Why does blood pressure drop during pregnancy and why is it dangerous. Low blood pressure and high pulse. Medical treatment of hypotension

19.06.2019

Control over pressure indicators during pregnancy is not a whim, but a real necessity. Its sharp decrease (hypotension) can have a negative impact on the course of pregnancy and fetal development.

Often it is low blood pressure during pregnancy, dizziness, fainting that help you suspect your interesting situation, but this is not the norm and can cause a lot of inconvenience.

Let's figure out how to cope with low blood pressure for an expectant mother.

Causes of hypotension during pregnancy

One of the most common causes of low blood pressure during pregnancy is considered to be hormonal changes due to the birth of a new life. Your body is in a kind of stress, there are strong changes inside the whole body.

Additional factors affecting the occurrence of low blood pressure during pregnancy are:

emotional overstrain, stress;
non-compliance with the regime of the day and nutrition;
lack of sleep;
unbalanced drinking regime.

In addition to purely physiological reasons, your overall health can also affect the manifestation of low rates.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy is often only a consequence of a malfunction in the functioning of the body or is a consequence of an illness. Such problems include:

pathology of the endocrine or cardiovascular systems;
dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract;
diseases of the kidneys, adrenal glands;
infectious diseases.

Note! Hypotension can be the result of prolonged exposure to the sun or in a stuffy room, changing weather conditions, or standing on your feet for a long time.

How low blood pressure affects the expectant mother and child

Pregnant women should be clear about the dangers of low blood pressure during pregnancy. Jumps in indicators pose a threat at any age and condition, let alone a future mother.

Doctors are sure that hypotension during pregnancy cannot be ignored. Otherwise, low numbers of the tonometer can provoke a deterioration in the condition of the expectant mother or fetus.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy in the 1st trimester is very common (read the article 1st trimester of pregnancy >>>);

A new, unusual state for the body, often accompanied by toxicosis and vomiting, contributes to changes in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Usually, low blood pressure in early pregnancy is caused by a rise in the hormone progesterone, which causes blood vessels to vibrate.

Important! For a very tiny creature in the mother's womb, such jumps are very dangerous.

It has been proven that pregnant women with consistently low blood pressure have a significantly increased risk of spontaneous abortion or miscarriage.

The lowest limit of blood pressure is 90/60. If the tonometer recorded lower readings, the pregnant woman will have to take medications in order to eliminate hypotension.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester is less common than in the first months. The level of progesterone decreases, the pressure returns to normal. The optimal indicators are 100/60 (lower limit) and 140/90 (upper limit);

Low blood pressure after the 12th week of pregnancy usually causes a deterioration in the general condition of a woman.

This situation can lead to an insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the embryo. All this can adversely affect the development of the fetus.

In the second trimester of pregnancy, you can use the tips from the course on preparing for childbirth to normalize the pressure Five steps to a successful childbirth >>>

They will help not only keep the vessels in good shape, but you will also perfectly prepare your body and respiratory system for the upcoming labor load.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester is relatively rare compared to the first two periods.

At this time, the indicators of the tonometer often grow, because you are gaining weight, in addition, the volume of blood processed by the heart increases.

The minimum and maximum pressure indicators during this period of pregnancy are the same as in the previous trimester.

Important! In late pregnancy, reduced pressure can cause a violation of the contractile functions of the uterus.

This can lead to complications in childbirth or to prolonged and heavy bleeding after them. Often, pregnant women with hypotension have weak labor activity, which leads to the need for stimulation or caesarean section.

What to do when pregnant with low blood pressure

So, you have low blood pressure during pregnancy - what to do in such a situation?

If your blood pressure monitor during this period showed atypical numbers of 90/60 and below, but at the same time, the general state of health is normal - you should not panic and be too nervous. However, it is still necessary to increase the indicators in order to avoid the alarming symptoms that accompany hypotension.

How to raise blood pressure during pregnancy, general recommendations:

Review sleep and rest patterns;

Perhaps you are not getting enough sleep, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure. Get more sleep (10-12 hours, but not less than 9). Try to find time for daytime rest.

