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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Blood pressure monitor obsession!!!

31 replies

Hellymummy · 22/12/2013 13:39

Ok so I went to midwife for a check up and my blood pressure was bit high!!!! So what do I do go into full scale panic mode, panicking like mad about it and causing me to panic like mad! So me being me I invested in a blood pressure monitor from argos! Well I'm doing it all,the time and everytime it's high and now I'm panicking more! I don't know if it's high coz I'm stressing about it being high!!! Aaarrgggghh help me I'm my own worst enemy!

OP posts:
poopooheadwillyfatface · 22/12/2013 13:42

unless you are a nurse/mw/dr who can interpret what the reading means there is little point checking it between appts.

fwiw I'm a nurse. I didn't get a bp machine or a doppler during my pregnancies , they are rarely helpful.

Original poster
Hellymummy · 22/12/2013 13:45

Thank you and I know you are right but I'm a panicker and get on my own nerves!!!!!!!!!! I worry constantly about everything that is gonna go wrong. This is my second Babba but you wouldn't believe it xx

OP posts:
poopooheadwillyfatface · 22/12/2013 13:47

But if it's 120/60 one time and 110/70 next time what does it mean. What do you do with that information?

both of those are entirely normal btwGrin

Featherbag · 22/12/2013 13:47

What are your readings? People have different ideas of what 'high' BP is.

Original poster
Hellymummy · 22/12/2013 13:49

It was 124/86 at midwife!

OP posts:
Original poster
Hellymummy · 22/12/2013 13:50

Plus I am ill with bad bad head cold at mo so dunno if this affects bp?

OP posts:
poopooheadwillyfatface · 22/12/2013 13:51

But what was it at booking in? if it was something/55 at booking, your current reading is high. If it was something/80 at booking in, they are essentially the same. They are looking out for it changing a lot from your normal.

Writerwannabe83 · 22/12/2013 15:16

I've got a home monitoring BP machine as I've had previous tachycardias (was on beta blockers) before TTC. When I was about 9 weeks pregnant I was signed off sick by my GP and my BP was 138/91. She said it was probably because I was so unwell and tense but just to get it rechecked. So obviously, I went home in panic mode, dug out my own monitor and started testing twice a day Grin It was absolutely fine each time I did it but due to cardiac issues I decided to just keep a regular eye on it. When I was about 19 weeks my BP readings were repeatedly coming out higher than normal (about 130/80ish) and my pulse level was always increased too (about 95bpm at rest). I informed my obstetrician who saw me and turned out I was having missed beats and irregular heart rhythms etc. I was put back on my beta blockers (which I really wanted to avoid) and have been absolutely fine since and my BP and HR went back down to normal levels.

I'm now 26 weeks and haven't checked myself for about 3 weeks - I'm only going to do it now if I feel something is amiss as opposed to going looking for problems that aren't there Grin

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:18

Electronic bp machines are not accurate in maternity cases! Any midwife would tell u not
To use it!! Blood pressure fluctuates all the time during pregnancy!

Let the professionals do their job

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:19

124/86 is not a high reading, perhaps high for u but it's within normal limits

Writerwannabe83 · 22/12/2013 15:20

Why do the midwives use electronic machines then???

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:24

They don't at our hospital, as they can give inaccurate and high readings when they are not! High risk when a lady potentially has pre eclampsia

volvocowgirl · 22/12/2013 15:30

I've just been in hospital for 3 weeks. I'm 32wks preggers and the midwife and the consultants used the electronic BP monitors when they came to visit me on the surgical wards, but took BP manually when I went to their ward to visit them on maternity - even though they had the equipment to do both in both places. I questioned it and was told it was policy but it didn't really make any difference to the results as the electronic ones are much better than they used to be!
With regards to your BP monitoring - you could keep a record and ask your midwife to look at it at your next appt? At least you'd know if you have cause fit concern?

volvocowgirl · 22/12/2013 15:32

Oh, the nurse and midwife I asked said the problem with the BP machines not being accurate in the past had more to do with cuff sizes than the machines though and the newer cuffs are better? Not sure what better means though in relation to size?!

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:35

If a cuff doesn't fit properly it won't take a proper reading! Won't inflate properly that type of thing

Writerwannabe83 · 22/12/2013 15:36

Well in terms of pre-eclampsia I'd prefer the monitors to give false high readings as opposed to false low readings Smile I've had my BP checked by my midwife on 4 occasions and it has never be done manually. They use the electronic monitors too when I attend my obstetrician appointments. It would be interesting to see how many hospitals do actually do it manually if that is what's considered to be 'Gold Standard'.

Thankfully my BP is about 110/60 (as an average) so my monitor is gathering dust in my bedside unit Grin

If I have a doctors/midwife/hospital appointment I always check it before I go as I know that when it comes to my BP I can suffer from 'white coat syndrome' so I like to get a reading when I'm not feeling stressed or nervous Smile

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:38

My booking bp was 110-68..... About 6 weeks ago I had it checked 168:88 and promptly put on bp meds!!

Writerwannabe83 · 22/12/2013 15:39

Blimey thistle - I hope the meds have worked for you?
Which one do you take?

volvocowgirl · 22/12/2013 15:40

No, I get that if the cuff doesn't fit it won't work, I just don't get how the size is now 'better' as they still only seemed to have one cuff available. Maybe it can manage smaller and bigger arms - but I would've though that might cause some overlapping on smaller? That's what I didn't get, not why size matters Wink

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:46

Labetalol twice a day!! Have bp checked weekly now

Writerwannabe83 · 22/12/2013 15:55

I was nearly put on that one but they eventually opted for a drug called Bisoprolol as that's what I took pre-pregnancy so knew I could tolerate it. Have you got to have more scans nows? I have growth scans every 4 weeks.

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 15:56

After 24 weeks I'll have them every 3/4 weeks!

It's tough managing bp :-(

Writerwannabe83 · 22/12/2013 16:00

And what are you doing about work??
I was initially signed off at 10 weeks with general sickness then as my heart issues cropped up I kept getting repeat sick notes until I got the 'all clear' from my Obstetrician and Cardiologist. However, when I had my 23 week appointment with my midwife she said that she doesn't recommend I go back to work at all as she doesn't want any extra strain on my heart. I was quite surprised by this but my GP agreed and so now I'm not going back for the duration of the pregnancy. Thankfully my boss has been amazingly supportive. I've been off now for 15 weeks and bored stiff. I am also having an ELCS due to my heart rate/rhythm issues.

ThistletoeAndWine · 22/12/2013 16:02

Work is just the same- I'm only
Just 20 weeks so just being monitored at moment!

When are you planning your elcs for ?

Madratlady · 22/12/2013 16:02

I I developed pre eclampsia at 35 weeks. My bp wass fine in the morning (and at every previous check), at midnight I was being rushed into hospital. No amount of monitoring could have predicted that.