Hi all. I popped in a few months back with HEG. It finally settled down a few weeks ago......just in time for my blood pressure to start creeping up.
I'm 30 weeks and have watched a slow climb in BP at each OB visit since 24 weeks. Now I officially have gestational hypertension. BPs run 140s-150s / 80s-90s. From what I've read, things will be perfectly fine if I maintain the status quo through the rest of pregnancy. However, given my profile (# of pregnancies, age, prior issues, development during 2nd trimester, etc), I have about a 50% chance of this progressing to preeclampsia. The symptoms I'm supposed to watch for aren't helpful. Headaches? I got migraines before the pregnancy and being pregnant didn't change that. Difficulty breathing? Yeah, especially as DD crowds my lungs. Abdominal pain? Check. I've been calling it heartburn this whole time. Swelling? Yeah, I'm pregnant. So far, I have no protein in the urine and totally normal labs. From what I've read, rest and decreased stress can lower BP, BUT that's just a temporary thing. There's not much I can do to control whether or not this progresses to pre-eclampsia. I'm just on autopilot, waiting to see what happens.
So, yeah, let me just sit and stress about how stress raises my BP.
I hope to hang out here at least another 5 weeks, preferably 8-10 weeks!
**siggy warning**
Current Age 35, DH 33
Married 9/2011
BFP 8/2012, Miscarried 9/2012
BFP 9/2012, DS 6/2013
BFP 6/2014, Miscarried 7/2014
BFP 7/2014, DD 4/2015
Re: (re)introduction and blood pressure / pre-eclampsia talk
Kelly, Mom to Christopher Shannon 9.27.06, Catherine Quinn 2.24.09, Trey Barton lost on 12.28.09, Therese Barton lost on 6.10.10, Joseph Sullivan 7.23.11, and our latest, Victoria Maren 11.15.12
Secondary infertility success with IVF, then two losses, one at 14 weeks and one at 10 weeks, then success with IUI and then just pure, crazy luck. Expecting our fifth in May as the result of a FET.
This Cluttered Life
**siggy warning**
Current Age 35, DH 33
Married 9/2011
BFP 8/2012, Miscarried 9/2012
BFP 9/2012, DS 6/2013
BFP 6/2014, Miscarried 7/2014
BFP 7/2014, DD 4/2015
**siggy warning**
Current Age 35, DH 33
Married 9/2011
BFP 8/2012, Miscarried 9/2012
BFP 9/2012, DS 6/2013
BFP 6/2014, Miscarried 7/2014
BFP 7/2014, DD 4/2015
I've had lots of extra ultrasounds, just about every month, and at this one OB says baby is small (I've asked for the specific percentile since I like numbers, yay) - I noted on the ultrasound screen that though we're at 28 weeks (we know the conception date), he's presenting like 25 weeks gestation.
There's still lots of therapy and medication to go through, but I'm frustrated and afraid. I'm not showing any other specific signs of pre-eclampsia (a few headaches here and there, wedding rings don't really fit anymore, hard to breathe but as OP said HEY we're pregnant, right?), but the news about his size and growth has been VERY disconcerting. Visits and ultrasounds will be every two weeks starting now, so I know we're keeping a close eye on things but... as I'm sure you all know, it's frustrating.
I don't know what to expect if things go sideways, and I feel like I look paranoid if I ask. It helps to know you ladies are out there feeling it, too (though of course I certainly wish we weren't!). How are you all coping? How are things going?