Leisurely walking helps to improve well-being;

But you should not go out unaccompanied if during pregnancy you notice a tendency to faint or dizziness.

With hypotension, expectant mothers are often prescribed physiotherapy: massage, swimming pool, therapeutic exercises;
If the decrease in pressure is accompanied by a deterioration in well-being, put aside everything and sleep for an hour in a ventilated room with the curtains drawn. Legs can be placed on a raised platform;
Plan your food system.

Expectant mothers are recommended to eat 5-6 times a day, paying attention to foods containing protein. In sufficient quantities, it is found in cottage cheese, lean meat, fish, kefir. Do not forget about the complex carbohydrates present in vegetables, berries, cereals.

By the way! A cup of well-brewed tea with sugar will help to increase the pressure that has fallen sharply during pregnancy.

This remedy is also relevant in cases where the head hurts with low pressure during pregnancy. It is also acceptable to eat some dark natural chocolate (it is often not worth resorting to this method).

Blood pressure on the walls of blood vessels - blood pressure is a very informative indicator during pregnancy. It is no coincidence that it is measured at every scheduled visit to the doctor.

Most of the anxiety in pregnant women is caused by high and high blood pressure, since everyone has heard about its dangers. Low pressure is somewhat underestimated, and this is a big mistake. What is dangerous low pressure and what to do to increase it, we will tell in this article.

What it is?

The abbreviation AD or AD refers to blood pressure - the pressure of blood on the walls of blood vessels from the inside. Everyone knows that when measuring pressure, the doctor indicates two numerical values.

One of them speaks of pressure at the moment of tension of the muscles of the heart when pushing out blood. It is called systolic. This is the maximum pressure on the walls of blood vessels.

The second, which is indicated through a dash, is diastolic pressure, which indicates the degree of influence of blood flow on the walls of blood vessels at the moment of relaxation of the heart muscle. This is the minimum pressure. This is how everyone knows the fraction - 110/60 or 130/80.

Low blood pressure is called hypotension. By itself, hypotension during pregnancy is much less common than hypertension - a condition when the pressure is elevated. But even lowered blood pressure values can deliver a lot of discomfort and anxiety to a woman.

Hypotension is acute and chronic. An acute illness in all cases without exception is associated with a complication of internal diseases and malfunctions in the most important systems - cardiovascular, circulatory, excretory.

Chronic hypotensive patients do not suffer from concomitant diseases and sometimes do not feel any signs of low blood pressure at all, because that their blood pressure regulation system itself is disrupted, for many - from birth, and therefore for them this is the norm.

Norms

Before talking about a decrease or increase in pressure during pregnancy, a woman should remember what kind of pressure is typical for her in everyday life, because pregnancy is stress for the whole body, and the concept of norms is somewhat different here.

If the expectant mother has always had a pressure of 90/60, and at the same time she feels great, does not complain about anything, you should not expect anything else during pregnancy. This is the norm for this particular woman.

If a woman's blood pressure is 130/80, then the tonometer readings, which say that she has 90/60, is an alarming symptom that requires an immediate response from the doctor. In this way, pressure standards are somewhat relative.

Blood pressure is considered the absolute average in medicine. at the level of 120/80. Fluctuations within 15 millimeters of mercury are allowed for the upper value, systolic, and fluctuations within 10 millimeters of mercury for the lower value, diastolic.

Low pressure is considered less than 90/60, low - less than 110/70.

Only the lower indicator can be reduced with a normal upper one, low diastolic pressure is a rather alarming sign if the upper numerical value (systolic) is normal. In a fraction, this can be expressed as 120/60 or 130/65.

Reasons for pressure drop

A variety of reasons, both painful and completely natural, can cause a drop in blood pressure during pregnancy, because the body of the expectant mother is undergoing significant changes.

Physiological

Almost immediately after the follicle bursts and the egg, ready for fertilization, comes out, a large amount of progesterone begins to be produced in the woman's body, whose task is to prepare the lining of the uterus for the upcoming implantation and create all the conditions for the baby to develop.

