During pregnancy, the female body experiences a double load, which often leads to a worsening of the condition, the development of diseases that the expectant mother only heard about. High blood pressure after childbirth and in the last trimester of pregnancy is the most common problem that can be resolved on its own or with the help of medication.

Norm

Blood pressure is an indicator of the health and condition of the cardiovascular system. The coefficient includes 2 indicators: upper (systolic), lower (diastolic) pressure. The first indicates the force of pressure arising from the contraction of the heart muscle. The second indicator is the pressure in the vessels with a relaxed muscle of the heart.

This coefficient is reflected in the general state of health, has an impact on the performance of internal organs. It may slightly deviate from the norm with changing weather conditions, physical activity, psycho-emotional state, against the background of exacerbation of chronic diseases of various etiologies, and other indicators.

Reasons for the increase

High blood pressure after childbirth can be the result of psychological, emotional, nervous strain. Generic activity is a difficult process that requires physical stability, mental strength. Pregnancy takes away a lot of energy from a future mother, and childbirth overloads the body, which leads to a violation of the regulatory work of the body, worsening of the general condition, and the development of hypertension.

High blood pressure after cesarean section, natural birth, during pregnancy can be a hereditary predisposition. In the early stages, expectant mothers at risk require special attention from obstetrician-gynecologists.

An increase in pressure may result from the abuse of alcohol and tobacco products during pregnancy, which exacerbates the general condition of the body weakened by pregnancy. Bad habits violate the fetal development of the fetus, lead to the appearance of abnormalities, congenital diseases.

At risk are women in labor who have not reached the age of 18 years, older than 35 years: their body is not ready for increased stress, so pregnancy can cause the development of hypertension.

Hypertension can develop in the presence of excess weight in a young mother. High body weight overloads the body, makes the organs work with a vengeance, wears it out, disrupts metabolic processes.

During the bearing of the baby, breastfeeding, the female body is completely rebuilt, there is a change in the hormonal background. Excess / lack of hormones, sudden changes lead to narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels, an increase in blood pressure.

Physical exhaustion, exacerbation of chronic pathologies, toxicosis, and other ailments experienced by the expectant mother during pregnancy can lead to impaired functioning of the cardiovascular system and the development of hypertension in the postpartum period.

Hypertension can develop due to the use of drugs with a vasoconstrictor effect and affecting the hormonal background.

High pressure after cesarean section, childbirth naturally can be the result of exacerbation of the following pathological processes:

  • diseases of the kidneys, organs of the urinary system (pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, nephroptosis, benign, malignant, cystic neoplasms);
  • dysfunctions of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, patients with diabetes are at risk;
  • neurological pathologies (depression, VVD);
  • diseases of the cardiovascular system (myocarditis, arteritis, atherosclerosis).

Causes of gestational hypertension

Gestational hypertension is a pathological process characterized by an increase in blood pressure in women, starting from the 20th week of pregnancy and after childbirth with no protein in urine.

Causes of gestational hypertension:

  1. Autoimmune reaction to the fetus, which the female body perceives as a foreign organism. At the same time, protective mechanisms are launched - the body of the future mother begins to produce antibodies that are aggressive against the fetus, aimed at its destruction. Antigens negatively affect the condition of a woman, causing hypertension, a number of other pathological processes.
  2. Women have a gene responsible for increasing blood pressure, which is inherited through the female line.
  3. Placental insufficiency leads to thinning of the vascular walls, the development of spasm, which, together with hormonal changes, leads to a significant narrowing of the lumen of the arteries, the development of hypertension.

Signs

Hypertension can be recognized by a pulsating, pressing pain syndrome that forms in the occipital and temporal regions. At the time of a sharp drop in the indicator, a pregnant woman may get dark in her eyes, dizzy. In addition, hypertension is accompanied by:

  • violation of the digestive system (nausea, vomiting);
  • pain in the heart;
  • difficulty and acceleration of breathing;
  • deterioration in general condition;
  • lethargy;
  • fatigue;
  • increased nervousness.

Complications

A complicated pregnancy can lead to serious consequences that affect the condition of the mother and the unborn child. Hypertension during gestation leads to the development of late toxicosis. Gestosis disrupts metabolic processes, reduces the flow of oxygen, nutrients from food, and retains fluid in the body. This leads to increased swelling, protein deposition in urine, inadequate nutrition of the fetus, oxygen starvation.

