Hypertension during Pregnancy

Cause of Hypertension

There are two causes of hypertension which are essential hypertension or primary hypertension where the cause is not disturbance in the heart or kidney, but it causes by other factors such as unhealthy life style, stress, excessive salt consumption, alcohol consumption and caffeine, unhealthy diet which causes fat deposit and excesses weigh, and also heredity factor.
Hypertension which is caused by disturbance in kidney or heart is called secondary hypertension.

Preeclampsia

The most dangerous hypertension during pregnancy is preeclampsia which is also called poisoned pregnancy.
Preeclampsia is a disease which emerges by the sign of hypertension, edema and proteinuria which arise due to pregnancy, is usually called poisoned pregnancy.

Preeclampsia hypertension occurs because of the increasing of systolic pressure for about 30 mmHg or reaches 140 mmHg (your wife is 145), and the increasing of diastolic pressure for about 15 mmHg or reaches 90 mmHg (your wife is 89)…
Edema preeclampsia occurs when there is accumulation of excessive fluid in general and in the body, it is usually determined by the increasing of body weight and swelling of the feet, fingers and face. The increasing of body weight for about 1 kg in a week for several times can be the sign of preeclampsia….

Proteinuria preeclampsia occurs when there is protein concentrate in the urine which is more than 0,3 g/liter and the urine is about 400 ml or less in a day. Roughly, it means that the urine of mother who suffers it is very low. Until now, there is no obvious cause of preeclampsia.

Prevention

Healthy life style will increase the chance for mother to avoid hypertension during pregnancy. It is better to avoid alcohol, smoke, stress, and follow healthy life style (high protein consumption, avoiding excessive consumption of carbohydrate and salt). Besides, pregnant mother can consume several kinds of food which can help lowering blood pressure such as chocolate, fish, orange, and banana. Do not forget to check your pregnancy regularly and follow the instruction which is suggested by the doctor.

Knowing Blighted Ovum

Every pregnant mother in the early age obviously wants her pregnancy occurs in the way that she wants, and it continues until the ninth month healthily. Every young pregnant mother surely hopes when the pregnancy reaches ninth month, she can birth a baby which is admired by the parents. However, human can only wish and plan. Sometimes, what is wished and planned does not happen like what we want, and it has the same to do to pregnant mother. The pregnancy which is wished sometimes fails because of many things such as ectopic pregnancy, TORCH, molar pregnancy, and one more that will discuss here is there is a condition where the pregnancy is empty or which is known as Blighted Ovum.

Blighted ovum is also known as pregnancy without embryo. When the fertilization happens, the cells still make amniotic sac, placenta, but the ovum which is fertilized (concept) is not grown to be an embryo. In the blighted ovum condition, the uterus will always grow just like the normal pregnancy but the ovum which is fertilized fails to grow perfectly. That is why pregnant mother who suffers blighted ovum will feel that she has normal pregnancy, it seems like there is nothing happens, because the uterus grows like usual. In the early stage of marriage, the production of HCG hormone will increase, the pregnant mother will receive positive result of the test, and she will also face the symptoms of normal pregnancy such as nausea, vomiting, headache, constipation, and other early symptoms of pregnancy. However, when the pregnancy reaches 6-8 weeks, when the pregnant mother who suffers blighted ovum check her pregnancy to the doctor and doing USG control, it will be detected that there is a condition that the uterus is filled with undeveloped embryo. Therefore, the blighted ovum symptom can be detected through USG checking or until there is bleeding which is similar like threatened abortion because the body tries to remove the abnormal conception.

This blighted ovum sometimes is connected to mystical things by the people. There are some people who said that the embryo is taken by spirits or the baby is moved to other people, and many more. Because it seems like the baby is disappear, the mother feels the same symptoms and the body change is similar to normal pregnancy but when it is checked through USG the embryo is disappear. However, it is sure that the mystical thing is nonsense.

Blighted ovum occurs in the early pregnancy. The cause of blighted ovum is unknown until now, however it is guessed that there is a chromosomal abnormality, genetic disorders, or ovum with unfavorable conditions is fertilized by normal sperm or vice versa. Unfortunately, blighted ovum cannot be avoided or prevented. To handle blighted ovum pregnancy, there is no other way but removing the conception results starting from the uterus. It can be done by curettage or using medicine. Curettage is suggested because it can avoid infection and also chromosome checking.

Blighted ovum does not affect mother’s uterus or fertility. Someone who ever felt blighted ovum can get normal pregnancy again. However, if the mother gets blighted ovum again, it will be better to do some checking and intensive medication, because it is worried if there is chromosomal abnormality which happens to mother or the husband. The doctor may suggest doing genetic test or doing therapy for about 1-3 months before trying to be pregnant again, it depends on the condition of doctor checking result.
For pregnant mother who has blighted ovum, you should be tough and keep praying, there is always big chance to get normal pregnancy in the next pregnancy. Once again, as human we can only plan and it is God who decides the rest, however we should be sure that God will give the best for us. Amen.