HealthInfo Canterbury
It's important to monitor your blood pressure during pregnancy.
Some women develop high blood pressure (hypertension) when they're pregnant and may need treatment. Other women may have high blood pressure before becoming pregnant and may need changes to their medication.
All women with high blood pressure in pregnancy need close monitoring. Sometimes, high blood pressure in pregnancy can be part of a serious pregnancy condition called pre-eclampsia.
As well as high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia can cause you to lose protein through your urine (proteinuria). Severe pre-eclampsia can affect your kidneys, brain, liver, blood clotting system and placenta.
With pre-eclampsia you can have:
Get immediate medical advice if you develop any of these symptoms during your pregnancy.
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Explains pre-eclampsia and what warning signs you may notice.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
Detailed information about high blood pressure in pregnancy, including why it's a problem and how it's treated.
Detailed information about pre-eclampsia, including its symptoms and how it's treated.
Information about pre-eclampsia, who gets it, how it might affect your baby, and how it's treated.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed December 2021.
Review key: HIHCP-311277