High BP only at Dr.

[Magali]

This is just a loooong dual faceted vent . I am frustrated. My blood pressure has been high at every single one of my 3 prenatal visits. 139/normal number....130/normal number and today 136/normal number. I HATE seeing a Dr. for prenatal care. I am very nervous and on edge when I am there. But, when I take my blood pressure on machines at the store, it is in the 120's/normal number. I took it randomly last week and it was 126. Today after my appointment I went to the store and took it every half hour and it was always in mid-low 120's. Dr. wants me to monitor it 2x a week and write numbers down. Which I do anyways. Very rarely my first reading will be a tad high, but if I take it 5 mins later it is normal again. I totally get that high blood pressure and pg are not a good combination, it's just that I am not convinced I have a problem yet. So now my Dr. isn't writing me a note for my return flight home after my vacation in 4 weeks. I will be 32 weeks on the day I return home....Westjet requires a Dr.s note for flying after 32 weeks. My Dr. said "good luck with that" and the most she did was write me a note saying when my due date is. And that there are "worse places to be stranded" (than where I am flying out of). At least I won't be hassled on the way there.

OK, I know she is just doing her job and doesn't want to say I am "fit to fly" with these normal/high BP readings I get from her. But I still am frustrated.

[Bokonon]

In your shoes, I would buy a home blood pressure cuff and log those numbers. Store BP machines aren't calibrated often and can be inaccurate.

Since the systolic # is more affected by stress, it's not unusual that yours is higher at the doctor's office while your diastolic is unchanged. And that's a very good sign that your diastolic is normal.

[MamaJenese]

Have you tried having them take your blood pressure at the end of the appointment. Mine is always high if they take it when I get in but if I have the appointment and then take it is normal as can be.

[hapi2help]

I have this issue too. I bought a Homedics bp cuff at Target for like $40 and its fab. Made the Dr very happy. It stores like 30+ reads so he can see my numbers. I take a read 2x a day at the same-ish time, not just when I am lounging. I get great numbers at home and suck at the Dr.

Meh

[InMediasRes]

Yep, I get really nervous at the doc too, and it sounds like yours isn't very understanding. I always told them to take it at the end of the appointment. If mine is high, I know it's from nerves because I read practically dead most of the time. My normal numbers are like 90/60 most of the time.

[HappyTomato]

What was your BP like before pregnancy? Even though your numbers are still within normal limits, it can be concerning to a dr if its a significant increase above what you normally run when not pregnant. Is there any chance you can return from vacation a few days earlier to avoid needing a dr's note? I had the same problem with BPs being high at the dr's office but not at home but then they eventually started being high at home too (I've had pre-e 3 times! Blah!). I agree with the others about getting a home monitor (with the correct size cuff for your arm). Take care!

[Tresa]

When during the appointment do they take it? If you've been hoofing it to get there, walking around the office building, chasing a kid, etc. it will be high at the beginning of your visit.

If you've been sitting there forever waiting, getting antsy, it could be higher.

If they take it mid visit when you've been sitting, when you're calmer because you're more into the flow of the visit, or maybe if they do it right before the end of your visit...IDK, change up the reading times?

[Honey693]

Originally Posted by Magali

So now my Dr. isn't writing me a note for my return flight home after my vacation in 4 weeks. I will be 32 weeks on the day I return home....Westjet requires a Dr.s note for flying after 32 weeks. My Dr. said "good luck with that" and the most she did was write me a note saying when my due date is. And that there are "worse places to be stranded" (than where I am flying out of). At least I won't be hassled on the way there.

OK, I know she is just doing her job and doesn't want to say I am "fit to fly" with these normal/high BP readings I get from her. But I still am frustrated.

Honestly if she has you track your bp at home, sees it's fine and then still refuses to write a note I'd be switching providers. It doesn't' sound like she's being very helpful at all, especially with the worse places to be stranded comment. That would make my blood boil.

[cristeen]

Sounds like white coat hypertension to me. Which is just being made worse by her bad attitude. I'd be switching providers, and if possible, would be considering a MW (either BC or HB).

[Magali]

Good advice everyone. I will get myself a cuff for at home. If I do develop pre-e, at least I will know that I actually do have a high blood pressure. I could very well have a problem with my blood pressure, not denying that. I just want to be sure, yk?

She takes it mid appointment, but...it is always after we discuss something stressful to me. Like yesterday, my not taking the GD test and not being able to find heartbeat with my fetoscope (even tho I found it just fine at home within seconds). I am very sensitive and these things are stressful to me and I am wondering if they might elevate my BP to the high normal range.

I have no options for a midwife here. I live in rural New Brunswick, Canada. My alternative to this Dr. is possibly one other, or a UC 30km's from a hospital. Neither dh or I am really comfortable with that distance. The only reason I was seeing a Dr. is to save on the $ for the urine test strips/blood pressure cuff and to have a record on file that I have had care for when I show up at the hospital.

I think it is interesting that she won't declare me "fit to fly" but doesn't have me on meds or at least monitoring me often. I asked when she wanted to see me again and she said in 4 weeks.

I felt like bawling all day yesterday. The only stressful things that are happening to me in this pregnancy are on prenatal visit day

[Magali]

Originally Posted by HappyTomato

What was your BP like before pregnancy? Even though your numbers are still within normal limits, it can be concerning to a dr if its a significant increase above what you normally run when not pregnant. Is there any chance you can return from vacation a few days earlier to avoid needing a dr's note? I had the same problem with BPs being high at the dr's office but not at home but then they eventually started being high at home too (I've had pre-e 3 times! Blah!). I agree with the others about getting a home monitor (with the correct size cuff for your arm). Take care!

Hmmm, I have been looking into finding out which size is best for my arm. Apparently I need a large sized cuff. My midpoint upper arm measures in at about 35 cm's. I will ask my Dr. which size she is using.

[maryeliz]

I seem to be a classic white-coat hypertensive. My worst in-office reading was 155/95, while my out of office readings were only slightly higher than normal range. My doctor has been very watchful because she explained that people with occasional high readings are at higher risk for developing regular high blood pressure. So with that info, I decided to make some temporary lifestyle changes and see if it made any difference. I've been following a moderately low salt diet for about a year (no salty snacks, limited prepared food, reading labels, lots of fruit and veggies), and I've added additional exercise (swimming twice a week). When I go in for a BP check, I also ask for a couple minutes after I sit down in the chair so I have time to close my eyes, breathe deeply, and think calm thoughts.

I don't know which of these things has helped, but my BP has been consistently lower. I'm usually below 120/80 in office and my last out of office reading was 110/60.

[nia82]

It seems like white-coat plus apprehension blood pressure. You have your cuff at home and are doing fine, then I woudln't worry. I had the same thing going on with DS in late pregnancy, first of we always had to wait one hour for our appointment (poed at that point already big time), then dehydrated and starving from sitting around there, then discussing birth plans and the obgyn shot everything natural down and was just super annoying. Duh, you will have higher readings. Don't let her scare you into anything as long as your numbers are fine. Try to get the flight notice, that's just ridic. Talk to her about it how you are apprehensive and stuff, I think they should be told that.
If you are really worried about pre-e, watch your swelling, reflexes and get your hands on urine sticks. They are easy to read and will show if you spill protein.