High pressure before childbirth is dangerous, as it leads to an increase in vascular ectopic tone, the formation of placental insufficiency. This reduces the intake of vitamins, minerals, oxygen to the fetus and leads to a delay in fetal development, the formation of congenital pathologies.

Sudden changes in pressure during childbearing are dangerous by detachment of the placenta, which, without medical assistance, can lead to spontaneous abortion, premature birth. In severe cases, hypertension can provoke convulsive seizures that are dangerous for the woman and the fetus.

Increased pressure after childbirth during pregnancy can cause deterioration in the quality of vision or its loss. Pregnant with diabetes are at risk for vision. Hypertension can trigger neurological and psychoemotional disorders, pulmonary edema.

After childbirth, pressure surges cause severe pain, worsening of the condition, which requires medical treatment. During lactation, drugs penetrate into breast milk, with which they pass to the baby with food, which is dangerous for a fragile organism.

Therefore, childbirth at high pressure is performed by the caesarean section so as not to aggravate the situation and not cause the development of complications.

Treatment

For a complete recovery of the body, a young mother needs to have a good rest, sleep well after giving birth. With a lack of sleep at night, you can compensate for it during the day.

Long walks in the fresh air will be useful. Ventilate, clean the room, provide high humidity with a humidifier.

After 2 months after giving birth, you can start light physical exercises that contribute to rapid recovery, weight loss and normalization of pressure.

After birth, it is important to eat right. Provide sufficient intake of vitamins, minerals, micro and macro elements. Limit salt intake, which leads to water retention, the development of puffiness, hypertension. Exclude fatty, canned, smoked foods, caffeine, strong tea from the diet. Diversify the diet with vegetables, fruits, cereals, lean meats. Eat small meals, but often.

Be sure to give up bad habits.

If preventive measures do not help, and the pressure rises, medication is necessary, which is prescribed only by a specialist. During lactation, it is allowed to take a small group of drugs that do not penetrate milk into the children's body. This group includes medicines:

  • to reduce pressure: calcium channel blockers, beta blockers;
  • diuretics: spironolactone, hydrochlorothiazide;
  • antidepressants;
  • sedatives: decoctions of valerian, motherwort.

During childbirth, the likelihood of pressure surges increases, therefore, pregnant women with high rates are recommended delivery by cesarean section. High pressure after cesarean section, childbirth in a natural way can lead to the development of serious complications. Depending on the indicators, preventive measures or medication prescribed by a specialist can be used.

Many future mothers in the third trimester have an increase in blood pressure. Usually, after birth, the problem goes away on its own. But this does not always happen. What can cause an increase in pressure after childbirth? How to deal with a nursing mother with a problem? Find out in detail.

About the causes of pathology after childbirth

If a woman before the onset of an “interesting situation” and during it did not suffer from hypertension, then the cause of her occurrence may be neuropsychic overstrain. After all, childbirth itself is a huge stress for the female body, which leads to a breakdown of the nervous system regulation system, especially with low physical fitness of the body. And when there are prerequisites for the development of hypertension (for example, a genetic tendency to disease), then it makes itself felt after the birth of a child. And such prerequisites can be drinking and smoking, lack of sleep for a long time, overweight.

Often the cause of high blood pressure in newly mummified mothers may be hormonal imbalances in the body. Vessels under the influence of an excess of hormones are spasmodic. Their tone rises, peripheral resistance increases. The result is a jump in blood pressure.

If the newly mummy has chronic diseases, in particular pyelonephritis, then after childbirth they can go from the stage of remission to relapse and also provoke the development of hypertension after childbirth. In addition to kidney disease, in women who have recently given birth, a prolapse of the kidneys, their tumors, renal vascular stenosis, endocrine disorders (diseases of the pituitary, adrenal gland, thyroid gland), and vegetovascular dystonia can provoke an increase in pressure. Heart and vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, heart failure, and myocarditis, also lead to an increase in blood pressure. Sometimes some drugs provoke pathology, so lactating women should carefully study the list of contraindications and side effects before starting to take the medication.

What to do with high blood pressure after childbirth

When mom is diagnosed with arterial hypertension and there is a need to take drugs that lower blood pressure, you do not need to stop breastfeeding. You just need to correctly select drugs that have a low degree of penetration into breast milk. Such drugs for breastfeeding are Verapamil, Dopegit, b-blockers.

You should know that antihypertensive drugs must be taken so that the feeding period does not coincide with the time of the maximum concentration of the drug in the mother’s blood. Experts recommend lactating women suffering from high blood pressure to take pills immediately before feeding, so that their active substances do not have time to get into the bloodstream.

Women who want to stop breastfeeding should consider that drugs that lower lactation increase blood pressure.

What will help to normalize high blood pressure after childbirth, in addition to tablets? First of all, you need to get enough sleep and relax more. It is important to avoid stress, try to give yourself positive emotions. In your free time, which you must definitely “cut out” for yourself, it is advisable to recall those hobbies and hobbies that brought joy before the birth of the baby. Rest and sleep on the restoration of the body, bringing pressure back to normal will have a beneficial effect. It is no secret that many newly-made moms take almost all the care of the baby, not trusting it to anyone. As a result, they get very tired, sleep deprived, which provokes jumps in blood pressure.

Breastfeeding experts advise nursing mothers to walk in the fresh air with crumbs for at least two hours a day. This recommendation has a positive effect on the well-being of the woman herself. And you should also avoid overeating - a typical mistake of newly minted mothers who follow the advice to eat for two. Contribute to increased blood pressure fried, salty, spicy dishes. They also need to be temporarily excluded from the diet.

High blood pressure after childbirth is common enough. However, in postpartum conditions, women rarely control it. The thoughts of a young mother are completely devoted to caring and worrying about a newborn baby. Often, she does not think about herself, and explains poor health by postpartum recovery and lack of sleep. Meanwhile, complications of arterial hypertension can occur suddenly, and in the postpartum period they are extremely difficult.

Monitoring the level of pressure in the first weeks after childbirth can ensure the absence of serious consequences for arterial hypertension.

High pressure after childbirth is the value of systolic blood pressure of 140 mm RT. Art. and above and / or diastolic - 90 mm RT. Art. and higher. The registration of such figures twice or more times may become the basis for examination and treatment.

Measure the pressure correctly

Pressure is a very variable parameter and varies throughout the day under the influence of various factors. Therefore, for its correct assessment, it is necessary to observe a number of conditions:

  • measurement should be carried out in a calm environment;
  • physical activity is excluded on the eve;
  • preferably just sit for 10-15 minutes;
  • you have to be relaxed inside;
  • do not drink coffee or a strong hour before measuring;
  • do not cross legs.

Values \u200b\u200bare evaluated on two hands simultaneously. If there is a suspicion of arterial hypertension at home, it is necessary to take pressure measurements on two hands as often as possible, recording the time and pressure measurement conditions, this will further help the doctor correctly diagnose and prescribe antihypertensive drugs.

Types of hypertension in the postpartum period

Based on whether high blood pressure was recorded before pregnancy and at specific times of gestation, several options for the course of arterial hypertension in the postpartum period can be distinguished:

  1. Chronic hypertension existing before pregnancy or occurring in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, persisting during and after pregnancy.
  2. Transient gestational hypertension, which appeared in the second half of pregnancy after 20 weeks, high blood pressure at which gradually returns to normal during the first 6 weeks.
  3. Chronic gestational hypertension that occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy and persists after childbirth for more than 6 weeks.

Arterial hypertension, which was diagnosed before pregnancy, is rather complicated. Due to the increased load on the cardiovascular system of the mother during the period of gestation, hypertension can often occur malignantly, and pressure indicators increase. The general condition of the woman and the course of the disease are often aggravated after childbirth. In addition, the situation may be complicated by the addition of gestosis in the second half of pregnancy. Such combined hypertension worsens the prognosis for maternal health in the future.

Causes and contributing factors

The cause of increased pressure in the postpartum period in women who have not previously suffered from hypertension may be the appearance or exacerbation of existing organ diseases (chronic glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, thyroid gland, etc.). Changes in the hormonal background and increased stress on the body during pregnancy and childbirth can also cause the development of arterial hypertension.

The presence of the following factors contributes to the occurrence of hypertension:

  • excess body weight before pregnancy (every 10 kg of weight can increase blood pressure by 10 mm Hg);
  • the presence of bad habits (especially smoking);
  • the use of coffee and strong tea in large quantities;
  • excessive physical activity;
  • psycho-emotional stress;
  • age over 35 years old;
  • hereditary predisposition (the presence of hypertension in direct relatives);
  • hypertension in past pregnancies;
  • severe forms of gestosis in the anamnesis.

