Blood pressure - how high is high?

[MrsY]

I'm 35 weeks + 5, and my blood pressure is 170 over 100. Is that really bad?

I also have 3+ of protein in my urine. Should I be crapping myself?

I think that's quite high, what has your MW said?

Sending me to the DAU second day in a row. It just keeps getting higher each time. But blood tests have cleared me for pre-eclampsia, so not sure whats going on.

Yes that's very high for during pregnancy. What is it usually?

I'm on home monitoring for my BP and they've told me to call in if it's above 140/90 (give or take a bit).

3+ protein also sounds bad, don't want to panic you but call your triage unit or delivery suite in the hospital now and speak to a midwife there, they will probably want you to go in and have bloods taken.

Are you on home monitoring too, who took your bp?

Sorry x posts.

Either way, keep badgering them. If it's that high, call them and they can make a decision based on your history about wether or not to get you in.

Good luck

A community midwife.

My booking in BP was 135 over 70.

I'm just waiting for my hubby to get home from work, and we'll go off to the DAU for checking. Midwife wouldn't let me drive or get the bus...

That's not good. Sounds like PE to me, exactly what I had, high BP & protein.

The BP is worrying as soon as the lowe figure hits 90. Mine was 140/110.

How have blood tests cleared you? I guess the bloods were for liver function, but they can be functioning fine & still have PE. My bloods always came back ok.

Are you getting headaches? Visual disturbances? High abdominal pain?
Vomitting?

Ditto x posts!

Thanks for the good luck. They took more blood yesterday, so should have results when we get in later. That could clear things up...

Yes - that is high. When I had pre-eclampsia with my first pregnancy I was told if the bottom number was over 90 it was cause for concern. I had a bit of protein in my urine but blood tests didn't show any problems. However, I also had the additional issue of a baby that hadn't grown very well from 20 weeks so I was straight in for induction (but this was more to do with the fact dd hadn't grown at all in 2 weeks and I was 37 weeks by this point).

Hope things are ok.

No pain, no headaches, no pain or vomitting. I feel the beast I've felt all pregnancy!

And dd came along at 36 weeks on the dot & 5 yrs on you would never know! Just some reasurrance if you do have to deliver soon[only cure if it is PE]

The protein is a worry and you need to have more blood tests to check for signs of pre-eclampsia.

High BP is a symptom of PE, but you can have high BP without PE. If you do not have signs of PE, the doctors can medicate your blood pressure to bring it down. I had this from 36 weeks (when my BP hit 165/110) and ended up going to nearly 42 weeks! For what it is worth, it is extremely common for women to have high blood pressure towards the end of pregnancy, particularly if it is a first pregnancy and the doctors are really good at dealing with it, so you will be fine.

The midwife is right that you shouldn't drive or get the bus.

When you go to the DAU, I think you should take an overnight bag with you. It is possible that you will be admitted for monitoring, repeat bloods etc.

Well - they put her weight at 6lb 4oz last wednesday (so she must be getting on for 7lb now), so little size is not an issue.

That's something I guess!

Swelling?

Good Luck with today, let us know how you go!

No swelling. I'd be inclined to think it's a lot of fuss about nothing, but the numbers speak for themselves...

That's good about the size, dd was 4lb 4! She also had IUGR [in uterine growth restriction] so she would have been a small baby even at term.

Deff not alot of fuss, as said before high BP & protein CAN be PE, so best to be on top of these things.

Never feel like you are making a fuss!

PE can also sneak up on you. You can test negative one day and positive the next. There is no "I took the test and it was negative, so I don't have it" with PE.

I'm surprised they haven't put you on bedrest or something.

Good news about the size (dd's size issues were evident looong before the BP issues).

MKG is right about it creeping up on you - I had BP taken at 36 weeks (and urine checked) - BP was the lowest it had been all pregnancy (and before) less than a week later it was high and I was being medicated for it/ having baby induced.

Also I wasnt 'allowed' to be discharged from hospital (after having dd) until my bottom number went below 90.

Hope everything is ok though but as MrsHappy says - I would be prepared for being kept in but hopefully you won't be !

Don't worry but start getting your head round seeing your baby sooner rather than later. You will be watched like a hawk and maybe medicated (methyldopa makes you a bit sleepy I found) to control blood pressure. Have you done a 24 hour urine sample yet? Thats a more exact way to look at levels of protein in your urine.

i second the bring your pjs advice. Every time I went in for day monitoring I ended in for at least five days! Books dvds tv enjoy the rest!

I started to get raised bp at 30 weeks with dd and was managed with rest and medication until i started to get protein and headaches and high bp even on medication at 35+ weeks when dd was induced. All was well she was healthy and happy at 4 pound 7

Watch out for headaches, stomach pain, quick reflexes, swelling in your face especially and any sort of funny vision / spots

Thanks for the kind advice. I ended up staying in, but I'm home now.

BP still high (at one point it was 170 over 110), but they put me on labetalol, which seems to have done the trick. I haven't had any other symptoms, baby is fine and moving well so I feel reassured by that. No longer showing protein in urine, either, so that's another positive.

I've already done one 24h urine sample, which was fine, and I'm currently doing another one, so will just see what happens now. They've said that they'll leave her where she is for at least another week, by which time I'll be 37 weeks, and then re-assess the situation.

Am off to sleep now!