Problems with blood pressure are pretty common during pregnancy, although having high blood pressure during pregnancy is much more common than having low blood pressure during your pregnancy. Low blood pressure in itself isn’t especially dangerous during your pregnancy. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to your doctor about it, of course, it just means that it causes less in the way of risks than high blood pressure. Low blood pressure does present the risk of falling or fainting, which can of course cause injury to you and, in some rare instances, to your baby.
What is it that causes low blood pressure during pregnancy? There are a number of contributing factors, of course, but among the most common is dehydration. In fact, dehydration is among the most common causes of low blood pressure, whether or not you’re pregnant. What happens is that your body doesn’t replace its fluids fast enough and that changes the way that your blood flows through your body.
Heat, of course, is another very common contributor to low blood pressure. It can also contribute to dehydration, of course, creating something of a double whammy when it comes to low blood pressure during pregnancy. Standing for long periods at one time can also be a contributing factor for low blood pressure.
Here are some things to keep in mind that may help reduce the risk of low blood pressure during your pregnancy:
- Stay hydrated. Make sure you’re taking in enough clear liquids. Water is, of course, especially good.
- Lie down on your side instead of on your back. This has the added benefit of taking some pressure off your sciatic nerve. Many women experience sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy, and this can help relieve it.
- When you stand from a sitting position, go slowly.
- Get some regular exercise. Regular physical activity will help to stabilize your blood pressure. It will also help prepare your body for labor.
