Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure: Hypertension in Pregnant Women

Health advice, Second trimester, Third trimester

Article Updated June 4, 2018

Hypertension in a pregnant woman is a well-known phenomenon in the scientific community as it affects 5–10% of pregnant women. For 25% of them, they’re in their first pregnancy. It’s the most common pregnancy complication.


In this article:


As I always say to future parents, pregnancy and delivery are like a box of chocolates—you never know what you will get. In fact, despite all the good intentions and behaviours of the future mother, sometimes things don’t go as we expected. This is often the case with a diagnosis of high blood pressure during pregnancy. For your understanding of medical terms, high blood pressure (HBP) during pregnancy is also known as gestational hypertension. Continue reading; I will explain more.

What is blood pressure?Photo - Prise de la tension artérielle

Blood pressure in an adult, in general, should be around 120/80. These two numbers are measured when taking blood pressure using an inflatable band on the arm and a stethoscope placed on the blood vessel inside the elbow to listen to heartbeats. Blood pressure can also be measured using automatic devices that also detect heart sounds.

Blood pressure is the pressure caused by blood flow on the artery walls. The first sound heard by the professional when taking your pressure is the contraction of the heart ventricle that ejects blood into the arteries. We call this first scan “systolic pressure” (the largest number). The last number audible using the stethoscope corresponds to the relaxing and filling of the heart, the “diastolic pressure” (the smaller number).

Normal blood pressure is between 120 mm and 140 mm of mercury for the systolic measure, and 70–90 mm of mercury for the diastolic measure.

People can live perfectly fine with blood pressure lower than 120/80, and others with pressure higher (for short periods) without negative consequences. However, based on each person, high blood pressure can occur at different times in life.

To continue reading this article, go to Defining Gestational Hypertension.

Discover our videos

Subscribe to a monthly or quarterly package now to access full videos.

Naturopathy, Pregnancy and the Baby

Naturopathy, Pregnancy and the Baby

Pregnant or breastfeeding women can care for certain physical and emotional issues with approved natural or homeopathic products. This also
The Bottle

The Bottle

Would you like to give your baby a bottle but don’t know where to start? Marie meets Sakouna Phouttama, a
The Midwife Profession

The Midwife Profession

Johanne Royer, a midwife, talks with Marie about her profession. What type of training did she get? What’s her role
Dad and Pregnancy

Dad and Pregnancy

Dad’s place during pregnancy and childbirth is important. Each father experiences the adventure differently. Marie meets Laurent, who talks about

Discover other articles

Types of Formulas

Types of Formulas

To read the previous part, go to The Three Main Categories of Formula. Updated  article on April 2022. There are many types of formulas, which
Cleaning Products During Pregnancy

Cleaning Products During Pregnancy

If you would like advice from experts, go to Advice from Paint Pros. The use of home cleaning products during pregnancy often comes with many
Sleep Problems in Babies from  0-1 Year

Sleep Problems in Babies from 0-1 Year

Sleep problems in babies are mostly associated with three things: Baby association problems (10–30%)...
Parents and First-Aid for Babies

Parents and First-Aid for Babies

Parents are concerned about caring for their baby. They also want to react properly in case of an emergency.

Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure: Hypertension in Pregnant Women

Par Mélanie Loubier Temps de lecture: 1 min
0