Feeling baby stress? Take care not to let it get to you: Stress is a one of the factors that can boost your blood pressure during pregnancy.

And high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy (known as gestational hypertension) can be dangerous to you and your baby.

Only a small percentage of women – fewer than 10%, according to a Wiser Pregnancy survey – are diagnosed with gestational hypertension, but detection and treatment are critical.

First step: Make sure your doctor is checking your blood pressure during your regular pregnancy visits.

Gestational hypertension usually develops in or after week 20, but it may take time to be diagnosed: The majority of women are diagnosed in or after their 7th month. That’s because there often aren’t noticeable symptoms.

Aside from stress, several other factors increase your risk of developing high blood pressure: smoking, being overweight or obese, lack of exercise, too much salt, age, family history and kidney disease.

Now while high blood pressure itself doesn’t mean you should whip out the meditation tapes (although they can’t hurt!), gestational hypertension can have some serious complications:

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You’re at your first ultrasound appointment, excited to see your first image of your baby.  But wait, there’s more than one heartbeat. Turns out you’re expecting twins… or more!

How common are multiples? Carrying two or more babies make up only about 3% of all pregnancies. But if you had multiples in a previous pregnancy, you’re more likely to have them in the future.

A Wiser Pregnancy survey found that 16% of pregnant women who were carrying twins or more had a multiples pregnancy in the past. But that’s not the only cause: Heredity, older age, personal history, race and fertility drugs and treatments also boost the odds.

But multiples bring a downside: a greater risk of complications during pregnancy, including: 
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Ever wonder why your healthcare provider checks your blood pressure at every routine prenatal checkup? 

Blood pressure checks can diagnose gestational hypertension, a serious condition that affects about 6% of pregnant women, according to a WiserPregnancy survey.  Gestational hypertension develops in or after the 20th week of pregnancy and goes away after delivery. 

Unmanaged high blood pressure can lead to a host of complications:

• Less blood flow to the placenta, which reduces the fetus’s nutrient and oxygen supply
• Placental abruption, when the placenta separates from the uterus too early
• Preeclampsia, a potentially deadly condition
• High blood pressure and preeclampsia in future pregnancies
• Induced premature delivery to protect the mother or fetus from life-threatening complications
• Future cardiovascular problems, even if high blood pressure goes away after delivery

And since women with high blood pressure usually don’t experience symptoms, routine checks are important.  If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor can tell if it has improved or worsened.  If your BP is the same as before or worse, your doctor may suggest treatment.

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