found out you are pregnant. 

Target blood pressures during pregnancy

– Aim to keep your blood pressure as advised by your doctor. There are 2 practices.

    1- Less tight (target diastolic BP 100 mm Hg) control of hypertension. It reduces the risk of small baby.

    2- Tight (target diastolic BP 85 mm Hg) control of hypertension. It reduces the risk of maternal severe hypertension.

– There is risk of small baby if your diastolic blood pressure is consistently below 85 mmHg.

– There is marginal risk of progression to severe hypertension with less tight control of hypertension. 

– Inform your doctor if diastolic < 80 mmHg.

– If your  heart, kidney, brain, and arterial blood vessels are affected by your blood pressure then aim to keep blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.

Thresholds for starting treatment

Threshold of diagnosing hypertension is 140 or 90 mm Hg for BP measured in a healthcare setting, 135/85 for BP measured in home setting.

Thresholds for reducing or stopping treatment

– Talk to your doctor if their blood pressure falls below 130/80 mmHg, so they can reduce antihypertensive treatment.

After delivery care

– Follow up at 2 weeks to plan ongoing management.

– Check blood pressure on day 1, 2 and 4.

– After delivery aim to keep blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg.

Report your doctor urgently if you have..

– Severe headache

– Problems with vision, such as blurring or flashing of vision

– Severe pain just below the ribs

– Vomiting

– Sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet.