upset I may lose my homebirth chance....

[mamamoogs]

My midwife was out today nad my pressure was a little high on her cuff and then i took it on my cuff and is was real high but just an hour before it was real low, and after she left it went back to being real , my pressure is so low when i am home that that gets me nervous, it's like 108/58 so i guess i get white coat syndrome with out a doubt and now she seems concerned that it will go up during delivery if i am able to get it that high when just nervous so now she is speaking as if i may need to be transferred and i am so upset first off all the money we spent and secondly who knows what will happen once at the hospital now i can t even think straight today.

anyone have there pressure rise at visits but be ok during labor?
I dont have high blood pressure normaly just when i get a little nervous or feel a little uncomfortable which i dont know why it has always been this way with me but now it is spoiling my plans , any advice out there for me?

[Juvysen]

I take it you're uncomfortable with your midwife? Is it too late to find a different hb midwife?

[annettemarie]

I had white coat hypertension, and my midwife was OK with it (and I was fabulous during labor, if I do say so myself, !) One thing I did was to check it every other day or so and keep a log to show her at visits. I had it checked at the health center at the mall, using a machine at the pharmacy, by the parish nurse, so it didn't cost anything.

[mamamoogs]

I wouldnt say uncomfortable with her i amjust a high strung nerrvous person in general and anything out of the norm makes me nervous, like i said everyhting with my pressure readings when home with family are fine as soon as someone else takes it it goes way up, so i dont know what to do maybe it will stay low during labor because i will other things on my mind besides being nervous, kwim?

what do you think?

[lyttlewon]

Originally Posted by mamamoogs

I wouldnt say uncomfortable with her i amjust a high strung nerrvous person in general and anything out of the norm makes me nervous, like i said everyhting with my pressure readings when home with family are fine as soon as someone else takes it it goes way up, so i dont know what to do maybe it will stay low during labor because i will other things on my mind besides being nervous, kwim?

what do you think?

I have with #2 and did have with #1 white coat hypertension. I would go with what AM said and check it when you are out and about and log it. During labor I did have high BP something/110 was the highest it got but I was in a hospital being poked and prodded and was uncomfortable. I am interested to see what it does when I am at home.

Also I wouldn't assume it requires you to be transferred. I haven't had to be medicated for my "gestational hypertension" nor did I need to be in a hospital. All it got me was an induction. I totally consented to it but it didn't need to happen. Oh and the cuff they took my BP with during labor gave me bruises and my arm was sore. That hurt worse than anything else associated with post labor.

[mamamoogs]

cool good to know i guess there may still br hope for me yet, she also said that she woudl try black cohosh , but i am a little dumb to the herbs and yet still a bit afraid of them at the same time, but then she did go on to say that the majority of her transfers were due to high blood pressure which has me feeling very discouraged rigth now, DH said i can tworry about this until it actually happens because worrying isnt gonna make it not happen so i guess he has a point........

[HeatherB]

How far along are you? Is here BP cuff the right size for you? Were you aware of being anxious/stressed when she took the reading?

If your readings at home are normal and not escalating, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. I had borderline-high bp early in my 2nd pregnancy, but when I went to my MW she got readings that were VERY high. I'm a "fluffy" mama, and the cuff was the right size and everything - but these were scary-high readings. She risked me out of a homebirth and gave me names of high-risk obs. I was heartbroken and in a great turmoil.

Three weeks later, with no above average (for me) readings, I went back to the MW who had a new cuff and my bp was 120/80 (this was after much prayer and relaxation techniques on the drive up there!). Her original cuff? It didn't work!! I switched providers and had a wonderful hb with no bp problems (in fact, mine went up AFTER the birth!).

It sounds like you have a bp cuff at home, so keep taking that at regular intervals. I'm using a wrist cuff now at home and it's quick and easy to monitor. Fun, too, to see what all it can do! My MW agrees that the overall pattern is MUCH more important than just one reading! So don't give up hope yet!

Oh, and my MW recommends passionflower tincture for lowering bp. I was taking it for a while and my bp was great, though now I'm not taking it and it's still looking good! So not sure if it worked absolutely or not, but might be worth trying.

[annettemarie]

For lowering BP, there's a three-day concoction you can take that has lemon or lime juice and cream of tartar. I don't have it right now, but you could probably google it.

Also, you might want to check, but I thought one of the cohoshes wasn't good to take with high bp. I can't remember if it's blue or black though.