It should be borne in mind that each subsequent pregnancy often increases the manifestation of hypertension. The course of the disease is exacerbated by pregnancy.

Characteristic symptoms

High blood pressure can manifest itself primarily as a headache of various intensities. A headache is often localized in the back of the head, begins in the morning, and intensifies with feelings and fatigue. Other symptoms may include dizziness, general weakness, fatigue, pain in the heart, flies in front of the eyes, nausea, tinnitus. Complaints associated with an increase in pressure after childbirth with pre-existing hypertension before pregnancy may intensify.

What is dangerous

Blood supply to organs and tissues worsens with high blood pressure, which leads to the development of complications. The most common among them are:

  • cerebrovascular accident, including stroke;
  • myocardial infarction;
  • heart failure;
  • pulmonary edema;
  • retinal hemorrhage;
  • decreased visual acuity;
  • other rarer effects.

The heart muscle is experiencing a large load. The heart is forced to work in an enhanced mode and is compensatingly increasing. Therefore, the most dangerous combination of hypertension and heart disease (congenital and acquired defects, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, etc.).

Bromocriptine and arterial hypertension

It is widely believed that bromocriptine is able to increase pressure after childbirth. This is not so, but a combination of this drug and high blood pressure is undesirable. Let's see why.

Bromocriptine is a drug that inhibits the secretion of prolactin in the anterior pituitary gland and thereby inhibits lactation. It has a hypotensive (lowering blood pressure) effect, causing orthostatic hypotension. However, arterial hypertension is a contraindication to taking this drug, since there have been cases of strokes and heart attacks with a combination of bromocriptine and hypertension. Given the above, it is necessary even for absolutely healthy women to control blood pressure in the first 1-2 weeks of taking bromocriptine.

What to do to normalize pressure after childbirth

The first 6 weeks after birth are key to restoring normal blood pressure.

  1. A woman needs the help of her husband and relatives.
  2. She should rest for a maximum amount of time, exclude strong physical exertion, stress, psycho-emotional stress.
  3. Since the newborn sleeps a lot in the first weeks, a woman can sleep with him both at night and during the day, in order to prevent lack of sleep.
  4. Hiking in the street is welcome.
  5. It is necessary to abandon bad habits, eat balanced. Limit salt intake to a minimum, exclude fried, smoked. There are more vegetables, fruits, products containing potassium and magnesium (bananas, dried apricots, seeds, etc.).
  6. Take vitamins and omega-3 polyunsaturated acids.
  7. If necessary, sedatives (valerian, motherwort) can be taken.

In case of persisting pressure after childbirth, the necessary treatment will be prescribed by a doctor. There is no need to stop breastfeeding during treatment. You can choose drugs with which you can continue to feed.


During the day, the pressure in a pregnant woman can drop or rise several times, but the indicator can normalize only after a medical correction. Until the increase or decrease in blood pressure is stopped, the young mother should not walk, as she may pass out due to a circulatory redistribution of blood.

Causes of high blood pressure in women after childbirth

The cause of an increase in blood pressure in a woman who gave birth, which before pregnancy and throughout it did not suffer from hypertension, may be the following etiological factors:

  • Neuropsychic overstrain.
  • Dysfunctional disorder of regulatory systems of higher centers of the nervous system.
  • Low physical fitness of the body - simply put, the woman’s body cannot cope with the burden placed on him, since childbirth is a physiological, but still a kind of stress factor, and also a very energy-intensive process for the body.
  • The cause of high blood pressure after childbirth is most likely to be the hormonal imbalance that occurs in the woman's body. An excess of steroid sex hormones affects the vessels that are spasmodic under their action (in other words, significant vasoconstriction occurs), as a result of which their tone is significantly increased, peripheral resistance (the so-called OPSS) increases significantly. The result of all these phenomena is actually an increased pressure.
  • The physiological load on the body during childbirth and during pregnancy can lead to an exacerbation of various chronic diseases that a woman suffers from, and this, in turn, can easily lead to the development of secondary hypertension after childbirth. Pathological conditions that can provoke an increase in the numbers of SBP and DBP in a young mother include the following: pathologies of the kidneys and vessels of the kidneys, various endocrine disorders, vegetovascular dystonia (neurocirculatory), organic pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, neurosis, postpartum depression, iatrogenic causes (conjugate with certain medications).


And if there are prerequisites for the development of hypertension, which do not directly determine the occurrence of the disease, but increase the likelihood of its occurrence, the disease can make itself felt. The most dangerous and prognostically unfavorable triggers are:

  • burdened heredity;
  • alcohol consumption and;
  • overweight;
  • overwork;
  • violation of sleep and wakefulness.

The likelihood of hypertension after childbirth does not depend on whether a spontaneous birth occurred or if a cesarean section (incision) took place. An increase in blood pressure and heart rate (HR) after delivery has to be noted somewhat more often if stimulation of contractile activity of the uterine myometrium was carried out. In all other cases, no correlation of probabilities was found.

What is the danger?

Despite the fact that the significant development of medicine allows to reduce the percentage of complications arising during pregnancy and subsequent childbirth, the number of cases of hypertension diagnosed during this period cannot be reduced in any way. But the whole difficulty is that even a relatively small increase in blood pressure can cause a number of serious health problems in women:

  1. High pressure due to exposure to the vessels responsible for retinal trophism can easily lead to partial or complete loss of vision - with hemorrhage, optic nerve amaurosis occurs.
  2. Often, a nursing mother against the background of a steadily elevated blood pressure has severe headaches, which are extremely undesirable to eliminate with the help of medications - this is due to the inadmissibility of the penetration of drugs into the baby’s body through breast milk when feeding.
  3. Among the complications of a serious nature caused by postpartum hypertension, doctors distinguish pulmonary edema.
  4. Yes, hypertension often provokes significant disturbances on the part of the nervous system, worsening of the psychoemotional state of a woman, but breastfeeding itself in no case is the cause of increased pressure.
  5. Do not frivolously and irresponsibly relate to such a problem as increased pressure after childbirth. A nursing mother should independently monitor the indicators of SBP and DBP. To avoid complications from the functioning of the cardiovascular system will help timely access to a doctor and the exact implementation of his recommendations.

What to do at low pressure

As it turned out, the birth that took place can provoke not only an increase, but also, and the last complication is no less unfavorable in the prognostic plan, namely:


  1. Low blood pressure causes rapid fatigue of the mother and her chronic fatigue.
  2. The mental state of a woman becomes unstable, she can flare up for any reason (even because of the vagaries of her own child) or become deeply depressed.
  3. The unstable state of the mother while breastfeeding is dangerous for both. For example, if a sudden fainting occurs, then this is fraught with falling and getting injured, both of them.

To prevent this from developing, you need to know how to safely increase blood pressure, and at the same time without risk to the baby. But before choosing a method by which you can increase pressure for a young mother, it is necessary to determine the trigger and etiotropic factors that provoked the manifested pathology (after all, their elimination will ensure the normalization of the clinic):

  1. First of all, attention is paid to the age and state of health of the mother. Unfortunately, these factors cannot be eliminated in any way, although if you establish the primary pathology, this will provide at least help in determining further tactics of management.
  2. It is possible that to normalize the pressure, a young mother will have to lose weight. Yes, it may not be possible to carry out special physical exercises after childbirth, but you can quite successfully reduce blood pressure with the help of a thought-out low-calorie diet, from which absolutely all fatty foods, even polyunsaturated fatty acids, and bakery products are completely excluded.
  3. Of great importance is the reigning moral atmosphere in the family. The woman should be surrounded by attention and care, and household chores should be taken over by the rest of the family. Having ensured this, the nursing mother will have the opportunity to devote much more time to rest and take care of herself.
  4. In other words, in order to bring pressure indicators back to normal, it will be necessary to take a number of measures aimed at etiotropic treatment (that is, to eliminate the very source of the problem, and not its symptoms).

