Patient discussions

Women with gestational hypertension should promptly report any symptoms, including decreased fetal movement.​[1][6]​​​​ Self-monitoring of blood pressure (BP) may be feasible as an adjunct to clinic-based surveillance for pregnant women at risk of pre-eclampsia, although two linked trials found that while self-monitoring seemed safe, it made no difference to the timing of diagnosis or control of high BP.[64][65][66]​​​​​​ One small mixed-methods study supported the acceptability and accuracy of self-testing of urine for proteinuria during pregnancy.[66][67][68]​​

Women should be instructed to recognise symptoms of severe pre-eclampsia, such as blurred vision, headache, peripheral oedema, or upper abdominal pain.[1][6]​​

After delivery, all women who had gestational hypertension should undergo a medical review 6-8 weeks after the birth. [6]

Women with gestational hypertension who are overweight or obese should engage in healthy lifestyle changes in order to prevent progression to chronic hypertension.[69]

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