January 2016 Moms

High blood pressure

I looked for a similar post but couldn't find anything since the summer so I am hoping things are different in the 3rd trimester!

Last Tuesday at my OB my blood pressure was 140/70 and she didn't seem concerned at all, just told me to come back in 2 weeks. I was 34 weeks at this time. Today I used a monitor at home and it was 143/90 so I'm a little worried and more so concerned that my dr isn't doing anything about this. Any advice or similar experience?

Re: High blood pressure

  • edited November 2015
    Call your doctor. They should check it under the same circumstances, position and with the same cuff or at least check it in a medical setting. With that bottom number increasing, I would call the after hours line and ask to be safe tonight (not sure what your hours are where you live).

    ETA: My niece had a similar experience so I'm drawing on that even though it isn't personal.
  • They are only concerned with the bottom number. Take home readings with a grain of salt. Sometimes those monitors are put on incorrectly or you get yourself "in a frenzy" that it makes your pressure jump. Mine has always been normal or slightly low the entire pregnancy. This week u was 140/76. I expressed concern and doc said only the bottom number matters. Try to relax and get plenty of rest/fluids.
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  • OP - when will you see your doctor next?  And have you had any other symptoms or just your at home reading? 
  • I won't see the dr until Tuesday December 8 and I have a fair bit of swelling but no other issues
  • I had high blood pressure for several weeks. 143/89 average. My blood pressure has dropped back to the 120/80 range. If your dr isn't too concerned then I wouldn't be either. I think it comes and goes for some women.

    Just to note: unless you have a trained family member taking your blood pressure, I wouldn't trust a home monitor. Those are unreliable and will only increase your anxiety.

    Talk to your doctor and trust their expertise. Get a second opinion if you feel you need one. In the meantime relax and take a nice bath :)
  • I'm in medication for my bp and am being induced early because of it. mines usually 150/100 on the medication
  • My blood presure has climbed I. A similar way- I spent the morning in hospital for them to monitor me. They are not "concerned" but I have 2 more appointments this week alone- so I am surprised your doctor dosnt want to monitor you a little closer, maybe follow it up yourself- give them a call and ask why they are not monitoring it.
  • I had high BP w/ DS that started around 36 weeks but mine was high at the office so they were aware.  If you took it at home and have had normal readings in the office, then my assumption is that they don't know there is cause for concern.  

    I would take it multiple times during the day to see if there is a pattern and if it is higher, lay on your left side and retake to see if it comes down.  If it comes down, I wouldn't worry as much but if there is a pattern of higher readings, then you need to call just have them check.  Good luck!

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  • I don't think it would hurt to call the dr, just to check in.  Even if home monitoring can be unreliable, she may want to have you pop in and check it out at the office.  I'm possibly overly cautious on this front because I've known multiple people who ended up with preeclampsia and it's always best to catch it on the early side.  Though OP you're much lower in blood pressure than they were when they first realized something was off, so don't worry, it's probably nothing.  Just good to check for peace of mind!  Good luck!
  • Blood pressure is a tricky thing. It skyrockets for so many reasons, and can be hard to chart properly without training. I mostly use my BP cuff at home much like I use my scale- try not to pay attention to the numbers themselves, but if you're consistent with placement/readings, watch for any unusual jumps. That being said, again, so many things can make it jump, from temperature changes, to anxiety, to the time of day... And on top of that, you needn't really worry until you hit about 150 at the very least for the top number. Yes, the bottom number is what can signal a problem is there, but damage to internal organs/stroke risk only arises when your BP is higher than 150 and stays there for an extended period of time. That's another reason that your doc probably isn't super concerned- in pregnant women, it's normal to see fluctuations in blood pressure. If it stays in that range and continues to rise, that could be a problem, but it really isn't high enough and it hasn't been high long enough to really cause any worry. I'm sure if your readings continue to stay in that range during your office visits, your doc will take further precautions. Also be aware that at every visit, your doc checks your urine for proteins that could signal a problem with preeclampsia, so don't worry about that going undiagnosed. Keep an eye on it, and if you see any other significant jumps definitely let them know, but for now you should be fine.
  • Thanks everyone! Went to the dr today so they are paying closer attention but still not super worried yet!

    In Canada they only test us for pre e at 28 weeks unless any issues come up :(. I guess you get what you pay for with free health care!
  • They only check once? Yikes! They check my urine at every apt for proteins. Which has been every four weeks, now every two weeks. Glad they aren't concerned about anything though.
  • That's a normal high range. It wasn't until I was monitored having 165/115 for several hours that my doc started testing for preeclampsia. I only barely got diagnosed with a mild case and BP meds have it under control. So I would say watch it, but don't worry too much :) esp with no other symptoms.
  • Your BP isn't super high, so I'd be more concerned if your systolic was very high. My BP is usually super normal but at one visit it was like 138 over 70 and the nurse said it was fine, I was most likely nervous. You have to measure yourself resting at home and the self-measuring cuffs are really inaccurate.
    Vincent 1.1.16 & Daniel 11.6.07
    In Memory of Barbara <3 , beloved mother and grandmother
  • My blood pressure just read at 131/95. Should pre-eclampsia be a concern?
  • My blood pressure just read at 131/95. Should pre-eclampsia be a concern?
    I think it depends on a number of factors...are you particularly more stressed right now?  Have you ate salty foods? Where was it taken?  Was it just this one reading? etc.

    I think you should lay down on your left side for a while and retake to see if it changes.  If it goes back down, I would just keep an eye on it but if it remains high, I would call your OB.  They may have you go to L&D for monitoring and can then decide whether or not to test for pre-e.

    One reading doesn't mean much but multiple readings can indicate issues.  

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  • Thanks, it was high yesterday as well, just not quite as high as today. I actually went to have it checked because I thought that it would be lower today because I had so little stress!
  • High BP does not mean pre e. It's scary how many online boards indicate otherwise! Only 1/4 women with prenatal hypertension get pre e! And you aren't hypertensive until 140/90 or higher! I've learned a lot about this lately!! They generally do baseline blood tests when you become hypertensive but the don't really seem to worry unless it continues to rise or hits 160/100.
  • Thanks for that information! That's really helpful!
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