{SCA} Low blood pressure can definitely effect pregnancy. For a woman who is pregnant, low blood pressure can lead to fainting or dizziness.

While fainting or dizziness is generally not too serious of a concern, the risks involved with falling due to dizziness or fainting present a risk to a pregnant woman in that a severe fall could greatly injure her or her baby.

Still, low blood pressure is not as serious of a concern for the pregnant woman as high blood pressure is. Low blood pressure during pregnancy is not as common as high blood pressure during pregnancy, either.

The most common cause for low blood pressure, both for the pregnant woman and for the person who is not pregnant, tends to be dehydration. When fluids in the body are not replaced, it drastically effects the way that blood flows within the body. In addition, the heat that often contributes to dehydration can also contribute to low blood pressure. Standing for long periods during pregnancy can also effect your blood pressure during pregnancy.

Pregnancy creates its own unique set of cause for low blood pressure as well. When you are pregnant, blood tends to pool in your legs, which makes less blood available to your brain. When you rise from a laying down or a sitting position, you can feel faint or dizzy. Low blood pressure in a pregnant woman can also lead to problems with vision.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy may or may not require medical treatment. The treatment of low blood pressure is directed toward the treatment of the underlying cause; if low blood pressure is caused by dehydration, it may be treated by a physician with intravenous fluids.

If the low blood pressure is caused by pooling blood, your physician may recommend graduated compression stockings. A little extra salt may also help, but in this case you need to discuss the other risks with your health care provider.