High Blood Pressure- how does it affect pregnancy if it's only SOMETIMES?

[is it puppies?]

Today I saw my GP with my home Blood Pressure monitor and while my pressure was WAY too high (in the office- as high as 15x/9x but went down to a more reasonable but still high 14x/90 until she scared me and it went back up) it's been fine at home. Now we know that my home BP monitor jives with her office one- so she is agreeing that it's primarily white-coat syndrome.
Anyways we also have discussed that my occasionally skyrocketing BP is probably related to other general anxiety that comes up and she lectured me a little about the potential problems with hypertension in pregnancy including a deteriorating placenta (later in preg, I am 27 weeks) and still birth. Now I am not sure how much this will come into play in my situation- but I am of course concerned.
She had me bring my BP monitor to work and suggested that if work does it to me it might be a good idea to go on disability- I agree (work has been very stressful lately) but is the occasional jump in BP really that bad for placenta/baby?
Or is it okay as long as my episodes are short and sporadic?
Thanks

[beachlover]

I had the same problem with my last two pregnancies, only mine was as high as 175/95 at the doctors but around 130/75 at home. My doctor allowed me to monitor it at home. While I agree that I might have reacted to other stress with higher than normal blood pressures, I think the fear of it being high just made it crazy when I was there. It is frustrating, because you feel silly that you can't control it.

I delivered them at 41 weeks 1 day and 40 weeks 4 days with 8 lb babies that were healthy and fine. I'm grateful, I had a doctor that trusted me to monitor my b/p instead of insisting on tons of interventions etc.

I'm sure I had other stressful situations, but I think it's a constant rise that does damage, more than an occasional jump. I'm sure that all pregnant women have situations that causes their b/p to rise above their normal.

[is it puppies?]

I sure hope that's the case! I feel like I am very paranoid this preg (and I'm sure I will be for the rest of the baby's life ) but I want to do the best for baby and me...

[mediumcrunch]

If it is white coat hypertension it will really mean nothing to the health of you or your baby. Now if you have truly labile BP's (BP that fluctuates up and down with no real rhyme or reason) it bears watching as labile BP's will usually/often eventually turn into true gestational hypertension at some point.

[BlackSheepPDX]

BP xxx/9x is high. Bears watching, as PP said.

[CorasMama]

Originally Posted by mediumcrunch

If it is white coat hypertension it will really mean nothing to the health of you or your baby. Now if you have truly labile BP's (BP that fluctuates up and down with no real rhyme or reason) it bears watching as labile BP's will usually/often eventually turn into true gestational hypertension at some point.

this. I have labile BP during this pregnancy (my bp is usually really really great, non-pregnant) and I'm on daily baby aspirin (don't put yourself on this! Only a hcp should do it) and a bp medication.

So do keep an eye on it. Hypertension in pregnancy can crop up and become quite the problem, and isn't really necessarily preventable with a healthy lifestyle.

[is it puppies?]

I have been watching my BP and at home it's overall good, usually in the 12x/8x range, sometimes a bit lower (for example, a Saturday is usually GREAT! at say 117/79). When I am out and test at a drugstore machine it's usually starting out a bit higher (I am guessing because I am out and about instead of relatively sedentary) it could start out as 14x/8x but after a couple tests it's back in 13x/8x or even 12x/8x. I have started testing at work this week and even though I've just been sitting around the office it's more like 135+/85+ so right now work is the only place I am really concerned... it can get rather stressful around here. My BP seems to be related to episodes of anxiety, and work is full of it lately-- other than that it's just the Doctor's office, and now I've got the a-okay to transfer to a midwife I am accepted by so I just have to figure out how to keep my BP steady and what I actually HAVE to worry about... as far as my blood pressure that is!

[jecombs]

Originally Posted by is it puppies?

My BP seems to be related to episodes of anxiety, and work is full of it lately-- other than that it's just the Doctor's office, and now I've got the a-okay to transfer to a midwife I am accepted by so I just have to figure out how to keep my BP steady and what I actually HAVE to worry about... as far as my blood pressure that is!

I was having high BP readings in my MWs office early-on in this pregnancy. My readings were fine at home (and even at work). My in-office BPs got a lot better when I did two things:

1. Increased the amount of protein I was eating.
2. Started my Hypnobabies program.

Now I'm 32 weeks along and my BPs are lower than they were when I was 8-10 weeks along! My first BPs were around 130/80 and now they are closer to 120/62. I listen to my Hynobabies affirmations on the way to every MW appt. and it really helps calm my anxiety.

[is it puppies?]

That's probably a good idea, my doula lent me a few pregnancy hypnosis CDs, my midwife suggested it.