Blood pressure getting higher - any tips, please?!

[squishy]

Am 38 + 5. Blood pressure was noticeably higher last week (130/82 from usually no higher than 120/75) and then today at 138/90. No protein; ankles not that bad; no headaches etc. MW concerned enough to book a weekend visit though.

As I'm booked for home birth and this is one of the things that could scupper it, potentially, am trying to do whatever I can to lower my BP - have read about drinking lots more water (although I already do) and eating more fruit and veg.

Has anyone else got any ideas for what I can do to be pro-active, please? Having got this far, would hate to fall at the last hurdle.

Also, if the BP stays high, but nothing else is a worry, does anyone know what the MW will suggest? She seems reluctant to discuss and that is worrying for me as I need to have all the facts!!!! TIA xx

Treat yourself to a massage? Sorry, I had rising BP but for the life of me can barely remember it. I know I had no protien, so I was just monitored about 2 times a week. Drink water watch out for headaches and swelling... thats all I remember, sorry.

Good Luck though! And dont worry xx((hugs))xx

I had exactly this situation, minus the home birth plan, with dd.

I got monitored more often, and at 39+4 had to decide whether to be induced or go on bp meds...OB decided I should be induced. But by then my bp was more like 150/90-93. I never had any protein in my urine, and no symptoms, but as I was 43 at the time they were possibly extra cautious...and it is bound to depend on the hospital/midwife to some extent, and the overall picture (past pgs etc) how far they let it go before suggesting intervention.

Gentle exercise (walking, stretching) might help, and rest for sure, but tbh a lot of it is luck...I hope yours just stays where it is, and you get your home birth!

Also, just to pass on something I hadn't realized but now know about pg-induced hypertension...especially the non-pre-eclampsia sort....occasionally, when bp goes up at the end of a pg, it can then go further up a few days post-delivery. Probably wo'nt, but it could - mine did - and its worth getting it checked a few days after your baby is born just to be safe. My OB discharged me wihtout a backward glance, and luckily I had a monitor at home - my bp went up scarily and I was re-admitted, till meds brought it down again. I stayed on them for six weeks...then was fine again.

And just to put another picture in, I've read about women having higher bp than I did, and not being induced or medicated at all...as long a their urine was ok etc. Not sure about home birth part though, they may have regulation 'limits' with that - which your MW should be able to tell you about. I understand you wanting to know, I would too!

I'm 35+6 and going the same way. Same thing happened with Dd1.

Dd1 - they brought me in for checks with increasing frequency - daily in the last week - and induced me on my due date. They also gave me the 'wee sticks' to check myself at home betwen appointments. Tbh they made me worry more!

My current midwife is taking a dim view of me going into midwife led unit with high bp, so I guess is likely to make them more worried about letting you home birth. I think there is a slightly raised chance of problems - particularly heavy bleeding after birth. However, your bp isn't that high, given how far gone you are, so you might get away with it (try to keep it below 90). If bottom number goes over 100, likely they'll ask you to stay over at hospital. Possibility of drugs - though again i doubt you'd get that far given how far gone you are.

My mum reckons no protein or salt or tomatoes... I don;t think that works - i think that is general advice for protecting kidneys rather than anything to do with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).

I'm mainlining celery at the moment. My head starts to hurt immediately as I hit bottom number 90 so i feel quite attuned to what makes i better or worse - I've found the celery has made me feel a lot better (let's see how it pans out over the longer term though). Heard similar things about kiwi fruit (though the ones i bought are rock hard).

Do you have other kids? I'm trying to rest loads, which seems to help (that is, when i don't rest, my bp goes higher and i start getting headaches). Avoid lifting too.

My friend reckons that if you get high bp without going pre-eclampsic it means you are liable to your bp rising as you get older too. So prob worth trying to cut out salt etc. as a long term lifestyle change.

Let me know how it goes - hope all will go well.

Kif, your friend is probably right - I've been told the same by OBs and GPs alike. The good news is, I cut down a lot on salt, inreased exercise, and this pg my bp is much lower than it was with dd!

Mine was exactly the same as Eliboo, was very high towards end of both pregnancys (over 100). Also Post - delivery too so had to stay in hospital (can't believe they let you out without checking Eliboo!)

I reiterate the plenty of rest,sleep etc stay off the caffiene and unfortunately the chocolate all known for increasing blood pressure. im sure my bp went up everytime I saw a midwife though

I think I remember something about swimming (or being in water) can help.

I had high BP with DS1 (ver variable - labile I think they called it) - no other signs of pre-eclampsia despite numerous blood tests and 24 hour wee collection (what fun !).

