Stroke can happen to anyone at any time, even new moms. Learn more about the connection between pregnancy and stroke and what you can do to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

When Brooke Bergfeld developed a severe headache about a week after giving birth, she assumed it was just another migraine, like the ones she’d had during her pregnancy. When her left arm suddenly hurt, she figured it was due to muscle aches from carrying around a new baby.

But her mom noticed Brooke’s slurred voice and drooping face—two classic signs of stroke—and called 9-1-1 right away. At the hospital, doctors performed a thrombectomy, a surgery to remove a blood clot. Today, Brooke is still dealing with how the stroke changed her life and is working to educate others about stroke.

Learn the key stroke symptoms. Women may mistake their stroke symptoms for issues related to pregnancy and a new baby.

Stroke is not common in pregnancy or during the years women can have children. But pregnancy does put women at higher risk for stroke, and the rate of pregnancy-related stroke is rising.

Pregnancy is like a stress test; it can strain the heart and blood vessels. This is partly because the body carries more weight during pregnancy, but changing hormones also play a role.

Most women in the United States have healthy pregnancies and deliveries, but sometimes problems that increase the risk for stroke can happen. These problems include:

• High blood pressure during pregnancy. Some women who had healthy blood pressure levels before getting pregnant can develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. Having high blood pressure during pregnancy is the leading cause of stroke in pregnant women or women who have recently given birth. High blood pressure happens in up to 12% of pregnancies in the United States.
• Preeclampsia is a more severe type of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Preeclampsia can cause vision problems, headaches, swelling in the hands and face, premature delivery, and a baby with low birth weight. At its most severe, preeclampsia can cause seizures (eclampsia) and lead to stroke. Women who had preeclampsia have a much higher risk of having high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke later in life than women who did not have high blood pressure during pregnancy.
• Gestational diabetes. Some women suddenly develop problems with blood sugar during pregnancy, a condition called gestational diabetes. This happens in as many as 1 in 10 pregnancies in the United States.Gestational diabetes raises the risk for high blood pressure during pregnancy and for heart disease and stroke later in life.
• Blood clots. Pregnancy makes the blood more likely to clot, which can lead to stroke. This increased risk for clotting happens in part because swelling from pregnancy can reduce blood flow to the lower legs. When blood does not circulate well, it is more likely to clot. During late pregnancy, the body also makes more of a substance that helps blood clot. This helps protect women from bleeding too much when they give birth, but it also raises the risk for stroke.

Like Brooke, many women may mistake their stroke symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, or tingling arms, for issues related to pregnancy and a new baby. If your symptoms appearsuddenly, that may be a clue that you are having a stroke.

Learn the key stroke symptoms:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
• Sudden trouble seeing.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

If you notice any of these symptoms in yourself or another person, call 9-1-1 right away.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and take the following actions:

F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
T—Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

The best way to protect yourself and have a healthy pregnancy is to be in good health before you get pregnant.

Do not smoke. Using tobacco products before or during pregnancy raises the risk for stroke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.

Maintain a healthy weight. This will also help you have healthier blood pressure and blood sugar levels during pregnancy. When you get pregnant, aim to gain a healthy amount of weight. Learn more about healthy weight.

Choose healthy foods. An eating plan rich in whole grains, nuts, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables and low in sodium can support healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Learn more about healthy eating.

Stay physically active. Women with healthy pregnancies should get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days.Learn more about physical activity during pregnancy.

Work with your health care team. Talk to your doctor about your risk for stroke or other problems during pregnancy. Your health care team will closely monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar throughout your pregnancy.

The lifetime risk of stroke for women between the ages of 55 and 75 in the United States is 1 in 5. Stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer does, making stroke the third leading cause of death for women.

Surprised? You’re not alone. Many women do not know their risk of having a stroke.

These facts are alarming, but there is good news: 4 in 5 strokes are preventable. That’s why it’s important to know your risk for stroke and take action to reduce the risk.

What is a stroke?

A stroke happens when blood flow to an area of the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Blood carries oxygen to cells in the body. When brain cells are starved of blood, they die.

Stroke is a medical emergency. It’s important to get treatment as soon as possible (see sidebar). Some treatments for stroke work only if given within the first 3 hours after symptoms start. A delay in treatment increases the risk of permanent brain damage or death.

What puts women at risk for stroke?

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a main risk factor for stroke. More than 2 in 5 women have blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/80 mmHg or are taking medicine to control their blood pressure. Only about 1 in 4 of those women have their blood pressure controlled to below 130/80 mmHg.

Stroke risk increases with age, and women live longer than men.

Women also have unique risk factors for stroke, including:

• Having high blood pressure during
• Using certain types of birth controlmedicines, especially if they also smoke. About 1 in 8 women smoke.
• Having higher rates of depression.

Why are African American women at higher risk for stroke?

Stroke is the third leading cause of death among African American women, and they are more likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white women or Hispanics in the United States. African Americans have the highest rate of death due to stroke.

Almost half of African Americans have a risk factor that can lead to a stroke.

• More than 2 in 5 African American women are diagnosed high blood pressure (greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg), which is a much higher rate than white women have.
• African American women are diagnosed with higher rates of obesity (nearly 3 in 5) and diabetes (more than 1 in 8), conditions that increase the risk for stroke.
• Eating too much salt or sodium can raise your blood pressure, putting you at higher risk of stroke. Researchers think there may be a gene that makes African Americans more sensitive to the effects of salt, which in turn increases the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Sickle cell disease, a common genetic disorder in African Americans, can lead to a stroke. About 1 in 365 black or African American babies are born with sickle cell disease.
• Smoking greatly increases stroke risk. About 1 in 7 black or African American women smoke.

Why are Hispanic women at risk for stroke?

Stroke is the third leading cause of death for Hispanic women.

• High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for a stroke. About 1 in 4 Hispanic women have blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg, and nearly half of them do not have it under control.
• People with diabetes are at higher risk of stroke. More than 1 in 9 Hispanic women have diabetes—including many who don’t know they have the disease. Among adults of Hispanic origin, diabetes is most common in people of Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry.
• Obesity increases the risk of stroke. About half of Hispanic women have obesity.

How can I prevent stroke?

Most strokes can be prevented by keeping medical conditions under control and making healthy lifestyle changes:

Know your ABCS of heart and brain health:

• Aspirin: Aspirin may help reduce your risk for stroke, but you should check with your doctor before taking aspirin, because it can make some types of stroke worse. Before taking aspirin, talk with your doctor about whether it is right for you.
• Blood pressure: Control your blood pressure with healthy lifestyle changes (see below) and take your blood pressure medicines as directed.
• Cholesterol: Manage your cholesterol with healthy lifestyle changes and take your medicine as directed.
• Smoking: Don’t start smoking. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.

Make lifestyle changes:

• Eat healthy: Choose healthy foods most of the time, including foods with less salt, or sodium, to lower your blood pressure, and that are rich in fiber and whole grains to manage your cholesterol.
• Get regular physical activity: Regular activity helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight and keeps your heart and blood vessels healthier.

Work with your health care team:

• Talk to your doctor about your chances of having a stroke, including your age and whether anyone in your family has had a stroke.
• Get other health conditions under control, such as diabetes or heart disease.