low blood pressure?

[Kveta]

I have apparently got low blood pressure (90/50 something) and keep nearly passing out. MW has said nothing about it except 'it's low', but my mum (not a MW!) is hugely worried and is wittering on about standing up in labour so I don't keel over. I keep on getting v. dizzy if I stand up for too long though, so am a bit baffled!

is there anything I can do/should do?

am 38+4 btw and will be induced at 41 weeks if baby isn't out by then. Had pretty low BP last pg, but never this low.

I have low bp too & have done all the way through - fortunately my bp is always on the lowish side so it hasn't affected me too much...I did faint one day at work though which was embarrassing!

MW has told me to drink lots of fluids - apparently that helps raise it. Not sure there's much you can do though, and at least low is better than high health wise.

Yes stay hydrated! I ended up in hospital with hypermedia years ago whilst pregnant and had bp of 70/30. I needed to be on a drip - id become too dehydrated through constant vomiting

Hyperemesis not hypermedia

I have low blood pressure too. Last pregnancy my mw said having extra salt in my diet would raise it but wasn't suggesting I should eat more salt (not sure how this sits with keeping hydrated..?!).

A GP I happened to see last time around told me that the simplest test of who is likely to live a long life is blood pressure - the lower the better, so take heart!

I have just had to get used to getting out of bed/up from sitting slowly and being prepared to put my head back down again if I get woozy/see stars, probably happens once or twice a day.

It had no affect whatsoever during my two previous labours and I don't expect it will this time around either. I don't think your mum needs to worry, as someone else has said the real danger is high blood pressure.

Hope all goes well x

Me too - have it anyway and a very low heart rate so during this pregnancy I have been adding salt to things when I feel like it and it seems to have stopped the dizzy spells and kept it at a reasonable level. I set machines off in hospital all the time with mine but it is normal level for me.

thanks all, will keep hydrated and hope it doesn't get lower. I'm already annoyed that hot showers and blow drying my hair both seem to make me dizzy, so I look a total disaster area with my hair allowed to air dry. lucky it's so hot I guess.

I have had low blood pressure in all 3 of my pregnancies... my usual bp is fairly low anyway (90/60), then drops even lower when preg.

As per the ladies above, keeping fluids topped up is crucial. Getting up SLOWLY from sitting down/ lying down also helps. I've fainted many times when preg - in dentist chair, in M&S coffee shop, having a 34wk scan. During my ELCS 3rd time round, I was constantly feeling like fainting even though I was lying down, BP went down to 80/40.

Hot weather isnt helping, so just take it mega easy & keeping drinking water (so boring when all you will do is pee is back out again!!).

Hi I had low BP all through my first pregnancy (St one point something stupid like 70/40) and seem to going the same way this time round (at 17 weeks it was 90/60).

But at no point did anyone say anything as it was normal for me, as others have said above. When I asked about it the MW said the time they would worry if is the top number numbed up a lot from your 'normsl' level.

Blardy phone 'if the top number jumped a lot from your normal level'

I had very low BP when pg with DD, at one point I was seeing the consultant after a diabetes check and she asked did I feel ok as my blood pressure was very very low. I felt fine! She was surprised I wasn't fainting-I think my BP is just always quite low. Didn't know about the fluids thing though and I do get dizzy from time to time in this pregnancy so will try increasing it , I am rubbish at drinking enough.