Any MW's here? Bizarre blood pressure fluctuations (38weeks)

[Tess321]

Hi,

Any midwifes here? Can you help?

9 weeks 100/65
16 weeks 140/70
21 weeks 143/83
26 weeks 110/70
31 weeks 120/70
34 weeks 134/86
35 weeks 120/70
37 weeks 110/60
38+ 4 weeks (today) 140/85

Midwife looking concerned today-wants to see me again in a couple of days. I have no unusual swelling headaches or protein in my wee. I'm not stressed, tired or ill so why is it yo-yo-ing like that?
I am feeling a bit niggly today i.e some mild period pains. Does bp rise normally before labour starts?
If it doesnt come down from today's reading does that mean i'll have to go into hospital and be induced? I wanted a home birth

bump

bump

Im not a midwife but had a similar experience. Mine was low - normal throughout then from 36 weeks played up. It would range from 110/70 to 150/90.

They seemed to only get concerned by the bottom figure - and every time she measured it (and once it went over 85 the first time she measured it every 2 days - very annoying) and it was over 90 I had to go down to the hospital for monitoring. If it had gone down once I was there they sent me home again. If it wasnt down at the end of the day they kept me in over night and then by the morning it would have gone down and they sent me home.

DS was born naturally without being induced at 39 weeks.

They mentioned induction only if it stayed in the 90's and I went over due eg they would think about it at 40 weeks rather than 41 and over.

I dont think 85 is enough for induction especially if everything else is ok? Even in the 90's if everything else was fine I think they woudl just monitor you. It could be the start of pre eclampsia but it could just as easily be the start of labour - bp does rise just before labour beings.

I think a lot of it is about them protecting themselves (and of course you). It could be something more serious so they keep checking it.

This time around the consultant didnt seem to think my bp had actually been that high last time and was nothing to worry about. I now have a home blood pressure monitor from lloyds though and check it every week or so myself (am 29 weeks at moment). IF my blood pressure is raised in clinic I will be keeping an eye on it myself at home to check whether its anything worth worrying about or not. Obviously if its really high I will do what they say but am not running around in circles again worrying about it - which is probably what sent mine up in the first place lol

xx

I have a feeling bp does rise just before labour starts - don't quote me on it though!

Thank you both for replying, waitingtobloom that is very reassuring. I've had a sort of mild period pain all day but no braxton hicks or anything else weird so God knows what's going on

Is it your first baby? I remember last time feeling like I had almost constant mild period pain for the last few weeks or so. Not as in pains that come and go but always sort of their niggling away feeling.

I didnt get any (or didnt feel any I should probably say) braxton hicks with my first - more common to feel them in the second and more.

In the days running up to the birth the period pains got a bit worse and started coming and going irregularly more like contractions.

Hopefully this is all the start of something - baby settling down in their nicely and getting ready to get out!

Let us know what happens xxx

Yes, WTB it's my first. ALthough the period pains have stopped now.

Tess I also had a similar experience. BP in normal range and then shot up at 36 weeks (sometimes bottom number was 120). Also no protein in wee and felt fine.

I had to do 24 hour urine collection (you would not believe how much you wee in 24 hours!) and go to hospital every two days for monitoring. Unfortunately each time it was high, then would go down during visit, but I'd have to go back two days later. Each time I went in I'd have to explain from scratch and in the end was referred to consultant and induced at 40 weeks.

Sorry it's probably not what you wanted to hear but it all worked out fine in the end.

In my first pregnancy my blood pressure would spike for no apparent reason. The second figure ranged anywhere from 70 to 110. When it got to 100 I had to have blood pressure profiles done but all they showed was that my BP spiked even when I was relaxing in a chair reading a book.

I was induced in the end but only because ds1 was late and I was the size of a small house. It was unrelated to my BP.