Moms may joke that their kids are going to "give them a heart attack," but it turns out that there's some truth behind the cliché sentiment.

A new study from the American Heart Association finds that the percentage of pregnant women with high blood pressure has risen for four decades straight. In fact, AHA researchers report a 13-fold increase in pregnant women with high blood pressure since 1970.

Dr. Connie Graves, Director of Perinatal Services and Co-Director of the Collaborative Perinatal Cardiac Center for Ascension Saint Thomas, says that there are multiple reasons for this uptick: "The average age of first-time pregnancy is going up. Before they even become pregnant, women weigh more on average than in past generations. Also, the number of women giving birth to multiples (twins, triplets, etc) is rising."

Dr. Graves shares the following recommendations to help moms-to-be take control of their heart health.

• "Aim for a balanced diet of lean meats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Stay within the USDA requirements for sodium intake." Sorry, ice-cream-and-pickle cravings!

• "Barring limiting health conditions, try to exercise at least every other day for about 30 minutes." Visit the March of Dimes website for some pregnancy-friendly workout ideas.

• "Pregnancy only requires around 300 additional calories per day, beginning in the second trimester." While some experts place that number closer to 400, physicians agree that NO additional calories are needed in the first trimester.