Step 1: Review antihypertensives and pregnancy safety.
When a hypertensive woman plans to conceive, all medications must be reviewed for teratogenicity and fetotoxicity.
Step 2: Evaluate each option.
- Calcium channel blockers (e.g., nifedipine): considered relatively safe in pregnancy.
- ACE inhibitors (e.g., enalapril, ramipril): contraindicated in all trimesters due to fetal renal tubular dysplasia, oligohydramnios, neonatal renal failure, and skull hypoplasia (ACE inhibitor fetopathy). Must be stopped before conception.
- Alpha Methyldopa: the drug of choice for hypertension in pregnancy; safe.
- Labetalol: a combined alpha-beta blocker; considered safe and commonly used in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Step 3: Identify the drug to stop.
ACE inhibitors are absolutely contraindicated in pregnancy and must be stopped when conception is planned.