What to do with high blood pressure after childbirth

After discharge from the maternity hospital to all mothers who have high blood pressure, the doctor will definitely give several recommendations that will need to be followed in order to alleviate the condition of the woman who gave birth and quickly recover in the postpartum period:


  1. It is necessary (if possible) to provide physical rest. Relatives are quite able to provide a complete rest and sleep to a young mother. This contributes not only to the normalization of blood pressure figures, but also to the restoration of the body as a whole.
  2. The benefits of fresh air are well known to everyone. You should spend as much time as possible on the street, and if this is impossible or difficult for one reason or another, then at least ventilate the room in which the young mother spends the most time.
  3. At first, it is strongly recommended to abandon hard physical work and various exercises (especially on the press). It is recommended to follow a low-calorie diet that excludes all "unhealthy" foods - salty, fatty foods, and coffee. It is allowed to drink herbal tea and introduce into the diet dishes enriched with vitamins C and P. It is necessary to maximize the amount of consumed fruits, vegetables, cereals and dairy products (that is, all that is rich in lactose and fiber). The proposed nutrition, among other things, will help to quickly establish breastfeeding. The multiplicity of meals should be increased to 4-5 per day, and portions, on the contrary, should be reduced.
  4. If you can’t take control of the situation in any way, it makes sense to prescribe sedatives, among which, first of all, valerian and motherwort should be noted. Their intake will not harm the body of the child who is breast-fed.
  5. If, following all the above instructions, positive dynamics do not occur, then you must consult a doctor. He will establish the cause of the deviations and prescribe drugs that are safe for the baby, which will help maintain breastfeeding. Provided that the above methods do not work out lowering blood pressure figures, you should not delay with seeking professional medical help - hypertension can be a symptom of some serious complications. A correctly selected therapeutic combination will help to recover faster after childbirth and fully enjoy the happiness of motherhood.

Conclusion

Pregnancy and childbirth can provoke an increase in pressure. Optimally selected physical activity, a correctly adjusted diet, normalization of body weight, adherence to sleep and wakefulness modes will help to cope with this problem by 80%.

The most rational approach is to look for the cause and undergo treatment under the supervision of a specialist who will select the most effective and safe therapy for a woman who is breastfeeding.

Even despite all the changes occurring in the woman’s body, after birth, the pressure should be in the normal range. Deviation in one direction or another clearly indicates a violation of the adaptive ability of the body or the development of diseases.

Unfortunately, women, due to their tiredness and employment in the postpartum period, pay attention to themselves and their health in the last turn, dealing only with the child. But it has been scientifically proven that the sooner you begin treatment of hypertension after childbirth, the more rosy forecasts can rightly be expected in the near future, and the likelihood that pressure can rise for no apparent reason can be excluded.

Women during pregnancy and after childbirth quite often face problems of their own health. So, high blood pressure after childbirth - a phenomenon not uncommon and leading to more significant problems. Doctors argue that such problems are the usual restoration of the body after stress and the influx of milk to the mammary glands - this leads to increased blood circulation, which in combination gives a similar result. But as it turns out, in reality, the indicators can exceed all the approved norms - young mothers suffer from terrible headaches, often are in a half-fainting state.

High blood pressure is known to have a greater effect on terrible headaches. But the body, as a result of increased blood flow, experiences a tremendous load - the heart, kidneys, and musculoskeletal system suffer. Such pressure leads to the development of arthritis and arthrosis, tachycardia, often women in labor experience microinfarctions that sweep "on their feet", and the development of other complications. How to behave in the postpartum period, and how to lower blood pressure at home? Answers to the questions presented will be given in the article.

High blood pressure after childbirth in women is called arterial hypertension. Often in women in labor there are changes in indicators both in one direction and in the other direction - pressure jumps due to certain reasons.

The most likely and common prerequisites include the following factors:

  • heredity;
  • the presence of bad habits;
  • excess of normal body weight;
  • overwork and lack of sleep.

The causes of increased pressure after childbirth may be associated with a more serious disease of pregnant women - gestosis. Gestosis is diagnosed during pregnancy. The disease is characterized by an increase in blood pressure, edema, toxicosis in the later stages and other symptoms.

Attention! Gestosis is a dangerous manifestation, therefore, it entails a negative impact on the development of the fetus - the fetus in the womb experiences oxygen starvation due to the increased amount of fluid in the mother’s body, and this is fraught with the development of pathologies in the child (hypoxia, asphyxia, death of brain cells or death of the child in the absence of timely medical care). As a result, doctors advise a woman to go to the clinic before delivery, which is often done by cesarean section - the reason is high blood pressure.

Often the cause of maternal hypertension is hormonal imbalance. An imbalance occurs naturally during pregnancy. After childbirth, the excess of certain hormones provokes muscle spasms, and this entails high pressure.