[salt_phoenix]

With my last HB, my BP went up too, my midwife warned me:
"If it keeps going up, I just can't assist you at home."
Fortunately, I was a mere 3 weeks from my DD, so I took to my bed with cohosh tea and lots of visualization to bring the baby sooner, and safer...
3 days later.... I had DD#2- Happy, healthy and born at home.
Hang in there, and GOOD LUCK! :-)

[herbsgirl]

Mamagoos--

Why not try Magnesium? Natural Calm is a magnesium powder that you can mix with water, and it is water soulble (you cannot od on it...your body will just shed the excess!) I have read of lowering Pregnant women's blood pressure with this. Defenitly something to look into. Very safe, and easy!!

[mamamoogs]

well thanks for all your advice but my problem is that my blood pressure is only high when the midwife takes it i mean my readings are very low any other time like 118/68 and sometimes lower i really dont want to mess with anything out if fear my pressure wil go to low i mean it is really low on a daily basis, she said that she beleives me but she fears that it will go up high during labor and then that will result in a transfer so i have to find a way to relax during labor and keep it at 140/90 or lower and i guess she will give me herbs during labor being s my pressure is not high on a daily basis.

[zek_grrl]

Originally Posted by mamamoogs

well thanks for all your advice but my problem is that my blood pressure is only high when the midwife takes it i mean my readings are very low any other time like 118/68 and sometimes lower i really dont want to mess with anything out if fear my pressure wil go to low i mean it is really low on a daily basis, she said that she beleives me but she fears that it will go up high during labor and then that will result in a transfer so i have to find a way to relax during labor and keep it at 140/90 or lower and i guess she will give me herbs during labor being s my pressure is not high on a daily basis.

I have white coat hypertension and I can relate to your concerns. I also feared I would lose myhomebirth because of it. I've had it with both my pregnancies.

THe thing to remember is that the BP reading when your MW takes it is NOT your normal BP its a situational reaction!!! I took my own BP at home and during labour without my MW in the room. It was fine - sometimes in her office it was 140+/100+ but at home and during labour it was less than 140/90. We only took it once during labour - we didn't make a big deal of it.

In my experience if you "TRY" and relax you will be MORE anxious. Try noticing your breathing when you get your BP taken - experiment at home and notice what happens when you hold your breath v's breathing regularly v's deeper belly breathing. Its facinating - I've done it and I've read others post deep breathing has been helpful.

I don't see why you have to transfer just for BP alone? If there are other symptoms or problems sure but BP is likely to be a bit higher suring labour anyway.

Other things I did were - accupuncture, garlic and fish oil, magnesium, exercise (not bed rest!!!), hypnobirthing tapes everyday, lemon juice and cream of tartar, and home BP monitoring twice a day.

good luck with it!!! There is NO way you should have to lose your HB just because of white coat hypertension!!!!!!

[momto l&a]

B-6 helps with high blood pressure.

I would keep track of your bp and then show it to your mw so she know what normal is for you.

[ksera05]

did she dip your urine for protein? If you're not spilling any protein, I don't see why she'd have to transfer you for "high" blood pressure alone if you can prove that it's lower when she's not around

[pinksprklybarefoot]

My mw had me using hawthorne tincture for high blood pressure. If you think you are just nervous, maybe try a little rescue remedy before she takes your blood pressure?

Good luck!

[mimiharshe]

Originally Posted by mamamoogs

then she did go on to say that the majority of her transfers were due to high blood pressure which has me feeling very discouraged rigth now, DH said i can tworry about this until it actually happens because worrying isnt gonna make it not happen so i guess he has a point........

Ok, don't you think she's overdoing it? Sounds like and MD trying to find something wrong. :You don't have a disease...you are growing a baby!

[mimiharshe]

Originally Posted by mamamoogs

well thanks for all your advice but my problem is that my blood pressure is only high when the midwife takes it i mean my readings are very low any other time like 118/68 and sometimes lower i really dont want to mess with anything out if fear my pressure wil go to low i mean it is really low on a daily basis, she said that she beleives me but she fears that it will go up high during labor and then that will result in a transfer so i have to find a way to relax during labor and keep it at 140/90 or lower and i guess she will give me herbs during labor being s my pressure is not high on a daily basis.

You do not need to be worrying about this! You need someone who BELIEVES you and will support you in labor. You shouldn't have to convince her! If your blood pressure is normally great, which it sounds like it, then your issue isn't needing to take anything. It just sounds like you get really anxious when she takes it! Are you sure you are comfortable w/her? You are an awesome pregnant mama and everyone around you should listen to YOU!

[Nora'sMommy]

I have a similar problem. My past several visits my pressure has been like 130 or so over 80-90 or so. Normally more like 117 over 70ish. So I started to lie down on the bed in her office during our visit and we do the bp later in the visit. It always goes back down to normal. MW is not concerned about this. Maybe you can try it. I don't concider this white coat hypertension.....I'm still in the office and she's still taking the bp when it comes out normal. I think it's just the excitement and physical exertion of being/getting there as slight as that may be.