high blood pressure

[ellymay]

I have had slightly higher BP than normal and when I went in to have Elijah it was pretty high they said I was probably in early stages of PIH but anyways it hasn't gone down really my top number has some but not my bottom number, when I went to the doc the other day it was 120/100! That bottom number is scary to me and IDK what is causing it the only thing I can think is my weight bc HBP doesn't run in my family AT ALL even my 70 some year old grandparents don't have high BP and mine has always been on the low end of normal and now it is much higher but I can't exactly just diet like I'd like to bc of bf'ding and I am NOT stopping bf'ding but what else am I supposed to do? It is just scaring me bc I know that HP can be dangerous.

[Gunter]

hawthorne can help decrease it. lots of deep breathing and relaxing.

you can cut out the sugary or high fat, salty stuff if you have that in your diet. but, you do need to get lots of strong calories. maybe nuts would be a good alternative. but don't listen to me b/c i don't really know a whole lot about it.

wish you the best though!

[ellymay]

what is hawthorne? I don't have time to relax w/ 4 kids here full time and just haivng NO sleep and barely making it through the day w/ out passing out. I am trying to cut out most all the candy I eat bc I have a MAJOR sweet tooth but like today I have had all natural apple cinnamon granola for breakfast and for lunch I had a bananna and a PB &J sandwhich and a handfull of goldfish and for a snack I am having some pretzles and this is normal diet for me minus all the sugary stuff I normally eat LOL so I feel like I am doing ok on my diet but still high IDK I guess I outta not worry about it and hopefully it will be down by my 6wk ck up.

[lilyblossom]

I can't imagine trying to manage a newborn with all those children! If you can squeeze 5-10 minutes a day, even if it's at night for some quiet meditation/relaxation that might help. Since the cause of PIH is unknown, it's hard to say what's triggering it in your case but clearly you are overwhelmed. I know it seems impossible to get a few minutes a day to yourself but since your health is your obvious priority, I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work. Cutting down on the sweets is always a good idea too, but hard! I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and I've had to do it in the past. I always end up feeling so much better as a result.

Good luck mama!

[ellymay]

thanks, I really do try but it is hard bc ds1 is a pain to get to bed and by the time I get him to go to sleep it is time for me to go to bed and get a couple hours before ds2 wakes up and then he is up most the night nursing and keeps me from getting much sleep UG so hard.

[Dea]

120/100 is a really odd number. I would have you bp checked again and make sure they are doing it manually with a proper sized cuff. (if you have to don't be shy to ask for a larger cuff)
things that can help high bp:
eat a cucumber a day
take baths with epsom salts
take calcium and magnesium supplements (1000 and 600 units, it's a standard pill)


To help with sugar cravings, try taking probiotics. Sometimes crazy sugar cravings can come from not having good gut flora. In my case I was on so many antibiotics as a child that I have very little good flora. The bad flora is yeasty and they like sugar, which makes you crave sugar and simple carbs. I've been taking probiotics for a while, and while I still want sugar it's not as bad, I've really noticed a difference. It can take a while to colonize your gut again properly, but it's worth it.

Also try and buy yourself a good blood pressure cuff, not a wrist one, they suck. Make sure your feet aren't dangling when you take it and if it doesn't work, don't do it again, try later.

I hope this helps.

[ellymay]

Yeah I thought it was too but IDK the cuff was fine for my arm they use the bigger one for me anyways and she did it manually it was high the whole time I was in the hospital.

What are probotics? Where do I get them?and I am assuming they are ok while bf'ding?

[Dea]

Originally Posted by ellymay

Yeah I thought it was too but IDK the cuff was fine for my arm they use the bigger one for me anyways and she did it manually it was high the whole time I was in the hospital.

What are probotics? Where do I get them?and I am assuming they are ok while bf'ding?

120/100 just seems like an odd number. I had a 123/100 once and the doctor pooh poohed it right away and had my pressure taken with a larger cuff and it was a perfect reading. Perhaps if it were 140/100 or a higher top number, but your top number is low. Weird.
Also for a proper diagnosis of high blood pressure you have to have at least 2 high readings at least 6 hours apart.
Probiotics are the living cultures in yogurt, and in your stomach. I have never read anything about them being unsafe. The best ones are the ones you would buy in a refrigerated section in a good store. Or just eat yogurt with live cultures.

[Theia]

I just had an appt with MW yesterday and the first time she took my BP it was 140/100. She waited a bit and took it again and it was 130/90 I think. Anyway, it really concerned her, especially since my normal BP is 90/60 and over the past month it has been slowly rising. So to head off pre-eclampsia, she recommended much of what others have said, the cal-mag supplement, and cucumber. She said I *should not* limit my intake of salts, to use it as normal. Also watch for swelling in your face and hands. She also felt that liquid chlorophyll would benefit me. And it is true that there should be 2 separate readings 6 hours apart to confirm if BP is truly too high.

And another way to help cut down on sweets is to get more protein. Sugar cravings can indicate not getting enough protein. That was the other recommendation from my MW for me, to get 100 grams of protein per day. Based on the little dietary info you provided, it sounds like you are well below that, 60 grams is a minimum.

Good luck. I agree you sound overwhelmed. But realize that your health is priority for you and all your little ones. So do the best you can to improve your condition. Maybe you can find someone from a family member, good friend or even a doula who can help you get through this.

: