Any Other Mama's With High Blood Pressure? SUPPORT

[trimestersdoula]

Hey girls! Just wondering if we could start a support thread for those of us with high blood pressure.

My blood pressure has been rising since 17 weeks. I am extremely nervous about it.

If you would like to share stories, talk about what we are going through etc., please feel free.

[NicolleLynne]

Hi Mama,

I have a wicked case of white coat hypertension. I had it before I got pregnant and it's only gotten worse since I conceived (I'm 33 weeks now). My initial reading is always about 150-160/90-100 but after 10 minutes of rest and meditation it goes down to 120/60, which is what my OB is using as a baseline. I just had a check-up today and that's exactly what happened.

My OB said she isn't worried because it does goes down but because it fluctuates, I will start coming in every week after 35 weeks and may begin NSTs.

I spent a good portion of this pregnancy terrified of developing pre-e. Part of me still is frightened. I had two losses before conceiving this little one and have no living children. I want this baby more than anything - but I'm gradually beginning to let go of the fear. I figure that stress is a major contributor to hypertension so I owe it to me and my baby to try to remain joyful and calm. I try to meditate a lot, as well as exercise (mostly walking and yoga), I've reduced my sodium, cut out all processed foods, take a magnesium citrate supplement, eat an ounce of dark chocolate every night and receive monthly acupuncture treatments. I hope this is enough to keep me and the little one healthy till it's time to deliver.

Best of luck to all of us mamas dealing with hypertension!
~N~

[trimestersdoula]

Thank you for sharing, Nicolle.

I am currently in the terrified of becoming preeclamptic phase. Last pregnancy my blood pressure rose to 140/80-90 at the midpoint and stayed there. I did end up with pre-e at the end of my pregnancy though. I delivered by c/s at 39w4d. Last pregnancy I was originally UPing but has a student midwife come in periodically and check the baby and take my bp. She was so calm about it and so I stayed calm about the bp change. She usually had to do my bp twice or three times throughout the visit due to white coat hypertension as well.

This time I am with an OB. At their office, they do my blood pressure once and call it good. So of course they always just see my highest reading. I have also been taking my blood pressure at home and noticed a jump after 20 weeks to that 140/80-90 again. I took that to my OB and she now has me on 200mg of Labetalol once/day. It seems to be working but even my first reading at home is always higher than consecutive readings. Its just that darn blood pressure monitor that does it to me!

I am just so scared that something is going to go wrong and I won't be able to keep this baby in until it is time for him/her to come. I am not even 21 weeks so it is a big worry to me and I KNOW I am stressed about this and that my blood pressure is up because of it. DH and I talked about my fears for a few minutes this evening and I had a good cry. I took my bp after that and it was 120/66.

[Darlingricki74]

Mine isn't too bad, usually about 132/88, but in the past few weeks there has also been some protein in my urine, so they are getting a bit concerned. I'm actually doing a 24 hour urine collection right now to drop off at the lab tomorrow. I'm already doing 2x a week NST's and BPP's due to gestational diabetes and polyhydramnios, and I'm having a planned c-section at 38 weeks due to a past shoulder dystocia and the aforementioned issues. But I'm a tiny bit worried about developing pre-e and not making it to my 38 week section!

[sanguine_speed]

I have some BP issues too. Acouple weeks ago it was 140/100 and so my midwife sent me for a consult with the OB at the hospital (protocol here). It dropped to something like 130/75 while I was there. They did a full screen for protein, liver enzymes etc and everything checked out so they sent me home and care was kept with my midwife. I had similarly been checked at the hospital a couple weeks previously for raised BP that also dropped at the hospital.
The following week my BP was 160/100 (last week) and there was some protein spilling. We decided to wait again before doing another consult, and so we'll see how it's going on Tuesday when i see them next. The problem may be the midwife only has a small BP cuff as I've never measured a "high" BP at the hospital.
I am higher-risk having been induced for pre-e before, and I am also overweight.

I am primarily concerned with the fact that since midwifery is regulated here, there are a lot of guideilnes about transfer to hospital during labor. Elevated BP, with a diastolic number over 90 is supposed to be an automatic transfer.
I've had my midwife before and I think she is willing to accept that I might refuse to transfer at a 90, but my midwife is going away on Tuesday for a week--the week I figure I"m most likely to deliver. She is going to talk to the other mws at the practice who will be doing backup to let them know that I've measured high BP but also that I've had relatively smooth labors and that if this birth progresses well then it might be reasonable NOT to call 911 during labor. Or that if they do, I may refuse to transfer. They are not allowed to abandon care, so hopefully things will just progress along nicely and if my BP doesn't get too nuts the baby will be out before a true emergency.

[tarasattva]

I was induced with my first at 40+2 due to PIH (luckily never had other pre-e symptoms).

Though I would have preferred not be induced at all I was very glad to have made it "to date" so at least I was less worried about babe being ok.

All in all it was a pretty great hospital birth with midwife. (She broke my waters and then after several hours started pit - never made it beyond the initial dosage as that kicked my labor into gear - and I delivered a beautiful baby girl 4 hours later.)

After the fact all of the midwives in the group eventually said that my PIH was really borderline HBP exacerbated by white-coat-syndrome.

Between that birth and this pregnancy I put on some weight and ended up in a job with high stress levels landing me with non-pregnancy high BP. At one point I was seeing readings of 150/100 regularly. Made some adjustments to diet and stress level and got down to high 130s/90s.

Now at 26 weeks my BPs are between 130/80 and 115/65. I am trying very hard to keep them in that range - cal/mag sups, low salt diet, avoiding caffiene etc. (Definitely want to hear what others are doing!)

I do still have issues at the midwives' office - readings there are usually 140s/high 80s where as at home I am usually 120s/70s. I have started taking my bp at home several times a week and recording it.

I always take several readings over a 10 min period and will almost always have it drop a good 10 points over those readings (like 134/83, 126/78, 120/68).

I record all of these values and take them in to the midwives for my appts.

I have no idea if this is a concern for you, but definitely make sure that you have an appropriately sized BP cuff. Using a small or regular sized cuff when you need a larger size will give you elevated readings.

I'm so glad you started this thread - I am trying desperately to hang on to my midwifery care (I have other risk factors and if my BP gets up there again they are likely to shift me to total OB care - right now I'm "shared" between them but get a midwife to deliver - I don't want to loose that).

Hang in there!

[trimestersdoula]

I am so sorry that all of us are dealing with this.

When did you all notice that your BP was going up?

My doctor isn't really sure if this is chronic hypertension (I sort of hope) or gestational hypertension.

I was going to be trying for a VBAC but I honestly don't think that will be happening. Neither the doctor or myself want this baby to be on meds for longer than needed so I will most likely be opting for another cesarean section at 36 weeks since the won't induce a previous c/s patient....not that I would fell comforatble allowing it anyways.

[trimestersdoula]

Ricki, how did your 24 hour urine go?

I got blood work done yesterday. I would have had to wait until Tuesday to find out the results and I just couldnt wait. I called tonight and they told me everything was normal. No uric acid, kidney and liver functions were perfect. Thank goodness. How much of a good thing is that though?

[Darlingricki74]

Originally Posted by trimestersdoula

Ricki, how did your 24 hour urine go?

I'm not sure, haven't heard anything yet. I dropped it off when I went in for my NST and bpp this afternoon. Guess they'll call me if there is a problem, otherwise I'll ask when I go in for my next appointment on Tuesday morning. I know my doctor went to check on it while I was doing the bpp, and she didn't come running back to catch me before I left or anything so I'm assuming it was probably ok.

[trimestersdoula]

Glad to hear that she isn't in a panic about. I'd assume that everything is ok too! Yay!

[lawmama1984]

Hi all, I'm newly pregnant, but I have had BP issues for awhile now, and did with my last pregnancy as well. HBP has been an issue with me since I was 16 (now 25), but at this point in life, I am able to control it with diet and exercise. At some point, I won't be able to. All the women in my family have died of heart disease right around the age of 50. My mother suffered a heart attack two months after DS was born, but she is very serious about her health and thankfully survived.

