High blood pressure 16weeks- Down in the dumps today - help

[mummysweeangel]

So... went for my antenatal check today (didnt help that they were an hour and 15 mins LATE in taking me) and when my blood pressure was checked it was 145/100

this is my 2nd pregnancy and it was high during my first, but not as bad as this so early on - anyway... Midwife got the doctor to see me and he wanted blood tests taken to check something to do with my liver and kidneys? (anyone know what this has to do with it?) and he gave my aspirin to start taking but wants to see me back next week and if the BP is still high they will start me on hypertension medication. Feel very upset, worried and generally on a downer now. Also didnt help that Midwife tried to listen for LOs heartbeat with the doppler and couldnt find it- although she did say (and i know) this can be quite common being that i am only 16 weeks and am a curvy girl (understatement of the year there).

Really trying to be calm, going through quite a few stressfull things at the mo- have a court case coming up in March also with my DSs previous nursery and thats getting me wound up and trying to move house. Think i need to slow down.

Cheer me up someone !!

Sorry for the big long winded boring essay :( :( :( :(

I had high blood pressure from 16 weeksish, (pregnancy induced hypertension) it got higher as the pregnancy went on but was controlled by meds and is fine now.

They check your kidneys as they want to make sure you are not developing pre-eclampsia and I think to also make sure that everything is okay before they put you on medication, and that there is no underlying reason for your blood pressure to be going up.

Don't worry too much, chances are everything will be absolutely fine. You could look into something like pregnancy yoga to help you relax and look at your diet (low salt/carb and high protein diet is meant to help lower blood pressure esp. in PIH, can't hurt!)

Hope that helps.

Yes apparantly your liver and kidneys can cause high bp...I don't know how but I read recently of an op that does something to the liver and stops it..can't do it while pregnant, but uptil then I didn't know thats where it started from. I assumed it was the heart lol.

Firstly, they should check it again. Being kept so late is enough to make it go up.

Secondly, don't worry about if you have to have meds. Its no big deal and if its only pregnancy related, you will be off them after.

I am on meds for high bp, I am quite overweight, but that wasn't what caused it. Cause is unknown, and ironically started when I started going out and about even more. So I am sure its exercise that does it :D the tests they did as op said are normal to check for other causes. They did the same tests on me, and when my bp started being high I wasn't even pregnant. My doc knew I was trying though so put me on labetalol as it was safe if I did get pregnant, which I did and am still on them. Only side effects I have with them are breathlessness.

My mw warned me at 16 weeks she might not be able to hear it so its not uncommon. Worrying I know, which won't help your bp..

And as op said low salt diet is better.....didn't apply to me as I rarely use it lol, but I did read decaf tea/coffee is better for it, and avoid energy drinks and liquorice.

Look at the bright side, you may get extra scans out of it ;)

tlise - exercise will lower your BP not increase it. Don't stop moving!

Low salt diet isn't just about not adding salt to your food. It's about watching what salt is in your food already. Sausages, ready meals , tinned soup are all high in salt before you've even got them on the plate!

High bp can effect the functioning of your organs so that is why you are having the blood tests. Watch your diet, exercise gently, and look up the symptoms of pre eclampsia. If you get any more symptoms call your midwife. Try not to get anxious and rest!

I know northern lurker in theory, but mine didn't go up till I did lol. Not so much exercise, just helping in school 3 times a week, plus other things but it doesn't stress me, I have more patience with other people's kids lol. But we don't drive, so shanks' pony is the only way I travel. Hubby says legs of a jack russell (I'm not very tall) speed of a greyhound, so I don't amble along....well until now, not if I want to breathe as well.

wierdly, mine was always normal when I lived in the sw, as soon as I moved upto the midlands, it started going up. Yet there are more hills here, and supposedly more fresh air. Doc said as daft as it sounds, it could be something atmospheric that is doing it.

And I detest soup, rarely have sausages and don't eat many ready meals. Looked at all that. When you have severe IBS there isn't a lot of ready meals that don't have fat/cheese/milk/egg/sauces in that you can eat. So unless I eat out as a rare treat, everything is cooked from scratch.