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.