Any ideas for lowering blood pressure?

[coharmony]

Help! I really don't want to risk out of a homebirth. My bp has been a bit high the last couple of appointments. I'm 19 weeks now and the last couple of reading were 138/88 and 130/80.  Any suggestions for getting it lower?  this is my 4th baby and I have never had bp issues before but it has been an insanely stressful year.

[XanaduMama]

Do you know about the Brewer diet? You can look it up, but the short version is loads of protein... Many mamas use this diet to ward off pre-eclampsia. http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/

If you think your high BP is stress-related, I'd also recommend yoga, meditation, and getting as much help (and rest) as you can! Hard with 3 other littles, I know.

hth

[HariB]

I think that the single most effective thing you can do to bring down your b/p, is to bring down the stress.  So yeah, sufficient rest, meditation of some sort (whatever works for you--some people meditate in action, such as gardening, dancing, walking, knitting).  Be pro-active in getting yourself calmer and more peaceful--some of that is going to be personal practices (relaxation exercises, breathing, mediations) and some is going to be boundary setting (getting distance from upsetting people, reducing work demands, asking for more help from your partner, etc). 

A good diet is a very good idea for so many reasons.  Brewer diet works for some, but even if you don't follow it, be sure to eat healthy--and get some exercise--because both of those things will also help your stress levels as well as helping you grow a healthy baby while remaining healthy yourself.

I have read that just as high b/p can be a SIGN of pre-eclampsia, it can also be a TRIGGER for pre-e.  When b/p is too high (or low), you and baby do not get adequate circulation/nutrition, etc, and this can lead to a host of issues including pre-e.  Make it a priority to get normal b/p again--don't underestimate it's importance in your health and baby's, and your birth.

good luck! 

[msmiranda]

A couple of things about blood pressure:  First of all, what is your baseline?  (what is your blood pressure normally, what was it before you got these last two readings?)  If it's normally 90/60, then those readings are very high for you, but if your normal is 110/70, then it's not that great an elevation and could definitely just be due to stress. 

Second, I assume that you are not spilling protein in your urine ... that you are being tested for that.  If you are developing preeclampsia you definitely want it diagnosed sooner rather than later.

Third, have you had any blood sugar testing, or could you?  (A home monitor is fine, not necessarily a lab test).  It's early for this, but undiagnosed/uncontrolled GD can cause blood pressure to rise.  This happened to me.  Probably not the issue in your case, but is one potential cause.

Fourth, what were the conditions when you got these two high readings?  Were you particularly stressed out on those days?  Had you been rushing to get there and was your BP taken before you had had some time to sit down and relax for a few minutes?  Had you eaten a large meal or had coffee or other caffeinated beverage just before your appointments?  All of these things can cause a high reading that is not indicative of what your BP is most of the time.  Also, at the second appointment, were you worried about getting another high reading because of the previous one?  I got my first-ever high BP reading at a prenatal appointment and now I have white coat hypertension, meaning that my BP always shoots up at the doctor's office.  White coat hypertension during pregnancy is very common.

You might want to look into getting a cuff for yourself (I have one, I think they are like $50 or $60) and taking your BP at home, often, so you get an idea of what it really is most of the time.  That way you can "prove" that you don't really have high BP if you don't. 

Over a period of time I think the best way to lower BP is exercise, but if it is going up for a physiological reason like preeclampsia or PIH I don't think exercise will help.  Bathing in epsom salts can help some people, and there's something about lemon juice and cream of tartar ... or is it cream of tartar in a cup of water ... am I remembering this right?  I don't remember the exact thing but I read about it on a thread on MDC.  Supposedly it works well.  There are also herbs that some people use ... maybe dandelion?  I wish I could remember, but if you do a search on this forum or I'm Pregnant or Birth and Beyond you can probably find some other threads with more details. 

[kcparker]

Another thing you can do is immerse yourself in a body of water (lake or pool, bathtub is not big enough) for an hour a day - go swimming or walk in water up to your neck. The hydrostatic pressure will help bring it down. If this seems like it's consistently high though, I'd monitor it carefully, just in case it is pre-e.. Keep a really good eye on it, and know the symptoms that should make you go to the hospital a.s.a.p.

[averlee]

The herbal remedy that worked for me, when my blood pressure began creeping up during the last weeks of pregnancy, was celery. Eat as much of the stuff as you can handle, is the dosage.

Also, avoiding stimulants, which might include- hemorrhoid ointments, caffiene, nicotine, anything that releases stress hormones/steroids, etc.

[coharmony]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Haven't heard of celery before but it can't hurt right?

My baseline has been a little high the last year or so. Its been a crazy stressful year and a half so it makes sense why that would be.

anyway, thanks again. I'm trying to take in all the advice and put it in practice.

[SarahKat]

I have borderline hypertension during pregnancy.  My midwife has me taking garlic and hawthorne supplements to manage my pressure, as well as regular Epsom salt baths.  These have been working very well - I haven't had any problems with high blood pressure with this pg. 

You can buy both of these supplements at any drugstore.

[livvie97]

i had pre-e the first time, and am hoping for a homebirth this time.  i've been talking a liquid calcium/magnesium supplement, as magnesium is supposed to be good at keeping the BP down.  also try to have at least 90 grams of protein a day (practically impossible for me, but I've been trying)

good luck! 

[Tumble Bumbles]

I've heard high protein, celery, garlic, water immersion, lowering stress (big one), drinking copious amounts of water daily, and magnesium all being effective for different women.

Here's some good info on hypertension in pregnancy if you're interested.

[Caterina]

I had high BP for the last month or so of my first pregnancy and my midwives' recommendations were celery and cucumbers (I ate a whole cuke a day), swimming every day, garlic supplements, and high protein. This pregnancy I started being proactive right from the beginning with homeopathics and acupuncture regularly. Don't know if you have extended health that covers these kinds of things, but my naturopath is also a chinese medicine doctor and she's been able to use a variety of techniques. Not only is my BP lower now than it was at the beginning of the pregnancy, but I feel really healthy this time around too. Acupuncture seems to work really well for me...

[blackbird2]

I think I took passion flower tincture at the end of my first pregnancy - 15 drops in water twice a day?  This is just all from memory, I'm not totally sure, but it worked great.  Recommended by my hbmw.  good luck!

[Mamatoabunch]

Walking, protein, and definitely dandelion, it works wonders for me. I know another HB mama that took calcium/magnesium supplement.

[mylilmonkeys]

I have had a lot of experience with white coat hypertension.  I have found that Lavender essential oil works really well for me.  Just make sure it is a good quality oil, apply with a carrier oil like you would apply perfume.  

[forest~mama]

I had high BP during my last pregnancy and responded very well to protein. I would have a high reading, then bulk up on protein, then it would go down. I think if I wasn't so sick and had been able to eat more protein all along my BP would have not even been high in the first place. This time it's not.