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HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini

High blood pressure & pre-eclampsia in pregnancy

Taukapa teitei o te toto me pokenga whēkau ki te hapūtanga

It is important to monitor your blood pressure during your pregnancy.

Some women develop high blood pressure (hypertension) when they are 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.

Symptoms of pre-eclampsia

High blood pressure on its own does not usually cause any symptoms.

With pre-eclampsia you can have:

Important

Get immediate medical advice if you develop any of these symptoms during your pregnancy.

Diagnosing pre-eclampsia

Your midwife or lead maternity carer (LMC) will check your blood pressure. They will also check your urine for protein and arrange blood tests if needed.

Treating pre-eclampsia

Your treatment will depend on how severe your high blood pressure is, whether you have pre-eclampsia and how far along you are in your pregnancy.

You may need medication to lower your blood pressure.

If you develop pre-eclampsia, you will need close monitoring to protect you and your pēpi (baby).

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Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2024.

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