Low BP in 2nd Tri

[ChicaMomma]

Happy Monday mommies...

I was at a Mums2be 'festival' yesterday and had my BP taken by a midwife (i'm 23 weeks, last time i had it taken at 20 weeks it was perfect- 123/84) and it was quite low- 105/50.

Had just had breakfast/a juice so shouldn't have been that..
The midwife didnt seem concerned about it, said it's better to be borderline low in 2nd tri as it tends to rise in 3rd tri- but i'm a bit alarmed myself as it's always been normal range!

There doesnt seem to be many resources online about what to do other than regular eating/lots of water- both of which i'm doing anyway??

Am i worrying unnecessarily?

Due back in with the doc next week so will have it checked again, but woudl like to read up myself in the interim.

Anybody else experiencing BP drops?

TIA.

Apparently low bp is fairly common in the 2nd tri, I have had it with all three pregnancies and midwife was not worried. I am in my third tri with dc3 and my bp was 110/60 last time I had it taken, midwife still not fussed :). Just don't rush doing things incase you get dizzy.

Yes, that's what the midwife said to me yesterday also- good to hear you have also heard the same. Thanks. I was just a bit alarmed as literally for the last 15 yrs it's always been around the 120/80- nearly collapsed with the shock yesterday, i asked him what reading would a 'flatline' be and he was in fits of laughter.. dramatic much????

Don't panic mine was 110/60 at 25 weeks, which is high for me as I have had consistently low ish blood pressure, booking in at 9 weeks was 95/55. They're not too concerned, better low than high! But I try and drink plenty of water and I can't stand up fast or run about a lot as I get really dizzy and lightheaded.

Mine was 105/50 the other week as well (24 weeks). It's normal for me to have a quite low BP (around 100/60), but I was surprised by the diastolic being only 50. I looked it up on the British Heart Foundation website, and apparently low BP is only a worry if it's 90/50 or below, so I'm assuming because the systolic is higher than that, it's ok. After all, the diastolic is just the amount of pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed between beats, so in a lot of ways you would want that to be low. I think it only becomes a concern when the systolic is too low (ie the blood isn't pumping at sufficient pressure) or when both are low. I wouldn't worry unless you feel unwell with it.

Better low than high is right Moob!. since i last posted i got a FB PM from a friend who's 31 weeks, has been hospitalised with pre-eclmapsia (related to high BP in 3rd tri) and likely to be sectioned next week if things get worse.. all of a sudden that's put it all in perspective! She's reading close to 200/120, which is obviously dangerously high. Poor girl.

Mine normally sits in that region anyway, it is the lower side of normal. Smaller women will have lower blood pressures anyway (particularly if you are quite fit), and once you are pregnant, the blood vessels become more elastic so BP can drop. Unless you feel dizzy when standing it's nothing to worry about... just take extra care in the mornings, don't jump straight out of bed, sit up first and let your BP right itself. Try not to stand up too quickly. And drink lots of fluids. Lucozade is brilliant for helping keeps things at the right level - my cardiologist advised me to drink one bottle a day to help keep my BP a little higher. I only drink one now if I feel a bit light headed. It's more to do with the sodium rather than the glucose.

Same here: BP dropped throughout 1st trimester, stabilised at around 105/50-110/60 throughout 2nd, and rise back to normal (around 115/70) in 3rd. Absolutely no problem at all. Except that at 105/50 I needed to keep well-hydrated and stand up slowly!

yes, the standing up slowly is definitely helping, jumped out of bed Saturday morning and collapsed back down again!

I'm semi shocked that a cardiologist would be advocating lucozade though lol! i'm trying to stay away from sugar, my mother has me totally paranoid about too much sugar making a fat baby, or worse, its links to autism.

thanks everyone, seems like i dont have anything to worry about so.

My last bp measurement came out at 90/50 - didn't think I should be worried before reading this!

I guess it depends if that's normal for you, Cupcake. According to the British Heart Foundation, it's the starting point for what's classed as low BP - but some people have naturally low BP. If yours is always around that point, I wouldn't worry. My best friend has very low BP and so does her mam - it's something that runs in their family along with a low heart rate, but it's not a 'condition' or anything for them to worry about: just normal for them.

Oh I see. It was 120/60 at my booking in and has gradually gone down from then so I suppose it's normal for me?
Have midwife app tomorrow so hope it hasn't gone down too much more!

Just keep hydrated was the advice i was given Cupcake. Cannot seem to get enough water into me at all.
We are definitely both on the low side but it doesnt seem that our health care professionals are too concerned about it!

It seems as though it's gone down quite a bit to me, Cupcake, especially the systolic reading - but I'm not an expert! Do you feel ok? Definitely better at the level it's currently at than too high. Just out of interest, did they use an electronic monitor or one where they have the dial thingy and listen to your pulse to detect the BP? Just the latter is always going to be less accurate.

I feel fine other than normal pregnancy symptoms like tiredness etc. I do get lightheaded occasionally but that's often when I'm sitting down so I don't know if it would be from that.
I can't drink enough water too, I didn't know the two were connected though.
It was an electric monitor I'm pretty sure too.
Still it's like you said, better to be on the low side than high.

Oh, and I'm actually in the third trimester - almost 31 weeks. I don't know if that makes a difference!

I was told yesterday that generally the BP tends to start ticking back up from about week 30 on- just keep an eye on it i suppose?

I feel so sorry for my friend who's 31 weeks and in hospital with pre eclampsia- 200/120- they're hoping to get her another week along (for the lung development) and then section her. She's up the walls! even knowing that your BP is that high would cause it to be higher.

Mine was last measured at 82/39 I do it at work quite regularly I just make sure I drink plenty, get up slowly etc. your cardiac output increases quite considerably in the first and second tri so everything is working much harder.

I am nearly 21 weeks

Is your midwife concerned at all Blueberry? I wonder how low is too low.
Chica, that sounds horrible for your friend - I hope they manage to sort it out quickly.

The only way of sorting it out the pre eclampsia is by getting the babies out unfortunately- but she's almost 32 weeks, they will be fine, just in NICU for a few weeks which is not ideal!

I asked 'how low is too low' yesterday, and was told that too low is when you pass out!! '' There is no specific number at which day-to-day blood pressure is considered too low, as long as no symptoms of trouble are present.''

This is a really good source of info actually, it mentions a lack of Vit B12:

www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/Low-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301785_Article.jsp#

No as long as I am coping which I am with being careful, I have B12 deficiency and borderline iron deficiency so not surprised really!

Drops in blood pressure is completely normal in 2nd trimester. Mine has dropped now to 108/60 most times but can spike at different times! If for eg I exert myself it rises which is also normal!! I must admit I was beside myself with worry when I first seen it so low but nobody at doctors/ hosp seemed concerned with low bp, they only concerned about high bp! I've been told to drink lots of fluids! Also if you have a home monitor ( like I foolishly bought, now obsessed) don't take it just after having a wee, a bath or food because it's always low then xx