9 Ways to prevent heart disease during pregnancy (cardiomyopathy peripertum)

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare disorder of the heart muscle. This condition usually occurs in women at the end of pregnancy or it can occur five months after giving birth. Until now, it is not certain what causes it. So, how do you prevent heart disease during pregnancy? The following is the review.

Why do pregnant women get peripartum cardiomyopathy?

Until now, it has not been found what causes peripartum cardiomyopathy. However, as reported by the American Heart Association, this condition is believed to occur due to heavy heart muscle performance. During pregnancy, the heart muscle will pump up to 50 percent more blood than the heart in general when a woman is not pregnant.

This is because your body has the added burden of a fetus, which must get a supply of oxygen and essential nutrients through the mother's bloodstream. The risk of developing heart muscle disorders during pregnancy also increases due to various factors.

How often do these heart complications occur in women who give birth? Fortunately, not very often. Peripartum cardiomyopathy occurs in 1 in 3,000 deliveries. As many as 80 percent of these cases occurred within three months after delivery, 10 percent occurred in the last month of pregnancy, and the remaining 10 percent occurred between the fourth to fifth months of pregnancy. This disease can occur in women of any age, but most commonly in their 30s.

Prevent heart disease during pregnancy such as peripartum cardiomyopathy

1. Perform regular checks

Pregnancy examination is a mandatory agenda that must be done by a pregnant woman. One of them is useful for preventing heart disease during pregnancy. With regular checkups, the doctor can monitor the health condition of you and the baby in the womb.

Ideally you should set aside once a month to see a doctor during the first six months of pregnancy. When entering the age of seven and eight months of pregnancy, check every two weeks. The visit intensity is increased to once a week when the pregnancy is at the age of nine months.

The doctor will usually do a physical exam. This test consists of checking the weight and height, blood pressure, condition of the breast, heart, and lungs of the pregnant woman. Your doctor will likely examine your vagina, uterus, and cervix to see if there are any irregularities in your pregnancy.

2. Eat fish

Pregnant women should often eat foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent heart disease during pregnancy. Fish as a source of nutritious food, including rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You can choose sardines, tuna, or salmon.

Eating it twice a week on a regular basis is sufficient for omega-3 fats. However, make sure you eat fish that is completely cooked, yes!

3. Consume more fiber

Pregnant women should eat lots of fiber. Fiber can be obtained from wheat and cereals, vegetables and fruits, as well as potatoes eaten with the skin. Eating more fiber can help lower your risk of heart disease during pregnancy. Get at least 30 grams of fiber per day.

It should also be noted that regular consumption of fibrous foods should be done gradually. Better not to eat a lot of vegetables at once because it can cause constipation (difficulty defecating) or stomach cramps. It is advisable to balance the combination with other nutrients that are just as important. Don't forget to consume enough fluids to help the digestive process.

4. Reduce consumption of saturated fat

Saturated and trans fats play a major role in the formation of excess cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol that accumulates has the potential to clog the arteries of the heart, thereby compromising blood flow. Therefore, limit your consumption of saturated fat from red meat, processed foods, fried foods, and high-fat dairy products.

5. Get enough sleep every day

Adults with adequate and quality sleep have better arterial conditions than people who are sleep deprived. If the arteries are in good condition, the heart can be helped to avoid disease.

6. Maintain blood pressure

Keep your blood pressure from getting too high during pregnancy. High blood pressure can damage artery walls and cause scar tissue. If this happens, it will be more difficult for blood and oxygen to flow to and from the liver so that the heart has to work harder so that the organs of the body are not deprived of oxygen.

Managing stress, exercising regularly, reducing salt intake, and not drinking alcoholic beverages are some of the ways you can maintain blood pressure and prevent heart disease during pregnancy.

7. Prevent diabetes

High blood sugar conditions in the body also have the potential to put you at risk for heart disease during pregnancy. Because, when blood sugar levels are high, this can cause damage to the arteries. Therefore, always check your blood sugar levels, especially if you are over 45 years of age, are pregnant, and are overweight (obese). To avoid diabetes, change your lifestyle to be healthier.

8. Stop smoking

This step is the best thing you can do if you want to avoid heart disease while pregnant. Smoking is one of the main causes of coronary heart disease. If you successfully quit smoking for one year, your risk of developing heart disease will be reduced to half the risk for active smokers.

Women who want to try pregnancy should also stop smoking right now, don't wait until the pregnancy starts to reduce smoking.

9. Exercise regularly

Being physically active or exercising regularly can reduce the risk of heart disease during pregnancy. You only need to do moderate intensity exercise for about 30 minutes five times a day or 150 minutes a week.