Healthy heart, healthy moms: taking care of your cardiovascular health

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Most people do not realize that pregnancy can cause cardiovascular disease during and after pregnancy.

“If you’re seeing your doctor on a regular basis, like you’re supposed to, they’re checking your blood pressure. They’re checking your signs and symptoms. They’re listening to you about what is going on. Sometimes, they come and see us at the hospital for an extra evaluation,” RN, Ashley Frei, said.

There are several risk factors to be aware of.

“Genetics play a large role, so check your family history. If you have underlying high blood pressure or a tendency to have higher pressures, you want to keep a close eye on that. Diet and exercise level, of course. We also see that people who are in lower income areas have higher risk factors due to less access to care. We take that into consideration and try and facilitate those people to get the access that they need,” Doctor Janelle Perrone, said.

Luckily, there are a lot of preventative measures you can take in your daily life to prevent cardiovascular disease.

“Be active. Get some sunshine. Do those things that make you feel better overall. Really, really listen to your body, Frei said.

Frei says you know yourself better than anyone, so if something feels off, it probably is.

“When you feel off, our ears go, ‘what’s up?’ You know your body better than we do, right? That’s when your doctors will be listening. Do the best you can to take care of your body in the healthy ways that we know how to,” Frei said. “But even the most healthy person can start showing signs of preeclampsia towards the end of pregnancy without answer, so pay attention to what’s going on. One of the main things that we tell people to pay attention to is that headache that you can’t get rid of.”

If you want more information, you can visit the Brazos Valley Women’s Center website here.

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