White coat hypertension/panicking when having BP checks

[SpadesOfGlory]

Does anyone else worry so much about high blood pressure that they struggle to get normal readings at midwife appointments?

I'm 13+4 with our first baby and it took my midwife 5 attempts to get my blood pressure in the normal range! I have no idea why I worry...but as soon as I see the cuff I can feel my heart rate shooting up and I just know the reading will be high

The first time it was taken it was 160/100 But by the end of the appointment it was 130/69 which she took as being a normal reading.

I'm due to have it checked again at my 16 week appointment, and I can feel myself worrying about it already. Are midwives used to this?! I really don't want to have to do a 24hr monitor or be consultant led. I'm sure I don't have high BP, the GP has never worried about it and said its just cause I'm nervous as I have no other risk factors or family history of hypertension.

Any tips for how to calm myself down are welcome!

I had this with my DD. I got myself my own BP monitor and checked it regularly. It never really stopped but I could show that’s it would go down. My midwife was really understanding and could see it was white coat. I even managed to give birth in the MLU after some monitoring.
I’ve since had a 24 hour cuff, it wasn’t bad. I should add that my white coat syndrome has gotten much better after a bit of CBT for general anxiety. I’m 39 weeks today with DC2 and had no issues with my BP.

In hindsight 5-10 minutes on the free Headspace app before your appointment might help more immediately!

I get this. Do an average of 3 readings.

Also if theres a BP machine in the hospital or surgery, do some readings yourself and take the printouts in. That's what I do. I was called into the GPs a few weeks for a BP measurement as they didnt have any on record for me and the doctore was about to prescribe BP medication until I showed him the 3 normal readings (after 2 high) id just done in the waiting room.

Me! No idea why as never had high blood pressure. You can take my blood, give me injections etc but get that machine out and my heart races!

My midwife usually does 2 readings, one at the start and one at the end and it always comes down from the first x

I'm relieved it's not just me! I think I'm just going to have to get used to having them done and hopefully the panic will subside a bit.

Midwife said if I had genuine hypertension I would never get a normal reading, so she was happy enough. I asked her about getting my own monitor and doing readings at home but she wasnt keen on that idea for some reason. I'll be seeing a different midwife next time in the health centre instead of the hospital so if it's still high I'll ask her what she thinks of home readings!

Yes I had this from about 20w on - no idea why it started. I used to get my bp taken straight away and it would be sky high. Then midway through the appt it would have dropped significantly. Then again at the end and it would be perfectly in the healthy range. So annoying.

Yes!

My doctor recommended 24 hour ambulatory monitoring but after two failed attempts (long story) she agreed to accept my own readings if I bought a bp monitor and took my body four times a day. Now I’m at the high end of the normal range rather than the high end of holy crap!

@Uncreative "the high end of holy crap" made me laugh cause that was pretty much the reaction from the midwife at my first reading!

I work in healthcare myself (though not one where I need to take bp readings), so I have no idea why I seem to get nervous in a medical setting!

That’s good - laughter is supposed to lower blood pressure. Just think of that at your next appointment. 😂

I never thought I suffered from white coat effect. I have always felt calm and comfortable with my doctors. But the readings suggest otherwise. Perhaps in your case it is to do with role reversal?

Yeah quite possibly. I'm used to being the clinician treating the patient and until I got pregnant I was rarely at the doctors or in hospital for a medical reason myself. Hadn't thought of it that way before!

I’ve had this for as long as I could remember, since being in my early teens.

I get into such a state before I go to appointments that I’m literally at the point of crying.

Luckily, my mum’s a nurse and she would take my blood pressure at home where it fell within the normal range. After explaining this to the doctor she said I’ve likely got white coat hypertension.

I have no advice other than explaining this to the HCP you’re seeing.

Just thought I would update after my 16 week appointment yesterday. My BP was a totally normal 125/75 even though I felt nervous! Midwife took it manually and the high readings last time were from an electronic machine, maybe that's the trick!