If pregnancy occurs, then the amount of progesterone increases even more, it suppresses maternal immunity so that it does not reject the embryo. Side effects of this hormone are nervous excitability, psychological instability, and relaxation of blood vessels.

Nature has provided for everything to the smallest detail. If the pressure in the relaxed vessels is less, then less load will fall on the vessels that are formed for the first time and again.

These vessels include the vessels of embryological structures, the placenta. In this way, a decrease in pressure in the 1st trimester is a normal phenomenon, it should not cause any unrest and anxiety. On average, it decreases by 10-15 millimeters of mercury. Somewhat lowered within the normal range, the pressure may remain during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy.

By week 28, the volume of blood in the body of a pregnant woman increases significantly, which leads to a physiological increase in pressure. In many women who have been worried about lowering blood pressure earlier in pregnancy, at this time the blood pressure level returns to their normal values that this woman had before pregnancy.

Normal pressure drops in the 3rd trimester are usually not observed, if this happens, then you should look for a reason that is far from the physiological natural processes in the mother's body.

Physiological hypotension is characteristic of women, for whom strong physical activity is habitual, for example, professional athletes, women living in high mountain regions, as well as in tropical and subtropical climates or working in a hot shop, and also if their activities involve prolonged sitting in one place.

The widespread belief that young thin girls all have physiologically low blood pressure is wrong. And after 35 years, a rather overweight woman can have natural hypotension if there are genetic prerequisites for this. And a thin pregnant woman at the age of 20 can suffer from high blood pressure. The physique in the case of low blood pressure does not play a big role.

Pathological

Low blood pressure can be a symptom of an illness. Unlike physiological hypotension, which does not cause any complaints in the fair sex, pathological causes often cannot go unnoticed. The most common of them are:

heart failure;
reduced tone of blood vessels, caused, in particular, by anaphylactic or septic shock;
a significant decrease in blood volume (after bleeding, after burns and injuries, after surgical operations);
previous injuries of the brain and spinal cord;
violation of the work of important glands - in particular, the thyroid;

neurosis, prolonged stress, psychological distress;
mental disorders associated with panic attacks;
dehydration (for example, with vomiting associated with toxicosis);
malnutrition, lack of sleep.

Symptoms

A slight decrease in pressure may not cause any symptoms. But a deviation from normal values by more than 15 millimeters of mercury is most often already quite well felt by the expectant mother.

The most common signs of hypotension are:

headache, which is in the nature of "dull" and aching, localized mainly in the frontotemporal lobe;
severe weakness, which sometimes "rolls" unexpectedly;
almost constant drowsiness;
increased irritability, emotional swings;
increased meteosensitivity, dependence of the state on the weather;

absent-mindedness, noticeable memory impairment;
profuse sweating;
partial violations of thermoregulation - a woman, even in hot weather, may have cold hands and feet;
the appearance of shortness of breath and high heart rate even with little physical exertion;
the skin of a pregnant woman becomes pale when the pressure drops;
bouts of nausea, and sometimes vomiting;
dizziness, especially when trying to stand up abruptly or bend down;
fainting.

A pregnant woman with low blood pressure can faint at any moment, especially if she is in a stuffy room. Traveling on public transport during rush hour becomes the most dangerous, especially if the expectant mother has to stand while the traffic is moving.

It is difficult for a hypotensive pregnant woman to get up in the morning, even if she slept well all night. By the way, they need more sleep than other people. If an adult needs 8 hours a day for good sleep, then a pregnant woman with low blood pressure needs at least 10-12 hours to rest and feel better.

In the early and late periods, low blood pressure enhances the manifestations of toxicosis.

If blood pressure drops sharply in the third trimester, a woman may need early delivery.

Danger

High blood pressure in pregnant women is considered dangerous. But low, and even just low, are quite dangerous. At low pressure, blood flows to all organs more slowly, sometimes in insufficient quantities. As a result, the child receives less oxygen, which is so necessary for normal growth and development.

The woman herself may also experience oxygen starvation. The development of cerebral hypoxia is especially dangerous.

