High blood pressure, or hypertension, does not usually make you feel unwell, but it can sometimes be serious in pregnancy.
Your midwife will check your blood pressure at all your antenatal (pregnancy) appointments.
If you are pregnant and have a history of high blood pressure, you should be referred to a specialist in hypertension and pregnancy to discuss the risks and benefits of treatment.
If you develop high blood pressure for the first time in pregnancy, you will be assessed in a hospital by a healthcare professional, usually a midwife, who is trained in caring for raised blood pressure in pregnancy.
What is high blood pressure
There are 3 levels of hypertension:
- mild – blood pressure between 140/90 and 149/99mmHg (millimetres of mercury); may be checked regularly but does not usually need treatment
- moderate – blood pressure between 150/100 and 159/109mmHg
- severe – blood pressure of 160/110mmHg or higher
If you are already taking medicine for high blood pressure
If you're already taking medicine to lower your blood pressure and want to try for a baby, talk to your GP or specialist first. They may want to switch you to a different medicine before you get pregnant.
If you find out you're already pregnant, tell your doctor immediately. They may need to change your medicine as soon as possible.
This is because some medicines that treat high blood pressure may not be safe to take when you're pregnant. They can reduce the blood flow to the placenta and your baby, or affect your baby in other ways.
您的怀孕预约
It's important that your antenatal team monitors you closely throughout your pregnancy to make sure your high blood pressure is not affecting the growth of your baby and to check for a condition calledpre-eclampsia. Make sure you go to all your appointments.
您的医生或助产士将测量您的血压并检查尿液中的蛋白质。怀孕20周后，可能会为您提供PLGF（胎盘生长因子）测试，以排除先兆子痫。
During the first half of pregnancy, a woman's blood pressure tends to fall. This means you may be able to come off your medicine for a while. But this should only be done under your doctor's supervision.
Things you can try yourself to reduce high blood pressure
保持活跃并每天进行一些体育锻炼，例如散步或游泳，可以帮助您保持血压处于正常范围内。吃均衡的饮食并保持盐的摄入量低可帮助降低血压。
Find out aboutexercise in pregnancy,healthy eating in pregnancy, salt in the diet and tips for cutting down on salt.
There isn't enough evidence to show that dietary supplements – such as magnesium, folic acid or fish oils – are effective at preventing high blood pressure.
Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women, typically after 20 weeks.
It is a problem with the placenta that usually causes your blood pressure to rise. If left untreated, pre-eclampsia can be dangerous for you and your baby.
Pre-eclampsia is more common if you had high blood pressure before becoming pregnant, if you had pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy, or if you have a family history of your mother or sister developing pre-eclampsia.
You can feel well if you have high blood pressure, so it is important to attend your regular check-ups to have your blood pressure and urine tested. Readmore about pre-eclampsiaandhow pre-eclampsia is treated.
Labour and birth
如果您在整个怀孕期间都要服药以控制血压，请在分娩过程中继续服用。
If you have mild or moderate hypertension, your blood pressure should be monitored hourly during labour. As long as your blood pressure remains within target levels, you should be able to have a natural vaginal birth.
如果您患有严重的高血压，则每15至30分钟的劳动将受到每15至30分钟的监测。您的医生也可能建议您使用您的宝宝使用forceps or ventouse, or bycaesarean section.
出生后，您的血压将受到监测。
If you had hypertension before you got pregnant, your treatment should be checked 2 weeks after your baby is born.
Check-ups after the birth
如果您在怀孕期间患上高血压，并且在出生后仍在服药，则应在您从医院护理到社区助产士后2周，或出生后2周，如果您有一个医生的约会家庭出生。
This is to check whether your treatment needs to be changed or stopped.
Everyone with hypertension in pregnancy should also be offered an appointment with a GP or specialist 6 to 8 weeks after their baby is born.
This appointment is to check your blood pressure, and is separate from your 6-week postnatal check.
哺乳
You should be able to breastfeed if you need to take hypertension medicine. Your treatment can be changed if needed, in agreement with your doctor.
Hypertension medicines can pass into breast milk. Most lead to very low levels in breast milk, and the amount taken in by babies is very small.
Most medicines are not tested during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Disclaimers or warnings in the manufacturer's information are not because of specific safety concerns or evidence of harm.
Find out about specific网站上的药物和怀孕（在怀孕中最好使用药物）.
Talk to your midwife or doctor about breastfeeding if you're taking medicine.