I was induced at something like 38+5 because I went for acheckup and it was 180/120 - eeek - mix of white coat hypertension and real hypertension.

We were both fine by the way.

try to consciously relax your shoulders. sounds daft i know but i have high bp and own a monitor and if i relax my shoulders it goes measurably down.

Thanks for all the input - high BP is not something I've ever worried about - normally very very low/healthy. This is my first, so nothing to measure against. Am in the water quite a bit (have pool all set up already and spend at least an hour in there every evening!). Only started drinking tea again last week, so will knock that on the head (although one cup a day....!!!) and avoid chocolate (boo!!!).

Am going to do what I can to avoid being told to go into hospital, thanks for all the support!!

I've read a lot about pregnancy-induced hypertension online. My blood pressure is fine at the moment (has gone from 100/60 at my 12-week appointment to 108/75 at my 20-week one) but obviously it has gone up a bit since the start of my pregnancy (midwife assured me this is quite normal). But I thought I'd read up to see whether there's anything I can do to help it stay low.

I'm a very fit, healthy person: I run 5x per week (I've completed 3 marathons pre-pregnancy), don't use salt in my cooking and make a conscious effort to avoid too much salt, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and drink at least 2-3 litres of water every day. I don't drink coffee, have no more than two cups of decaffeinated tea per day, and hardly ever eat chocolate (I don't really like it much and have gone off it even more since becoming pregnant).

Bottom line - there's basically nothing much you can do to reduce PIH. If it's going to happen to you, it will. Some measures may help, like reducing salf or caffeine intake, or upping intake of vitamin C, but it's not really known why PIH affects some women and not others.

Its possibly genetic. My father and my uncle are both thin, fit, and healthy (non smokers, don't drink much) but are on BP meds in their 70s. Quite likely I will be too, if not before - meantime, it is 'unmasked' during pregnancy.

Thats the non-pre-eclampsia variety of PIH, not sure about eclampsias...

Thanks for the support. Anything is worth a try - so close now!!

I always thought that with pregnancy-induced hypertension you weren't supposed to reduce salt?

I've read something like that - that it works in reverse in pregnancy. However, most people prob get lots of hidden salt anyway, so everything in moderation

I'm not worrying too much about the salt; I don't add much anyway, but have read similar. Read somewhere this morning that Calcium, magnesium and zinc are all good for reducing PIH. Will give it a try as well as the veggies/fruit/water and some increased gentle exercise. Midwife at aqua natal told me to then stop thinking about it!! Know what she means but easier said than done!!

Well, babies will be out soon in any case!

Bring on the nappies, I say.

ive had pih in all my(4)pregnancies ,in my first it went up about 37 weeks,and i wasnt allowed to have my baby in the midwife led unit ,i had to go to the main hospital...BUT they did start finding protein in my wee from week 38 and i had swelling etc.i was induced 2 days before my edd but by then i had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.
ive had pih in subsequent pgs and been given medication and induced at 38 weeks.

in my last pg,my bp decided to shoot up to 160/100 at 28 weeks,i didnt want to go to hospital.i made a point of resting as much as possible,i cut down on salt(?)and i also got those flora pro-active drinks that are meant to reduce blood pressure(i dont know if they still make them).anyway,my bp behaved itself after that till week 34.

Well, am 39 weeks today, will know more after MW visit tomorrow, but am also using self-hypnosis. I guess if all that doesn't work I may have to resign myself to possibly having hospital visit......

Yes, I've got some of those flora drinks - and eating lots of celery. Resting loads - have finished work now. Seems to be staying steadily just this side of normal for now...

Apparently mine is at the "threshold" where if it goes any higher the decision will be taken out of my hands. Explained to MW that phrases like this, along with sending me into hospital, are the 2 things guaranteed to raise it more!! She understood and then became very reassuring. Also trying to keep mind less stressed and body reasonably active!!!

Hi Squishy
thought i might add my 2p worth. I had pre eclampsia with ds only started at 37 weeks, anyway was going to have natural birth at birth centre but bp meant no go, ended up with complete opposite birth to what i wanted, got induced had loads of interference, but all precations-then cesarean nearly happened twice, but had natural healthy ds in the end. My advice don't worry about your ideas/beliefs- hospitals can be great if they help you achieve your dream baby and that's what matters in the end. Labours can be unpredictabile-your safer in hospital where you will be throughly monitored
good luck

Squishy
Havent heard from you for a while are you okay? Any news. Please dont get yourself worried about a hospital visit. It is the best place to be at a time like this, especially if youre anxious.