Such a slow blood supply is also dangerous in the birth process. Hypotensive women are more likely to develop primary weakness of tribal forces, contractions stop, which is fraught with fetal death, acute hypoxia. 95% of these situations end in an emergency caesarean section.

After childbirth, such women in labor have a slower uterine contraction, there is a real risk of bleeding. Children who have experienced oxygen deficiency in utero for quite a long time are born weaker, sometimes with insufficient weight, and in their subsequent development there may be lags in physical and mental parameters.

A sharp drop in blood pressure in the second and third trimesters is dangerous with sudden fainting, during which a woman may fall unsuccessfully, the child may die from injuries.

Shortly before childbirth, hypotension can cause the onset of premature placental abruption, which also poses a real threat to the life of the baby and his mother.

Treatment

A slight decrease in blood pressure in pregnant women does not require special treatment; general recommendations for changing the regimen of the day, work and nutrition will be quite sufficient. However, in cases of a pathological sharp decrease, the expectant mother will be prescribed a complex treatment, which will include folk remedies, and maybe even medicines.

Prescribing treatment for hypotension to women in an “interesting position” is a daunting task. Almost all medicines that are designed to increase blood pressure are undesirable for pregnant women. Their action is based on the narrowing of the lumen of the vessels, and this is extremely dangerous for the baby, which grows under the mother's heart.

Vasoconstriction when using medications occurs not only in the mother's body, but also in the mother-placenta-fetus system, as a result of which the child does not receive the right amount of maternal blood enriched with oxygen and useful substances.

Therefore, in the correction of pressure in hypotensive patients in a state of pregnancy, they try to do without pills and injections, if there are no vital indications.

General advice comes first, which the expectant mother will have to strictly follow.

A woman with low blood pressure should sleep for at least 10-12 hours. If the opportunity allows, then you should also find time during the day to take a nap for an hour or two, or simply lie down in a horizontal position with your legs up.

You can throw your legs on the back of the sofa or put rollers, ottomans, large pillows or blankets rolled into a roll under your shins. Women with low blood pressure have difficulty falling asleep and waking up, so it is best to try to go to bed earlier and wake up early, not forgetting the daily requirement of 10-12 hours.

During a night's sleep, it is better to leave an open window or balcony door, if the season allows. A constant supply of oxygen will reduce the likelihood of a sudden nighttime drop in pressure.

Such situations happen quite often when a hypotensive pregnant woman sleeps on her back, and the fetus presses on the inferior vena cava. For sleep, you can choose a high pillow, under your feet you should also put a roller from a blanket or an ottoman.

In the morning, a woman should not quickly get out of bed. A sudden rise can cause an attack of dizziness and fainting.

You should also avoid sharp inclinations, changes in body position in space.

During the performance of gymnastics, which is desirable for all ladies in an “interesting position”, those that are associated with torso tilts forward and to the sides, as well as down, should be excluded from the set of exercises.

The advice to keep your legs elevated often is very important. After all, when a woman takes this position, the blood from the lower extremities goes into the abdominal cavity, the pressure rises a little, and the state of health improves.

By the way, this position is an excellent method of preventing varicose veins in pregnant women. For some stabilization of blood pressure in a big way, you can try to wear massage anti-varicose stockings.

Most gynecologists fully approve of this “fashion” for pregnant women with low blood pressure.

Increased physical activity during childbearing is canceled, but with hypotension, long walks in the fresh air are desirable, as well as activities such as fitball exercises and swimming. Such exercises will help improve the tone of the vascular system.

Very useful contrast shower, it allows you to quickly and practically safely raise the level of blood pressure. When practicing this method, you should definitely check with your doctor if you are in danger of terminating the pregnancy, since the contrast between cold and warm water can cause a sudden contraction of the uterine muscles.

The main safety rules are not to make the water too cold or too hot. Let the contrast be softer, and it will be possible to use more radical changes in temperature after childbirth in order to quickly get into good physical shape.

Pregnant women with low blood pressure stress and anxiety are strictly prohibited. It is they who often act as the starting mechanism for a sharp jump in blood pressure down.

