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HIGH BLOOD
PRESSUREQ|
I’m three month
pregnant and have
been diagnosed with high
blood pressure. Apart from
closely following my doctor’s
orders, what diet do you
recommend I follow?A
Hypertension (the medical
term for high blood pressure)
can lead to pre-eclampsia, a
pregnancy complication caused
by a defect in the placenta, which
restricts blood flow to your baby. If
it progresses, toxaemia can result,
which has dire consequences
for both mom and baby.
The risk of hypertension rises with
increasing weight. While you shouldn’t
lose weight during pregnancy,
take steps to minimise weight gain
if you’re already overweight.
Salt (sodium) has a direct impact
on your blood pressure and should be
restricted to no more than 2 400mg
per day (about one teaspoon).
Sodium content is usually listed onproduct labels. You can add a little
salt to your food during cooking,
but don’t add more at the table.
Use fresh poultry, fish or lean meat,
rather than canned or processed
types. Add herbs, spices, garlic and
lemon juice for flavouring. Keep
your fruit and vegetable intake
high, as they contain antioxidants,
which are beneficial for fighting
illnesses. Most fruits and vegetables
are also rich in potassium, which
directly lowers blood pressure.
Calcium is another important
mineral for regulating blood pressure.
Use low-fat and fat-free dairy products
daily, and include other good
calcium sources such as almonds,
sesame seeds, soya products and
green veggies. Also get enough
magnesium-rich foods in your daily
diet from beans and legumes, green
veggies, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
There’s a strong link between
stress and hypertension, so keep your
stress levels to a minimum or, at least,
employ effective coping strategies.
Ashleigh Caradas, dieticianWHY AM I
BLEEDING?Q|
I’m 21 weeks
pregnant and have
been bleeding non-stop. I
consulted a specialist, but
according to the test and
sonar he did, my baby is
fine. Where is the blood
coming from, and why?A
Vaginal bleeding is not
uncommon at some point
during pregnancy. It usually stops
spontaneously and the pregnancy
continues normally. The bleeding
may be caused by vaginal
infections, the most common
being vaginal thrush, but this stops
when the infection is treated.
Sometimes the placenta may
be implanted very low in the
uterus, but if this was the case,
your gynae would have seen it
on an ultrasound and told you
about it. If your gynae reassures
you after examining you, then
local lesions like polyps, ulcers
or lacerations from trauma,
or even some form of sexual
activity can’t be the problem.
There are cases where even
after all examinations and tests
have been done, the cause of the
bleeding is still unknown. Be sure
to monitor your baby’s movements
and have ultrasounds done.
Dr Lindiwe Cebekulu,
obstetrician and gynaecologist