Gestational hypertension, also known as Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) affects 5 to 8% of pregnant women. It is not to be joked with as it can affect the health of the fetus and even that of the mother.
There are things you can do to maintain healthy blood pressure during pregnancy and even reduce it if it is high. This condition is preventable and easily managed if you co-operate with your doctor.
Doing these tips below will reduce your risks of preeclampsia, ecclampsia, and other dangerous complications this condition can cause to both mother and baby.
Effective Home Remedies For Gestational Hypertension
1. Increase your water intake
Water boosts healthy circulation and helps eliminate wastes. This, in turn, will take off pressure off your circulatory system and maintain a healthy blood pressure.
2. Increase your intake of proteins
High protein diet from plant and clean animal sources like free-range poultry and wild-caught fish are god for women suffering from PIH.
A balanced diet with the right amount of proteins prevents this from happening in the first place.
3. Reduce your intake of sodium
Table salt is the highest dietary source of sodium and it is present in almost every commercially produced food.
Avoid eating out and prepare your meals so you have control over what’s going into your body.
Avoid processed and canned foods, if you must use salt, use unrefined sea salt.
4. Exercise
Exercise regularly, avoid sedentary lifestyle, and you will reduce your risks of gestational diabetes. There are mild and safe exercises for pregnant women. Watch the videos on YouTube and keep your weight and blood pressure normal.
Exercise is considered by most health experts to be one of the best ways to fight hypertension, including pregnancy-induced hypertension.
5. Rest
Once diagnosed with gestational hypertension, affected pregnant women are strictly advised to be on rest. This will reduce the risk of the condition getting worse.
Bed rest is highly appropriate during this time and you should keep your feet elevated so that it won’t get swollen.
6. Practice deep breathing
This is a powerful relaxation technique that helps stabilize blood pressure and reduce stress. It improves arterial baro-reflex sensitivity and is one of the best home remedies for hypertension.
Every time you take a deep breath, well-oxygenated blood gets to every cell, tissue, organ, and system of your body.
This is why you feel good and have enough energy when you practice deep breathing.
Below is a safe way to do this:
- Lie down comfortable on your bed and tilt your body to one side
- Place one hand on your chest and the other should be below the rib cage
- Exhale deeply then slowly inhale through your nose and feel your stomach moving up when doing this.
- Hold your breath for few seconds or you count up to 5.
- Slowly exhale
- Repeat this 10 times and make sure your breathing is regular and slow
- Do this for 10 minutes, 3 times daily. This will keep your heart healthy and manage your blood pressure.
7. Walk
Women who are inactive or sedentary have high risks of developing hypertension during pregnancy than those who exercise a lot and have an active lifestyle.
Walking helps in reducing the diastolic blood pressure of pregnant women. Try and walk for an hour each day throughout your nine months of pregnancy.
Walking is one of the best exercises you can start if you were inactive or sedentary before pregnancy. Start walking at a slow pace and gradually increase your pace and duration.
This will also make you strong and increase your endurance during delivery.
8. Increase your intake of potassium
Potassium is highly important during pregnancy. It maintains your electrolyte balance and maintains your fluid levels. This mineral is also used in the transmission of nerve impulse and helps also in muscle contraction.
Studies have linked preeclampsia to high consumption of sodium and low levels of potassium. Adequate levels of potassium will help keep your blood pressure under control.
Irrespective of your pregnancy status, you should include potassium-rich foods in your diet. A pregnant woman needs 2,000 to 4,000 mg of potassium daily.
Rich sources or potassium are sweet potatoes, oranges, bananas, tomatoes, kidney beans, potatoes, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, peas, raisins, prunes, and other dried fruits.
9. Increase your intake of magnesium
A deficiency of magnesium has been linked to high blood pressure. It is beneficial for pregnant women to have a moderate amount of magnesium in order to help PIH.
A study revealed that patients with gestational hypertension have low levels of magnesium. Include magnesium-rich foods in your diet during pregnancy.
This will help maintain healthy blood pressure, it will prevent your uterus from contracting prematurely, and even help build strong bones and teeth in your baby.
A healthy diet is the best way to get your healthy levels of magnesium. Foods rich in magnesium are green leafy veggies, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, yogurt, potatoes with skin, cashews, soy milk, tofu, pumpkin seeds, beans, bananas, avocado;8s, almonds, etc.
10. Monitor your weight
Even though you have to gain some amount of weight during pregnancy, you have to be careful. Excessive weight causes hypertension.
Obesity or excessive weight during pregnancy can have a negative impact on the fetus and even trigger neonatal outcomes.
Pre-conceptional obesity or excessive weight gain during pregnancy causes metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and diabetes after childbirth.
This is believed to be caused by the weight gained in women when pregnant.
With a healthy diet and proper exercise, you can maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy.
11. Listen to music
One very powerful way to calm your mind, reduce stress, and anxiety is to listen to music. You can lower your blood pressure if you listen to the right kind of music for at least 30 minutes 3 times daily.
Stress and anxiety can complicate things during pregnancy as it is not good for your baby. Low-pitch and slow-tempo music without loud instruments or without lyrics can calm you down even during times of high stress.
Women who listen to soft and soothing music during pregnancy help create a wonderful bonding experience for them and their babies. It also enhances the stimulation of the unborn baby’s growing brain.
Music improves sleeping patterns for newborn babies.
Sources;
- 1. Gestational hypertension SD, BMJ, NCBI, NCBI, SH,
- 2. Minerals and blood pressure during pregnancy O&G, NCBI, NCBI, T&F, AHA, NCBI, SL,
- 3. Gestational weight gain and risk factor NCBI, NCBI, ACOG, NCBI,
- 4. Effects of music on pregnancy WOL,
- 5. Diet and hypertension NCBI, SD, BMJ,
- 6. Breathing exercises during pregnancy AHA,
- 7. Effect of exercise on blood pressure PMC, NCBI,
- 8. Causes of PIH NCBI,
- 9. Effects of PIH SD,
