High blood pressure (hypertension)

• A mother’s high blood pressure can make it hard for the baby to get enough oxygen and nutrients. Thus, if you know you have chronic hypertension, it is important to talk with your doctor and get it under control before you become pregnant.

Types of hypertension:

• Chronic hypertension: diagnosed before you get pregnant or before 20 weeks of pregnancy
• Gestational hypertension: diagnosed after 20 weeks of pregnancy or close to delivery. You only have high blood pressure during pregnancy and do not have protein in your urine or heart or kidney problems. Although it usually goes away after you give birth, having gestational hypertension can increase your risk of developing chronic hypertension.
• Preeclampsia: happens when a woman with normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure.
• Eclampsia: happens when a woman with preeclampsia develops seizures.
• Possible complications resulting from high blood pressure: 
• For the mother: preeclampsia, eclampsia, stroke, the need for labor induction, and placental abruption (the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus).
• For the baby: preterm delivery and low birth weight.

Prevention: 

• Keep a healthy weight through healthy eating and regular physical activity
• Use a home blood pressure monitor to keep track of your blood pressure at home and contact your doctor if your blood pressure is higher than usual
• Preeclampsia
• Preeclampsia happens when a woman with normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure and protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Women who have chronic hypertension can get preeclampsia.
• Symptoms: (Some women have no symptoms. That is why it is important to visit your healthcare provider regularly.)
• Persistent headache
• Changes in vision (blurry, seeing spots, etc)
• Pain in upper stomach area
• Nausea or vomiting
• Swelling of the face or hands
• Sudden weight gain
• Trouble breathing

Risk factors:

• This is your first birth
• You had preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy
• You have chronic hypertension, chronic kidney disease, or both
• You have a history of thrombophilia (a condition that increases risk of blood clots)
• You are pregnant with multiple babies (twins or triplets)
• You became pregnant using in vitro fertilization
• You have a family history of preeclampsia
• You have type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• You have obesity
• You have lupus (an autoimmune disease)
• You are older than 40

Gestational diabetes

• Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs when your body can’t make enough insulin during your pregnancy. Insulin is needed to convert sugar and starches into energy. When your insulin levels are low, extra sugar can build up in the blood. This can increase the risk of birth defects in the baby and complications in the mother.
• Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is first seen in a woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. Although gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, it does greatly increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Symptoms: Besides increased thirst and more-frequent urination, gestational diabetes doesn’t cause noticeable signs or symptoms. Thus, it is tested for between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy.

Risk factors:

• Being overweight or obese
• Not being physically active
• Having prediabetes
• Having had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
• Having an immediate family member with diabetes
• Having previously delivered a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

Possible complications resulting from gestational diabetes:

• The baby can become extra-large (weigh more than 9 pounds) due to overfeeding. This can cause discomfort for the mother during the last few months of pregnancy and problems for both the mother and baby during delivery. 
• Increased likelihood of a C-section delivery. When the baby is delivered via C-section, it takes longer for the mother to recover.
• Women with diabetes have high blood pressure (preeclampsia) more often than women without diabetes.
• If the diabetes is not well controlled during pregnancy, the baby can develop low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) after birth. 
• Prevention and gestational diabetes management:
• Eat healthy foods including lean meat and proteins, dark green vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats
• Exercise regularly (after checking with your doctor). Most women can exercise regularly during and after pregnancy. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week. This can include brisk walking, swimming, or playing with children.
• Monitor blood sugar often. Blood sugar levels change very quickly when you are pregnant.
• If insulin is ordered by your doctor, take it as directed.
• Get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born, and then every 1 to 3 years. Half of all women who had gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Iron deficiency anemia

• Anemia is a condition that occurs when your body does not make enough healthy red blood cells or the blood cells do not work correctly. Someone who has iron deficiency anemia does not have enough iron in their body to make hemoglobin, which is the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen through blood to the organs. 
• Iron deficiency anemia affects more women and is most common in those who are pregnant. This is because more iron is needed during pregnancy to support the baby’s development. If iron deficiency anemia is not treated, it can raise your risk of a premature birth or low birth weight baby.
• Symptoms: (Iron deficiency anemia often develops slowly. At first, you may not have any symptoms or they may be mild.)
• Fatigue (very common)
• Weakness (very common)
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Low body temperature
• Pale or yellow “sallow” skin
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath or chest pain, especially with physical activity
• Brittle nails
• Pica (unusual cravings for ice, very cold drinks, or non-food items like dirt or paper)
• Prevention:
• Eat more food containing iron such as lean meat and chicken, dark, leafy vegetables (collard greens, spinach), and beans.
• Eat more foods that help your body absorb iron such as oranges, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C.
• Avoid drinking coffee or tea with meals as these drinks make it harder for your body to absorb iron.
• Take a daily prenatal vitamin with 27 mg of iron or, if advised by your doctor, take an iron supplement.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

• HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If the mother has HIV, it can be passed to the child anytime during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. 
• All women who are trying to become pregnant or are pregnant should get tested for HIV as soon as possible. If you have HIV, the sooner you start treatment the better.
• If you have HIV, the risk of transmitting HIV to your child can be less than 1% if you:
• Take HIV medication as prescribed through pregnancy, labor, and delivery
• Give HIV medicine to your baby for 4-6 weeks after birth
• How to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child:
• Take HIV medication as prescribed by your doctor. HIV medication reduces the amount of HIV in the body (viral load) to a very low, undetectable amount. This protects your baby, your partner, and yourself.
• If your HIV viral load is not low enough, a C-section delivery can help prevent HIV transmission.
• Do not breastfeed or pre-chew food for your baby. Although an undetectable viral load reduces the risk of HIV transmission to your baby through breastfeeding, it does not eliminate it.

Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression is depression that occurs 1-3 weeks after having a baby. Feelings of postpartum depression are more intense and last longer than those of “baby blues” (a term used to describe the worry, sadness, and tiredness many women experience after having a baby). Unlike postpartum depression, “Baby blues” symptoms typically resolve on their own within a few days.