It is advisable to control the pressure on your own, measuring it twice a day (morning and evening) with a tonometer at home. The pressure should be measured on both hands. Modern devices eliminate the need for an assistant, the expectant mother can easily cope with this task herself.

The obtained values \u200b\u200bmust be recorded in a special notebook in order to show the dynamics of one's own condition to the doctor at the next appointment in the antenatal clinic.

Food

Nutrition with a decrease in blood pressure during pregnancy should be sufficient, you should not starve yourself and torment yourself with special fashionable diets for expectant mothers. The only thing you should limit yourself to is salt.

Many believe that since it is forbidden by doctors with high blood pressure, that it can also increase it if necessary, and begin to lean on pickles and dried fish. This tactic is erroneous, since the abundance of salt only exacerbates the unenviable situation created by low pressure - swelling begins. A pregnant woman needs no more than 5-6 grams of salt per day.

With bouts of nausea caused by low blood pressure, the expectant mother can fight with the help of unsweetened crackers, crackers. They will also make it easier to wake up in the morning if a few pieces are on the bedside table.

Ordinary drinking water will help raise the pressure. The more it is drunk, the greater will be the volume of blood circulating in the body. True, do not forget about the likelihood of "earning" edema, and the daily amount of fluid should be discussed with your doctor. Usually it does not exceed 2 liters.

Foods that increase blood pressure should be included in the diet every day as far as possible. It:

strawberry;
raspberry;
black currant;
celery root;
cottage cheese;
meat;
fish;
seafood;
cereals - buckwheat, corn, oatmeal;
apricots;
dogwood;
liver;
onion;
walnuts;
various types of cheese.

Particular attention should be paid to protein foods. It should be in sufficient quantity.

Regarding coffee, without which people with low blood pressure cannot imagine a normal existence, you should consult a doctor during pregnancy.

If low blood pressure is not caused by problems with the heart and endocrine system, if there are no other pathologies besides low blood pressure, the doctor may well allow the expectant mother to occasionally drink a cup of weak and additionally diluted with milk coffee or coffee drink. It is usually recommended to do this when the next episode of decline occurs.

Folk remedies

Due to the almost complete impossibility of treating a pregnant woman with medicines that are simple and understandable to doctors, gynecologists often approve of traditional medicine.

The only condition is be sure to tell the doctor about your desire to use precisely such methods in the correction of blood pressure. An experienced doctor will not only discuss them with the expectant mother, but will also suggest a couple of time-tested alternative medicine recipes.

Here are just a few of the remedies used - Rhodiola rosea (not a tincture, but a golden root herb), sour (aka hare cabbage). Both plants should be brewed as a weak decoction only with the permission of a doctor. Despite the absence of obvious contraindications for pregnant women, these medicinal plants have a rather impressive list of side effects.

Cooking homemade fruit drinks from raspberries and blackcurrants is considered safe enough. However, cranberries and lingonberries should be avoided in cravings for natural vitamins. These berries reduce pressure, but this should not be allowed.

Medical treatment

As already mentioned, the choice of medication is the doctor's task, and it does not fall into the category of easily solved. The drug method of raising pressure is an emergency measure that is needed only in case of a sharp and severe drop in blood pressure, fainting.

In this condition, women usually try to be hospitalized in order to be treated in a hospital setting. The following drugs are sometimes used:

"Pantokrin". This drug, based on the extract of reindeer antlers, effectively increases blood pressure by stimulating the central nervous system, increasing vascular tone. The drug is not contraindicated in pregnant women, although special instructions state that it is not worth prescribing it to expectant mothers due to the lack of sufficient and convincing clinical trials in this group of patients. However, the medicine is actually prescribed, and used, however, under the supervision of a doctor.

"Dipyridamole". This medicine, the main active ingredient of which is the substance of the same name, improves blood microcirculation, increases the rate of coronary blood flow. In the first trimester, the use of the drug is impractical, but in the second and third trimesters, the drug can be prescribed, if necessary. There are other drugs, but their use is carried out only stationary.

