Get Moving
Make exercise fun – try walking or dancing with friends. People who get about 20 minutes of exercise a day have a much lower chance of getting preeclampsia.
Eat well
Fill your plate with fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, and beans. Try to cut back on red or processed meats, salty snacks, sugary foods, and foods high in fat. Eating this way can lower your risk by about 35–40%.
Explore ways to lower stress
Growing a baby is a big job. Your body is working hard, and your life is changing fast. Stress can raise your blood pressure. These are some ways to lower stress:
- Take a short walk
- Dance to your favorite song
- Take slow, deep breaths
- Try a short mindfulness exercise
Know your risk
If your risk is high, ask your provider about taking a small dose of aspirin and checking your blood pressure at home.
Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure + other organ injury) is a common pregnancy problem that can be dangerous for moms and for babies. The good news is that there are waysto lower your risk. For moms with certain risk factors, taking a baby aspirin once a day can lower the chance of pre-eclampsia by 18%. Moms can also check their blood pressure at home and know what symptoms to watch for.
High risk factors
- I had pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy
- I am having twins or triplets
- I have high blood pressure
- I have diabetes
- I have kidney disease
- I have lupus or another autoimmune disease
Moderate Risk Factors
- This will be my first baby
- I had IVF (in vitro fertilization) to get pregnant
- I will be 35 years or older on my baby’s due date
- My body mass index (BMI) is higher than 30 (if you don’t know your BMI, ask your nurse or provider)
- I am concerned that stress from my home environment or related to the amount of money I have will affect my health or my baby’s health
- My mother or sister had pre-eclampsia.
- I identify as Black or African American (Chronic exposure to racism, rather than race itself, is what increases risk of pre-eclampsia.)
- I have had a stillbirth or baby that weighed less than 5 pounds 8 ounces
- It has been 10 years or more since I last gave birth.
If you answered yes to one or more high-risk factor, or two or more moderate risk factors, you are at increased risk for pre-eclampsia. Baby aspirin, home blood pressure checks, and watching for symptoms can help keep you and your baby safe. Please share your answers with your provider so that you can make a plan together.
Get text messages for you and your heart health
Sign up to receive information about your heart health, and about local resources and events for pregnant women and new moms. We send 1-2 Thriving Hearts text messages a week.
Once you sign up, you can also send texts to the Thriving Hearts community health workers about anything important to you! They will respond within 2 working days. They do not provide medical advice. For health questions, talk to your health care provider.
Thriving Hearts Supports in Your Clinic
Thriving Hearts is working with local health departments and maternity clinics to help lower your risk of preeclampsia. If your clinic is participating in Thriving Hearts, you can get a care kit with educational info and a pill box to keep track of your daily low dose aspirin. You may also be able to get a supply of low dose aspirin and a home blood pressure monitor.
Taking low dose aspirin, or baby aspirin, every day lowers your risk of preeclampsia by 20%. If your provider recommends low dose aspirin, start taking it at 12 weeks of pregnancy, and continue until you give birth.
A home blood pressure monitor lets you keep track of your blood pressure and know right away if it’s getting too high.
