are blood pressure monitors any good?

[HamblesHandbag]

They seem to vary in price a lot. Does that mean the 20 quid ones aren't as good as the 70 quid ones?

I bought one a few years ago and it has been really good. But yes, the quality varies. The British Hypertension Society has a list of BP monitors they approve for home use. I bought one from the list. It was a Boots one and from memory was on offer and was c. £50 as opposed to £100. I found the memory feature for recording BP v useful.

www.bhsoc.org/bp_monitors/automatic.stm

I would only get one if a medical professional has advised you to, they cause a lot of unnecessary stress about whether or not a reading is normal.

Assuming you have been advised to get one, a £20 one should be fine, just make sure you are sitting still while it does its thing, talking or moving/coughing will give you an inaccurate reading.

thanks for this advice.

I'm newly pregnant and anxious about pre-eclampsia.

With my last pregnancy, it was only because I was at a chiropractor appointment and she took my BP that I found it was through the roof at 35+. if I hadn't have seen her, it would have been another week before I saw the MW.

I thought it might put my mind at rest to be able to monitor it daily at home.

My GP recommended Omron. I am on BP medication these days, and keep occasional eye on it - had high BP post-partum, with both dds, and needed it then too; was very reliable!

Discuss it with your MW Hambles, a couple of times a week should be more than enough, maybe a little more in the later stages, but it will vary a bit day to day and that is normal.

My parents bought a blood pressure machine from chemist, think was about £40-£50, and I don't think it's that accurate. I did my right arm it said my blood pressure slightly high, did other arm it said was low, did my right again and was normal lol

here's a list from the BHS

Reeny, that's interesting. Ok, thanks y'all, I'll hang fire and speak to MW.