I was about 40 lbs heavier when I started my pregnancy with DS than I am now. Pre-pregnancy I was on a regimen of Inderal (160 mg) and a low dose diuretic. When I got pregnant, my perinatologist switched me to Labetalol and a baby aspiring regimen. On meds, my readings were in the 130s/mid to high 80s generally. My peri only did the one reading right when I first came in, but my OB would take a reading, say "oh that's high. Lie on your left side for 5 mins and relax," and they'd come back and take it and it would be much lower, so I may have had some white coat issues.

After a traumatic birth ending in a c/s with DS after a failed induction, I knew a hospital birth wasn't it for me. I had started DS's pregnancy at a birth center, but risked out at 19 weeks, and when I spoke to them about what I could do next time, they told me I should look into Homebirth as they have very, very strict rules due to their insurance and malpractice carriers. So, HB became the goal.

I was very overweight until my DS was 11 months old. I think the trauma of the birth, my inability to BF despite seeing many LCs and trying so hard (I mean, I was probably able to but I failed) and studying for the bar (DS stayed with my parents for 2 months while I studied) all combined to contribute to my weight issues. Plus, I had a don't care attitude. Then, I realized, at some point I have to care. I can't just raise my hand and say "I want a HB!" and have it happen and be safe for me and baby. I was so out of control, I didn't know where to start. Well, I took a chance and tried Nutrisystem. The program does have a little bit more sodium than I like, and I'm a vegetarian and don't eat fish, but some of their vegetarian products have fish, but at that point all I knew was I. Had. To. Lose. Weight. So I did it, and the program was amazing. Not only that, but I started exercising. By December, I was down 45 lbs. I took a break for a couple months, restarted in February and finally hit the 50 lb mark! I have been off BP meds since late October. In April 2009, when I started my weight loss journey at 230 lbs, my unmedicated BP readings were right around 158/114. 50 lbs later, they were at 130/high 80s at the doctor and even lower at home! I found a great MW that thinks I can HB safely, and will allow me to rest and relax before she takes my BP at any appointment. She has also given me some dietary considerations:

1) I take fish oil 3xs daily
2) A garlic supplement. Or just plain raw garlic if you can handle it, but no garlic late in pregnancy as this can thin the blood
3) Avoid spices like mustard, ginger, nutmeg and black and white pepper
4) Of course, drink tons of water. Add lemon and cucumber to your water for extra help. Also, juicing cucumbers is a great help and yellow are best
5) Take a calcium/magnesium/potassium supplement. Potassium is a great way to naturally reduce BP. I am still looking for a supplement with just these, but I try to eat a lot of potassium anyway. My MW would like my diet to handle most of these nutritional concerns, but it never hurts to have a little extra help
6) Watermelon
7) Buckwheat
8) Nettle tea
9) Of course, exercise!!

Anyway, that's all I've got! Glad I found this group! I'm really working hard to make sure I can have a HB and keeping my BP down is the number one thing I need to do, so it's great to have support!

[NicolleLynne]

Hi Lawmama,

You and I have somewhat similar stories. I was also very overweight (235 at my heaviest). I lost two pregnancies at this weight and though my OB never said obesity was the cause, I'm sure it didn't help. Before trying a third time I also lost close to 50 lbs. with the help of a strict detox diet, acupuncture and colonics. My BP also went way down, though I did and still do struggle with white coat hypertension. Before trying to conceive I had a terrible OB/GYN who, upon learning that I wanted children, informed me that I would either get pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or both and had no business even thinking about getting pregnant.

My OB now is wonderful and has never made me feel bad about my weight, quite the opposite in fact but I still dread having my BP taken. I start getting anxious about it days before my appointments - and I know the anxiety is what makes it worse but I truly can't help myself.

I really appreciate you sharing your midwife's suggestions for helping to keep BP low via diet. I'm already taking the fish oil supplements and drinking lemon water but will definitely incorporate some of the other suggestions into my diet as well.

Best wishes for a wonderful homebirth!
~N~