High Cholesterol and Pregnancy

There is a relation between high cholesterol and pregnancy. Cholesterol levels usually fall during the first trimester, then rise for the remainder of your pregnancy. Your liver produces more cholesterol, responding to the increased hormones in your body.

The high cholesterol and pregnancy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Nursing women have higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – sometimes known as the “good” cholesterol – and other beneficial lipoproteins. Women of childbearing age are generally at lower risk of conditions that result from high cholesterol such as heart disease. Slight increases in cholesterol shouldn’t cause long-term health effects to you, provided you monitor your cholesterol after your pregnancy to make sure your levels return to normal afterwards.

High Cholesterol and Pregnancy

Maintaining high cholesterol and pregnancy comes down to diet and exercise. All drugs designed to control cholesterol such as statins cannot be taken by pregnant women. It is important to watch your diet closely during pregnancy, avoiding fatty foods, and get regular exercise throughout your pregnancy (unless you have been instructed otherwise by your family doctor.) Women should aim to exercise 20-60 minutes per session 3-5 times per week.

Abnormally high cholesterol and pregnancy needs to be monitored very closely. Mothers with this condition can develop pre-eclampsia. This condition can cause seizures that can harm both the mother and the baby. The high cholesterol and pregnancy can result in the baby having to be delivered prematurely, risking the survival of the baby and impairing the development of the child. In this situation, women are advised to take extra vitamin C and E to counter the effects of high cholesterol.

While high cholesterol during pregnancy isn’t necessarily a life-threatening condition, it should be monitored closely during and after the pregnancy to ensure the health of mother and child.