6. Entering Pregnancy with High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the amount of force
exerted by blood against arterial walls. If you’ve had high blood
pressure before pregnancy, you have chronic hypertension. Your condition will not go away during pregnancy and must be controlled to avoid problems.
If you have chronic high blood pressure,
you have a greater chance of having complications during pregnancy. Baby
may be low birthweight and/or premature.
If your blood pressure is high when you
get pregnant, you may have more ultrasounds to monitor baby’s growth.
You may want to purchase a blood-pressure monitor to use at home so you
can check your pressure any time.
Tip for Week 12
If you have diarrhea that doesn’t go
away in 24 hours or it keeps returning, call your healthcare provider.
Be sure to drink lots of water and/or hydrating fluids, such as
Gatorade. Eat bland foods, such as rice, toast and bananas. Don’t use
any medicines without your healthcare provider’s OK.
Most blood-pressure medications are safe to use during pregnancy. However, ACE inhibitors should be avoided.
7. Physical Injury during Pregnancy
Physical injury occurs in 6 to 7% of all
pregnancies. Accidents involving motor vehicles account for 65% of these
cases; falls and assaults account for the remaining 35%. More than 90%
of these are minor injuries.
If you experience any injury, you may be
taken care of by emergency-medicine personnel, trauma surgeons, general
surgeons and your obstetrician. Most experts recommend observing a
pregnant woman for a few hours after an accident to provide adequate
time to monitor the baby. Longer monitoring may be necessary in a more
serious accident.
It’s important to take care during
pregnancy so you don’t get hurt. There are many ways to do this; it just
takes practice and awareness. Use the tips below.
If You Have Psoriasis
We know over half of all women with
psoriasis find their skin condition improves during pregnancy. This
improvement may be due to increased estrogen levels. Treatment for
psoriasis during pregnancy may include moisturizers or topical steroids;
both are safe to use. Treatment for psoriasis in pregnancy must be very
individualized.
• Keep your eyes open, and pay attention to your surroundings.
• Slow down. Don’t be in a rush to
get someplace—that’s how many accidents occur, whether you’re walking,
driving or just making your way.
• Don’t try to do too much—it can divert your attention from safety.
• Wear clothes and shoes that are comfortable and
safe. Avoid long skirts that can trip you, carry a smaller purse, put
away high heels and opt for comfortable shoes. During pregnancy, comfort
and safety can go hand in hand.
• Use handrails when available, such as on stairs, escalators, buses and other places.
• Wear your seat belt every time you ride in a car.
8. Your Nutrition
Some women don’t understand the concept of increasing their caloric intake during pregnancy. Don’t fall into this trap!
It’s unhealthy for you and baby if you
gain too much weight, especially early in pregnancy. It makes carrying
your baby more uncomfortable, and delivery may be more difficult. It may
also be hard to shed the extra pounds after pregnancy.
Chew each mouthful of food for 10 seconds to break down food. It makes it easier for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals.
After baby’s
birth, most women are anxious to return to “normal” clothes and to look
the way they did before pregnancy. Having to deal with extra weight can
interfere with reaching this goal.
9. Junk Food
Is junk food your kind of food? Do you eat it several times a day? Pregnancy is the time to break that habit!
Snack foods account for nearly 20% of the
average American’s daily calorie intake. Now that you’re pregnant, you
may need to do away with junk food. What you eat affects someone besides
just yourself—your growing baby. If you’re used to skipping breakfast,
getting something “from a machine” for lunch, then eating dinner at a
fast-food restaurant, it doesn’t help your pregnancy.
What and when you eat become more
important when you realize how your actions affect your baby. Good
nutrition takes planning on your part, but you can do it. Avoid foods
that contain a lot of sugar and/or fat. Choose healthful alternatives.
If you work, take healthy foods with you for lunches and snacks. Stay
away from fast food and junk food.