Physiotherapy

If necessary, the doctor may prescribe to a pregnant woman, in addition to correcting the diet and daily routine, physiotherapy. Electrosleep, balneotherapy, electrophoresis are considered the most effective during pregnancy. With the direction of a doctor, such procedures can be obtained at the clinic at the place of residence or at a private clinic that has its own physiotherapy room.

Prevention of hypotension

It is wiser to start dealing with issues of preventing hypotension during pregnancy even before it occurs, at the planning stage.

By the time of registration at the dispensary in the antenatal clinic, a woman should be well aware of whether it is characterized by low blood pressure, and under what circumstances it usually goes down. To do this, it is first advisable to visit a therapist, and, if necessary, a cardiologist.

If there is a tendency to lower blood pressure, it is imperative to warn the gynecologist about this, who will observe such a pregnant woman more carefully. Without waiting for the blood pressure level to make its first jump down, a woman should stick to important rules that will reduce the likelihood of complications to a minimum:

sleep enough time, at least 10 hours per night;
eat fully, do not overeat, but also do not deny yourself food, especially protein;
walk more often in the fresh air, do feasible gymnastics, go swimming, if possible and there are no contraindications from the obstetrician-gynecologist;

do not take any medications without consulting a doctor; many medications lower blood pressure as a side effect;
do not ignore the symptoms of deterioration, if characteristic signs of hypotension appear, an unscheduled visit to the attending physician should be made. You should not be afraid of immediate hospitalization; with low blood pressure, women are sent to the hospital much less often than pregnant women with high blood pressure.

Consultation is necessary in order not to lose precious time if the situation requires immediate assistance.

All about the hypotension of pregnant women will tell the doctor in the next video.

Low blood pressure or arterial hypotension in the 1st trimester of pregnancy is a condition in which a woman feels weak, dizzy, and drowsy. Reduced pressure does not allow oxygen and useful substances to enter the cells of the body normally.

It is generally accepted that if the blood pressure is below 100/60, then there is a violation of vascular tone or hypotension on the face. But not always such figures indicate the presence of pathology. Many women, even with reduced pressure, feel good and do not make any complaints.

Hypotension can indicate the presence of a disease, such as stomach ulcers, allergies, infectious diseases, etc., and also be an independent disease.

The main cause of low blood pressure in the expectant mother is hormonal changes. The 1st trimester of pregnancy is characterized by malaise,. A woman is able to suffer from odors, she is sick (signs).

Emotional overstrain, overwork can also provoke a decrease in blood pressure. Often, pathologies are affected by those who previously had a tendency to hypotension.

In addition, low blood pressure can cause:

poor nutrition
taking a hot bath
staying in a stuffy room
cold with high fever

signs

Low blood pressure during pregnancy is manifested not only by dizziness and weakness, but also by ringing in the ears, darkening of the eyes, loss of consciousness. If these symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. As a result of measuring the blood pressure of a pregnant woman, he will be able to establish a diagnosis.

Possible Complications

For a future mother suffering from arterial hypotension, there is a risk of such complications:

preeclampsia, when edema appears, protein in the urine, blood pressure rises
early toxicosis
spontaneous abortion
intrauterine growth retardation
complications of labor associated with poor uterine contraction, as well as the risk of bleeding. All this can lead to the use of a caesarean section.

What to do?

With reduced pressure, a pregnant woman should be observed not only by a gynecologist, but also by a therapist. For the treatment of pathology, it is necessary to do morning exercises daily. In addition, you need to include water procedures in the form of a contrast shower, douche, foot baths, massage in the daily routine. A woman with low blood pressure should get enough sleep. Ideally - 10-12 hours a day.

It is not recommended to take hot baths, to be in a poorly ventilated area. You can also regulate the pressure with the help of power. In the diet of a pregnant woman, it is necessary to include a variety of dishes with a sufficient amount of products necessary for the health of the mother herself and her unborn child. These include meat. It is best to drink tea not before bedtime, but only in the morning and afternoon hours.

In the treatment of arterial hypotension, pantocrine, tincture of aralia, zamanihi has proven itself well. You can also take tincture of Schisandra chinensis, ginseng.

