High blood pressure in pregnancy (called Pregnancy Induced Hypertension or PIH) is a disorder that happens during pregnancy.  During a normal pregnancy, a woman's blood pressure usually goes down a little bit, but with some women, it rises.  PIH is a serious condition because it can harm both the mother and the baby.

Some signs of PIH are:

• Severe headache
• Rapid weight gain (4-5 pounds in a single week)
• Swelling of your face or hands
• Swelling of your ankles or feet that does not go away after 12 hours of rest
• Severe pain over your stomach, under your ribs
• Blurry vision

If you have any of these signs, call your doctor.  Even if you are not sure, but something does not seem right to you, it is always better to talk to your doctor or nurse.  If you have any trouble reaching your health care provider you can also go to the Labor and Delivery unit at the hospital for help.  They are available to you any time, day or night.

When you come to the office for your routine visits, we will check your weight, blood pressure, and urine sample. Be sure to tell us if you have ANY of these signs.