Hypertension in pregnancy

High blood pressure is, unfortunately, not uncommon during pregnancy. You do not have to have a family history of hypertension to have an elevated blood pressure when you are expecting a baby. When your blood pressure is slightly elevated, and stays constant throughout your pregnancy, this does not have to be a cause for concern but it is certainly something to be monitored. A steady rise in your blood pressure after the 28th week of pregnancy may indicate preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy. Thankfully, there are some things you can do at home to fight hypertension in pregnancy.

To prevent an elevated blood pressure, steering clear from stimulants like coffee, coca cola, and highly spiced foods is recommended. Exercising regularly also helps you stay healthy and is said to prevent gestational hypertension. Meditation and prenatal yoga work well for some women. And herbalists or naturopaths often advise their patients to use nettle leaf tea regularly. When you already have gestational or chronic hypertension, garlic, onions, and parsley can be useful in stabilizing the blood pressure. Raw garlic is the most effective, but it is also possible to buy garlic tablets online or from health foods stores. Cucumbers are a food that can also help lower your blood pressure let's hope you crave them in pregnancy, because experts on natural treatments say that one whole cucumber is recommended for optimal effect!

Passionflower tincture (that means, an alcohol-based infusion) can be taken under the tongue to reduce the blood pressure of pregnant women. If you are uncomfortable using any type of alcohol while you are expecting, but still want to benefit from passionflower, some midwives also advise taking capsules. Like with garlic tablets, these can be obtained commercially, most easily on the internet. Whatever you do at home, hypertension in pregnancy should be taken seriously, and you should see your healthcare provider regularly. For more information about preeclampsia (of which high blood pressure is a symptom), see preeclampsia treatment and prevention.