These funds have a tonic, tonic properties. They are able to improve the general condition of a pregnant woman, increase efficiency, improve sleep. Their use does not adversely affect the development of the fetus. You need to use the described funds in courses of 2 weeks (2-3 courses for pregnancy).

Outpatient treatment involves the use of physiotherapy procedures:

ultraviolet radiation;
mezaton electrophoresis;
caffeine electrophoresis;
calcium or novocaine electrophoresis;
oxygen therapy.

Folk remedies

Treatment with folk methods includes the use of herbal remedies that can increase vascular tone and thereby improve blood flow. Juices from, pomegranate are useful. Melissa, immortelle, oregano, hop cones, motherwort and other herbs improve the functioning of the nervous system, increase blood pressure, strengthen strength.

In addition, during pregnancy in the 1st trimester, you should increase the intake of foods containing a lot of iron: carrots, spinach, sorrel, pomegranates and foods that tone the whole body: celery, cabbage, lettuce, sour apples.

With a serious attitude to health, following all the recommendations of the doctor, you can successfully cure the pathology and safely give birth to the baby on time.

The change in the hormonal background that occurs during pregnancy in a woman's body affects, among other things, the force of blood pressure on the walls of blood vessels. In the first trimester, the blood pressure of the expectant mother is usually lowered, although not necessarily. This is the norm, but there are still limits beyond which low pressure poses a threat to pregnancy, the baby and the birth process. Therefore, if you are prone to low blood pressure - be on the lookout.

Reasons for lowering blood pressure during pregnancy

As we said at the beginning of the article, the main cause of hypotension during pregnancy is a change in hormonal levels. The natural decrease in blood pressure in the first trimester has a specific function, conceived by nature: in the conditions of the formation of new vascular networks, this state is more beneficial for the body. Therefore, it is clear that hypotension in the early stages is better than hypertension.

But low blood pressure can also be a symptom of a serious illness. For example, this indicator drops with infectious diseases, allergic conditions, adrenal insufficiency, or other diseases. Therefore, it is important to tell your doctor about what you have fallen. In addition, arterial hypotension often accompanies toxicosis in early pregnancy due to constant vomiting.

Signs of low blood pressure during pregnancy

Different women experience certain signs of low pressure, but most often they accompany each other:

nausea;
weakness;
drowsiness;
fast fatiguability;
dizziness;
darkening in the eyes;
noise or ringing in the ears;
feeling of lack of air;
fainting.

Norms for reducing pressure during pregnancy

Normal blood pressure outside of pregnancy ranges from 90/60 to 140/90. For each, these are their own indicators at which a person feels good or normal. But during pregnancy, as we said, they can change in one direction or another. An acceptable fluctuation is considered to be a change in blood pressure up to 10%. If the pressure has fallen more, it should already be raised.

Many women believe that low blood pressure during pregnancy is not dangerous, if at the same time they do not pass out and can move independently. But the danger of the condition lies in the fact that with low blood pressure, blood circulates poorly to the placenta, and delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus slows down. That is, the child experiences a deficiency in them, placental insufficiency develops with all the consequences. Yes, and in the postpartum period, difficulties associated with low blood pressure may appear. Therefore, even if usually your blood pressure has always been lowered, it should not be allowed to fall strongly during the gestation period.

How to deal with low blood pressure during pregnancy?

In no case do not resort to pharmaceutical preparations to increase pressure without consulting a doctor. For example, the same Eleutherococcus increases not only blood pressure, but also tone, including the uterus. Therefore, it is better to get by with improvised means: sweet black tea with lemon, tomato juice, parsley - something helps everyone.

Some advise eating salty or drinking coffee. As you know, you need to be extremely careful with salt during pregnancy, and caffeine-containing foods and drinks (including coffee, tea, chocolate) should not be carried away. Therefore, it would be most reasonable to consult a doctor regarding any of these recommendations.

But here's what definitely won't hurt, but will only benefit a pregnant woman with hypotension - the optimal daily routine, a sufficient balanced diet, good rest,. If you have no contraindications, sign up for water aerobics or other classes for pregnant women. But never deny yourself a walk. And you will notice that it really works!

Specially for- Elena Kichak