chronic hypertension - what should I expect?

[miss moody]

Hi,
I'm not seeing a consultant until September 22nd and was wondering if anyone could give me a heads up on what to expect. This is my first pregnancy, my gp has changed me onto methyl dopa but I'm not being monitored regularly. Any advice on what lies ahead welcome! Thanks x

 

[FeistyMom]

I don't have experience with hypertension, but I wanted to send you support and bump this thread up. I am sure there are others who have had this experience.

 

[miss moody]

Thank you FM xxx

 

[kelloggs]

I would imagine you will be closely monitored for pre - eclampsia as you will be at a greater risk. You will likely end up with regular MW/consultant checks and scans all very reassuring!

I developed pre-eclampsia in my first pregnancy and have been left hypertensive but I am assuming I was pre -pregnancy and it was just not detected - so I will be in the same boat as you when we come to try again.

I would recommend that you take the pregnacare for breastfeeding which is fine to take in pregnancy but has calcium which is good to have in pregnancy esp for hypertensives.

Oh and the methyldopa is just a drug deemed 'safe' in pregnancy

Good luck hun! and many congrats! xx

 

[miss moody]

Thanks Kellogs that's helpful x
I had an early booking appointment at six weeks and then nothing until I see the consultant at twelve weeks and was feeling a little in the dark!
Thanks again xx

 

[kelloggs]

No worries - let us know how you get on! how exciting!

 

[vintage67]

Methyldopa makes a lot of women very drowsy, especially as you first adjust to it.

 

[kanga]

hi, I had pregnancy induced hypertension and it just meant I had my BP taken more regularly. When it went high (they considered high to be 150/100 or more and they were more interested in the bottom number), I would be admitted for monitoring at the hospital. This involved them tracking the babys hb for a while and checking the blood flow through the placenta to make sure it was working efficiently.

At the end of my pregnancy, I also developed protein in urine and other PE factors. So they booked me for an induction at 40 weeks but I ended up being induced suddenly at 39 weeks instead as things got out of hand quite quickly.
hth

 

[miss moody]

Vintage67 I have been/am exhausted been on methyldopa for six weeks so not sure if this still applies? Thanks for the info, I'm grateful for any excuse possible to justify my sleepiness!

 

[miss moody]

Hi Kanga, thanks for your story, everything I'm hearing all sounds very reassuring. It's good to know you were closely monitored and things were dealt with quickly. Were you able to proceed with a normal delivery after your induction?
Thanks for your post



To hear from you ladies who have been through successful pregnancies makes everything seem so much more normal and less daunting to you all

 

[newgirl79]

Hey Miss Moody, how far along are you now? I have chronic hypertension which has only ever been controlled to around 140/90. I had to change my medication pre-conception and am currently on Nifedipine and Labetelol. My BP has been rising the last couple of weeks but I have just spoken to a midwife at the hypertension clinic at my local hospital and she explained that only certain BP monitors are recommended for use in pregnancy. Apparently the increased blood flow etc means that lots of the electronic monitors give inaccurate readings!! I am hoping this means the really high readings I've been getting at home and work are not right!

Anyway I'm due to have my first scan, followed by a 24 hr BP monitor and then an appt with the maternal hypertension clinic next week so I'll keep you posted as to what info they give me. Main things I'm concerned about are likelihood of being able to have a vaginal delivery and whether or not I'll need to be induced (induction don't mind too much but really would like to avoid a C-section if poss!) Also I've been reading that epidurals are commonly given to keep BP down during birth but really don't want one as had one before for an operation and made me feel awful

Apols for long post but is good to find someone in similar position to me, and other ladies who have good insights to give!! Stay in touch xxx

 

[miss moody]

Hi Newgirl79
I'm 10 weeks 2 days. I have an appointment on the 22nd with the consultant and will be having first scan then too. I've been put on methyldopa which I'm taking 3 times a day, seems to be going ok. I was a bit worried getting my bp checked once a month wasn't enough so have been seeing the nurse midway so at least its being checked every fortnight.
I was also worried about birth options,like you it would be my preference not to have a c-section, hopefully we will have our questions answered next week!
Really good to hear from you, is this your first?
Let me know how you get on with your scan

 

[kanga]

Hi Kanga, thanks for your story, everything I'm hearing all sounds very reassuring. It's good to know you were closely monitored and things were dealt with quickly. Were you able to proceed with a normal delivery after your induction?
Thanks for your post



To hear from you ladies who have been through successful pregnancies makes everything seem so much more normal and less daunting to you all

glad it helped

I didn't go into labour 2 days after my waters broke, so I had a induction using the drip. It was really painful and I had a couple of epis and a spinal. I couldnt push the baby out either so I had foreceps. Once you go down the intervenion route, it sort of spirals and your chances of having foreceps/ventouse or even csec are increased

Basically in my case, my body didn't give birth, it was all faked by the drip. My placenta wouldnt come out either and had to be removed manually in theatre. I was generally not well at the end of my pregnancy and imo, my body gave up. We would definitely have died years ago. But that is why life is so great now. Me and my baby are here and fine and how he came out and what happened to me while he was cooking, dont really matter now x

 

[kanga]

sorry, its also worth mentioning that an induction started just by the drip is completely different to an induction started by the pessary. Pessary can help bring on *natural* labour. The dirp does not - it basically fakes contractions and as soon as you turn the drip off, the contracions stop too. So if you do need an induction, with the pessray, you could end up with a proper natural labour anyway - which was just kck started with the pessary x

 

[miss moody]

Thanks for sharing your story Kanga x your labour sounds like it was pretty traumatic ! Glad you had a happy outcome. You make a good point that whatever happens on the journey is insignificant if we get a successful outcome. Not sure I feel that brave yet but will definitely keep this in mind xx

 

[vintage67]

Kanga, so well put. There are so many people running their mouths about interventions, inductions and sections. I look at the birth of my son 7 years ago and feel confident that I would have died 100 years ago, or at home today, with my medical condtions.

 

[newgirl79]

Thank you so much to Kanga and Vintage 67 for your input- it's really helpful to remind ourselves that we're lucky to live in this time, and in places where we can be offered this kind of help. I'm trying to be pragmatic about my pregnancy and keep an open mind as to the kind of help I might need, as you say Kanga, once bub is here safe and sound hopefully all that will fade into the background!!

MissMoody is great to chat with someone who is currently going through a similar thing Would definitely be good to keep in touch- I'm always amazed at the variety offered by different areas of the NHS- we'll probably end up having vastly different experiences

Will let you know how I get on tomorrow, take care xxx

 

[miss moody]

Hope all goes well for you today Newgirl79
Good Luck !

 

[Johnnieswife]

I had pre eclampsia on my last pregnancy. High BP and high levels of protein in urine. So I spent 3 months in hosp for monitoring before the birth. I got to 38 wks and BP went too high so they induced me and I had a perfectly healthy girl at 6lb 2oz

This pregnancy I was on meds for BP before I found out I was pregnant so they changed them to Labetalol. I'm having my BP checked weekly in GP and have to go to see the consultant every fortnight. He doubled my BP meds last week because its still 160/90..

 

[miss moody]

Thanks Johnnieswife, sounds like you are being well monitored. Hope your increased meds are keeping your bp under control, keep us updated.