The reason is an exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Childbirth is stress and an enormous load on a woman’s body, so often after birth an exacerbation of chronic diseases occurs. Most exacerbations lead to the development of hypertension.

The following possible chronic diseases that provoke high blood pressure in a woman in labor are distinguished here:

  • kidney diseases - pyelonephritis, polycystosis, prolapse of the kidneys, stenosis, tumors and other pathologies;
  • endocrine disorders;
  • VVD - vegetative-vascular dystonia - lesions and disorders in the functionality of blood vessels;
  • pathology of the heart and cardiovascular system;
  • unequal disorders, postpartum depression.

If high blood pressure does not occur during an exacerbation of the disease, it can be increased as a result of taking certain medications that a woman is forced to take to relieve painful and unpleasant symptoms.

High pressure symptoms

It is important to determine what is recognized as postpartum hypertension. Each person has his “own” blood pressure at which he feels satisfactory - the doctor must know the indicators, as the woman herself speaks. During pregnancy, the future gynecologist constantly monitors the pressure for the expectant mother, fixing the indicators in the map.

Often at the beginning of pregnancy, blood pressure decreases - this is due to the restructuring of the body and its adaptation to a new state. In the future, as the fetus grows and the woman's body weight increases, the indicators increase.

This is important: There are norms for increasing indicators from the beginning to the end of pregnancy. So, the maximum permissible deviations of 15 mm. Hg. Art. in a big way. It turns out that if a woman in the first weeks of pregnancy, blood pressure indicators are fixed as 110/80 mm. Hg. Art., then in the later stages, the maximum marks can be fixed as 135/95 mm. Hg. Art. Deviations from the norms indicate the presence of pathologies of the course of pregnancy, which requires an urgent examination in a hospital, doctors also prescribe medications that reduce blood pressure.

Hypertension in a woman after childbirth is a normal occurrence, according to doctors. But right there, doctors stipulate that this can only happen within a month after delivery in the event of natural delivery. In the presence of surgical intervention, the terms can be increased up to 2 months, especially if the cesarean section was associated with the diagnosis and pathological consequences of gestosis. If blood pressure does not normalize, and especially with the progression of hypertension, you should immediately consult a doctor. Doctors will conduct a comprehensive examination and determine the cause of the adverse effects presented. Based on the results, doctors will prescribe appropriate treatment.

What to do with hypertension

Doctors say that the simple fact that hypertension after childbirth can be prevented on their own, and in case of increased pressure can be reduced by taking drugs safe for breastfeeding.

Postpartum hypertension can be prevented by the following actions of a young mother:

  • After giving birth, a woman needs to get enough sleep and rest, because during the bearing of the baby and delivery, the body underwent stress and significant overloads - it needs time to recover.
  • A young mother should walk outdoors not only for the health of the child, but also for the prevention of hypertension. Daily walks should take at least 2 hours.
  • A woman should forget about drinking alcohol and smoking - this is not only harmful for the baby, but can lead to serious postpartum complications.
  • A young mother should reduce the weight gained during pregnancy - eat in small portions, but often. Weight loss also helps prevent the development of hypertension.
  • Eating foods also provoke hypertension. A woman should give up some foods until she can normalize the pressure. Among the prohibited include fatty, fried and spicy dishes, coffee, tea, chocolate, carbonated drinks.
  • After giving birth, the young mother should devote more time to the baby, and not to restore the figure through exhausting workouts. Exercise in the first 2-3 months is prohibited, so as not to provoke serious complications, in addition to hypertension.

Practical advice: If previously a young mother loved to engage in any craft, she had a hobby, let her now return to her former pleasant moments. Hobbies and hobbies soothe a woman, so hypertension will not annoy.

Since one of the causes of hypertension is breastfeeding, most mothers stop breastfeeding to prevent the above complications. This is fundamentally wrong, since hypertension develops faster in a nursing mother, who began to take drugs to reduce, and then completely stop lactation. The process of milk production leads to a slight increase in blood pressure, while hypertension is mainly the result of more serious pathologies. Hypertension is easy to eliminate on your own, if you follow the advice of doctors and take maximum care of yourself in the postpartum period. Involve your husband and close relatives in caring for the child - it is important for a young mother to rest and get enough sleep in the first months. Otherwise, hypertension can cause the development of psychological problems, including nervous breakdowns, postpartum depression and other pathologies.