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Parenting
Did anyone take blood pressure meds while preg?
I had borderline high BP aroudn the 6th month of my first pg. My company closed around the same time so I was able to keep it in check by basically being at home and not doing much of anything.
I'm only in the 3rd month now and I'm already borderline. I know a lot prob has to do with the fact that I didn't lose the babyweight the first time around, but I am terrified about having to take meds. My OB said today that I need to cut back the sodium and if it's still high at my next appt, she wants to put me on meds.
I am such a worrier anyway that I don't take ANY meds when pg (even the Ok'd ones), so this is a big deal to me. I'm so afraid that something will be wrong with the baby b/c of meds I had to take.
Any experiences? I realize that having high BP is also not good for the baby.... just trying to make sure I am doing the right thing (FWIW, my bp today was 130/90).
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Re: Did anyone take blood pressure meds while preg?
worrying about the meds certainly doesn't help. You need to trust your docs and know they will do the best for you and your baby.
that is pretty high bp... watch your salt like the doc says- and find some ways to de-stress.
also- do you take your BP at home? Mine is always higher when I go to the doc in the am- b/c i'm rushing to shower, get dressed, get DS out the door, etc.... but at home it's fine- and when i have an afternoon appt at the OB it's fine, too... in fact- last time it was too low- she told me to UP my salt!
I haven't taken it at home for a while. When I was there, they had me rest on my left side for a few minute and then they took it and it was 110/70. But as my OB pointed out, sitting aroudn at home with a toddler just really isn't a viable option for me. I used to have LOW bp before I was ever pg... weird.
I think I'm EXTRA nervous b/c this same OB tried to put me on meds the first time, and after my second dose I thought i was going to have to call 911. I was home alone and could not even move enough to get out of bed. I felt horrible... like I was going to die. Turns out (after the other OB in the prac called me back - she is no longer there!) that the dose was TOO high and my bp dropped too low which is why I felt so horrible. SHe took me off of the meds and put me on restriction (bed rest more or less) and I had to monitor my BP several times a day. But no more meds.
So I am TERRIFIED to feel like that again. not to mention that it can't be healthy for the baby for my bp to suddently plummet. I told my OB this today adn she agreed that she'd put me on a low dose to start adn see if we needed to increase it. I just hate the thought of meds while preg in general
I have chronic hypertension when not pregnant. I have taken a beta blocker for several years including through my entire first pregnancy and so far through this one. According to the research I did most beta blockers are safe while pregnant. My OB prefered Labetelol to Atenolol which I was taking previously. So I switched to the Labetelol with my PCP's blessing. My BP has been fine all along and no harm was done to my son and this baby apears fine at this point.
This is a situation of the benefits definitely outweigh the risk. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have.
Good luck.
Thanks Susie! She had percribed me Labatelol as well. Do you mind sharing what your dose is? I'm trying to figure out if she had given me a really high dose or if my body is just really sensitive to it.
Thanks so much and if you don't mind, as this unfolds I may ask you lots more!!
With my first pregnancy I had PIH. I HATE taking medicine and felt even more strongly about doing it while pregnant. With that said, I felt the risks were not worth going without meds - no question about it. She started me with a low dose and I stayed on a low dose for the rest of my pregnancy (I started the meds around 20 weeks I guess). My son is perfect in every way and if I had the same problem this time with my BP (so far, so good) I wouldn't hesitate to take the meds again. Good luck to you!
I don't mind questions at all. Happy to try to help. I totally understand how you feel. I take 300 mg twice a day. It took a little while to figure out the right dose when I first switched to it. But I've been consistently on this dose for more than 3 years now and my BP has been completely controlled preganat and not. What was the does they gave you when you tried it and felt horrible last time?
Because of my history of high BP, even though it was completely controlled throughout my pregnancy, my OB sent me for weekly NSTs during my last 5 weeks. Everything was fine every time. I appreciated caution but was glad it was for nothing!
Susie
I had to take BP meds as well. I was on aldomet at first, then aldomet and procardia, and I was on procardia and labetalol (1200-1600 mg, I think). I'm still on the procardia. My PIH became permanent. Having uncontrolled BP while pregnant can cause some really bad things, such as IUGR, the thing where the placenta detaches, increases the risk of pre-e, etc. The risks of not medicated far outweigh the risks of the medication. I think taking the medication is the right thing to do when it comes to BP issues.
Edit: My BP was 155/105 when I was initially put on medication.
Just dug out the old bottle (I can't believe I even kept it, but I did!). I was on 100 mg/2x day. After the first dose (at night) I felt fine, but when I took it in the am, it was all downhill. I wish I would have had a bp cuff at that time to take my bp.... I can't imagine what it was, btu I know that I have never felt that way before and I was VERY VERY scared. I litterally crawled downstairs to get the phone and back up to bed and didn't move from there for hours.
I'm hoping that she will let me 1/2 it to start and see how I feel...