Ethnographic study conducted at a teaching hospital (Paraná, Brazil) to understand the cultural meanings pregnant women attribute to the experience of hypertension in pregnancy. The participants were 22 pregnant women, using participant observation and interviews, at the hospital and at their respective homes, between October/2010 and December/2011. The analysis was based on the steps of Ethnonursing. The results showed that the cultural meanings attributed to the hypertension were marked by the fear of the baby's and their own death. They interpreted and gave sense to their experiences based on a net of symbols and meanings created and recreated based on the continuous interlocution with their families, with different social groups and with the health professionals. These women's subjectivity contributed to the diversity of perceptions and meanings. The experience of the illness and the sociocultural references of the pregnant women's context contributed to the comprehension of the cultural meanings, allowing the professionals to attend them based on their specific needs.
Culture; Hypertension, pregnancy-induced; Risk