Hypertension is often cited as a reason to induce a birth, and many mothers ferverently seek out ways to maintain healthy blood pressure especially towards the end of their pregnancy.

In addition to diet, and lifestyle changes (High Protein Diets, such as the Brewer Diet, have been shown to help maintain blood pressure) It is now recognised that breastfeeding will also reduce maternal blood pressure.

Methods: Sixty-six primiparae with normal deliveries were consecutively recruited. Blood pressure was measured at −5, 10, 30, and 60 minutes in connection with a morning breastfeed. Thirty-three women continued to measure blood pressure before and after breastfeeding for 25 weeks.

Results: Blood pressure fell significantly in response to breastfeeding 2 days after birth. The fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure amounted to 8.8 (SD = 11.00) and 7.7 (SD = 9.3) mm Hg, respectively. During the 25-week follow-up period a significant fall of basal blood pressure (systolic, df = 3, F = 7.843, p < 0.001; diastolic, df = 3, F = 5.453, p = 0.002) was observed. The total fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure amounted to a mean of 15 (SD = 10.4) mm Hg and 10 (SD = 9.7) mm Hg, respectively. In addition, blood pressure fell significantly in response to individual breastfeeding sessions during the entire observation period.

Conclusions: In conclusion, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures fall during a breastfeeding session, and pre-breastfeeding blood pressure decreases during at least the first 6 months of a breastfeeding period in a homelike environment. This study lends further support to the health-promoting effects of breastfeeding.

 W. Jonas, E. Nissen, A.-B. Ransjo-Arvidson, I. Wiklund, P. Henriksson, K. Uvnas-Moberg. Breastfeeding Medicine. June 1, 2008, 3(2): 103-109. doi:10.1089/bfm.2007.0031.

So another reason to continue to nurse your child is to help maintain a healthy blood pressure throughout your pregnancy.