I went for my 37 week appt today and after waiting with my 2 year old daughter for over an hour I was finally seen only to be told that my BP was high 140/90. I had spent the hour in the waiting room chasing my DD who has decided to turn into a crazy little monster lately. I told the Dr that I thought it was just stress and I haven't had any probs with BP at any other time this PG. She told me that I hae to take BP medication and that it is safe for me and the baby, but I checked and it says not to take it if pregnant and that it is for treating SEVERE and CHRONIC bp. I don't feel that I have either.
I was proud of myself for not having any medical problems this time around but know I feel like I have let myself and my baby down. Should I take the pills or should I wait and see what my BP is next week??
I have had a few hiccups with BP over the past few weeks. These have including 3 overnight stays in hospital for monitoring. But once relaxed and tucked into my bed, it goes down. So they haven't given me medication. There was some discussion of a very small dose just to stop it from shooting up so high when I go to drs.
My suggestion would be if your in a care arrangement with a GP maybe go and get your blood pressure rechecked in a couple of days. Of course your blood pressure will be up if you have had to confine your 2 yr old for an hour in a boring waiting room. I guess what I am saying is get your Blood pressure rechecked just to make sure. Also check the dosage it may only be a very low dose, like what they had suggested to me.
I think I will get it rechecked. I just feel like I am being stereotyped as being unhealthy because I am a bigger girl!! I wonder if someone 20kgs lighter would be placed straight on meds without any other option!! Thanx for the hug I needed it!!
You know something....I am right there with you on the bigger girl thing. I think if it was your first ever high BP reading then you should be rechecked. I hate how some assume medicating is the be all and end all.
I frequently have high readings at the drs, then I go back the next morning and the nurse does it and it's normal. So I would ask to be rechecked, first thing in the morning when you are calm and haven't been racing around and if necessary offer to go back in a fortnight for the same sort of check again.
My dr has always been quite nervous about BP and since I'm quite overweight AND am now 35 yo I think that's the reason as it does predispose. However I wouldn't agree to go on meds after a single high reading, especially not in the circumstance you've just described.
Thankyou so much!! I feel a lot better now. I have to go back in a week anyway so I think I will talk to my dr about it then. (The chances of me getting in to see her before then are pretty low anyway, she is only on 2 days a week). I am not going to take the tablets until I have had my BP rechecked and next time I will find a babysitter for my little terror!!
I had high BP consistantly for 3 weeks before I was put on medication.
BP medication is a big deal and i think it's terrible that you were prescribed it after ONE high reading. They should in the very least do a day reading where you stay somewhere for a few hours and get it checked every half hour. I thought that you had to have that done anywhere before high BP was even diagnosed! A one-off high BP reading is not indicative of a BP problem, as you experienced, many women are uptight when they visit the dr and can have a high reading. 140/90 (depending on your normal BP before pregnancy) is considered borderline and not hypertension, but it is to be watched. This is going on my hospital's policy and how my BP was managed. They took a few weeks of 140/90 and higher readings over day stay (4 hours) before even considering prescribing medication.
I'm pretty shocked that you were prescribed medication that quickly, BP medication often can be unpleasant and have not -nice side effects which is why there usually has to be some evidence of a BP problem over time unlessthe one-off reading is horribly high.
As well as waiting, I'd be asking to have a long term reading if your BP is high again, like over a few hours.
I hope it works out for you, good luck and rest up if you can to help the BP.
I am starting to think (after reading what you guys have said and after talking to DH) that my Dr is being way too cautious! The only problem is the more I think about it the angrier I get which is prob not helping my BP!!
I'm a 1st year RN student & we did BP last semester and the main thing they always said to us was to recheck as it can be such an up & down thing I mean I could nearly hit some1/thing while out driving & have a high BP reading after a wait it would be normal.
Also that long waiting is terrible with a little one to chase after my doc has a long wait to I ring b4 I go now because 1 time I went and there were 7 people in front of me despite me being on time.
My ob has just put me on medication a week ago, as my reading went to 155/90. Before that it was 140/90, and he was happy to just to keep monitoring me at that stage. As everyone else has said, i would definitely wait until you have a second opinion - going to the chemist as Alan has suggested sounds like a good idea too. Hope everything goes well for you.
Help!!! BP Medication question
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Thanx for the hug I needed it!!
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