chronic hypertension - what should I expect?

[Dinah93]

Huge congratulations Newgirl! Reuben is gorgeous, I can't stop looking at his picture, definitely one of those babies you just want to cuddle 24/7.

No sign of protein last Tuesday, being checked again tomorrow. BP was a bit nasty last night (and by a bit nasty I mean I should have gone to the hospital), 165/113 was about average, 180/119 was the high point. At no point did it go under 145/110. We decided I would go in, I went to get my file to get the ward number to call tell them I was coming down, and I just burst into floods of tears at the idea of being admitted again. DH just cuddled me for about 20 mins until I calmed down, and then told me we'd monitor at home, as he didn't think I'd see a doctor until today anyway. This morning it was down to /101, briefly dipped to /92 at lunchtime, but now is back to /107 so I may still go down today yet. I'm also a bit worried I've got a UTI as I feel like I need to pee all the time in the last 24 hours, but when I go I actually didn't need to at all. I'm hoping this isn't a bad sign or an indicator of protein or anything.

 

[seaweed eater]

Congratulations newgirl Reuben is so adorable!! I'm sorry to hear about the BP madness after he was born, but very glad you are all home safely now.

Dinah, I'm sorry your BP has not come down. If you go down today and have your urine tested, I hope you get some reassuring news. Please keep us posted.

Question for you ladies from a relative newbie, especially after all the posts above about BP going up when measured in the clinic in front of a lot of people. I've had three high readings in the clinic now, but I monitor it every day or two at home and it's always been right around 120/80 and never higher than /85. I know that the measurements taken at home matter more because they are probably more reflective of what my BP is doing normally, but does it mean anything that it spikes higher sometimes? I guess there's nothing to be done about it since I don't think they would increase my medication when my normal BP is good, but I just wonder about the effects on baby.

 

[Dinah93]

If it's only over /85 or so don't worry, even if you have spikes up to /100 it's not going to cause much hardship. It's if it's prolonged at a significantly higher level than your natural base level that's when to be concerned, or for anyone if it's running all the time at /95+ it's time to look at medication. It's when it's running constantly high that it's putting extra pressure on the cord, but everyone has natural variations throughout the day.

 

[Dinah93]

BP is up to 159/124 this morning... seriously considering whether to even wait for my midwife appointment this afternoon, or should I just take myself to the hospital this morning?

 

[WinterKage]

Dinah- Thanks yeah i was just quite shocked really as wasn't expecting that. She wanted me to do this trial thing where they enter your bp readings on the computer and the computer decides whether to keep blood pressure as low as possible or just monitor it and i wasn't happy about that as I dont want my blood pressure to low or too high i just want normal range.

Newgirl- Congratulations on baby Reuben, he is adorable x x

Seaweed Hunter- I'm not too sure hun x

Dinah hope you're ok and that bp goes down x x

 

[W8ing4ours]

Newgirl, congrats!! Rueben is perfect, what a cute baby!! So glad to hear you are both doing well!

Dinah, /124 is soooo high, you haven't updated and I'm thinking they admitted you over that today, please let us know.

Thinking of all of you still struggling, wishing for low bp and healthy babies (and mommys) for you all!

 

[Dinah93]

Amazingly no, not admitted, hospital told me they were busy and not to come down as home monitors aren't accurate anyway.... given I'm under consultant orders to use a homr monitor I was a bit gobsmacked. So I went in the bath as for some reason that tends to lower it if you're on labetalol, and then called delivery back to say it had come down 10 points. She did then say she'd had a word with one of the doctors who had actually met me previously, and he'd confirmed my readings are usually very accurate so if that's what I said it was, it probably was. I'm at the GP at 10am today, if she doesn't play with my medication (which I doubt she will) I'll go down to the day assessment unit and they can see it go over /120 just after lunchtime when I'm about due a new tablet.

 

[Sara35]

I have had a bit of a scary 3 weeks recently, have been in and out of ANDU with my bp which has been slowly creeping up, protein in urine has gone from 1+ t three plus and above and on wednesday BP was averaging 158/100 and protein/creatine ratio 196 (anything below 50 is acceptable). So they kept me in the hospital on Wednesday for observation and started me on 200mg twice daily on Labetalol. This is my first BP medication and after 10 hours my bp came right down to 120/77 and after 18 hours it came down to 106/61. They discharged me today since I was feeling better and have to now go to day unit every day from Sunday or everyother day depending on my progress. They have mentioned I have pre-eclampsia and they can deliver me any moment depending on the situation, so to take it day by day and play it by the ear. I am desperate to get to 40 weeks - I just feel baby needs full time in ther eeven though 37 weeks is considered full term..

My growth scan has been perfect uptil now, I dont have flashing lights or pain below chest/shoulder..but I am so nervous always doing symptom spotting. Slight headache and I get so panicked/worried that this is an onset of something more serious.

Have decided to put my feet up and keep little one in there for as long as I can but I just hope that I can have a healthy delivery which is as normal as possible....

Thanks for listening girls...the stay at the hospital was very helpful but I so missed my son and DH - really want everything to go smooth or as smooth as it can be...

 

[Dinah93]

Someone cheer me up please?! Having a pouty day. I'd like a nice positive story from someone who thinks my situation is actually not so bad!

Meds:
4 x 500mcg methyldopa
4 x 300mcg labetalol
1 x 75mcg aspirin
10mg nifedipine when it refuses to come down from /110 just to kick start things

Issues:
Protein swinging between trace and +2 several times a day
pcr is 40, 30 is pre-eclampsia level (but officially I can't have that as I'm not 28 weeks)
upper gastric pain
generally feeling fed up as this is the 5th hospital admission in 3 weeks
High tech tape measure says I'm 24.5 weeks, should be 27.5
Steroid injections started to mature baby's lungs
Intermittent frontal headaches, black spots in eyes etc etc etc

I'm only 27 weeks, I really want someone to come and say something positive to give me hope of getting to 32 weeks so she has an immune system.

 

[seaweed eater]

Sara and Dinah, so sorry to hear you are both having a rough time. Thinking of you and hoping your babies stay inside for a while!

 

[W8ing4ours]

Dinah, sorry you're having a hard day, ok, hard few months now! All I can say is that I was given steroid injections for LO at 31+6 and I made it another 6 weeks before they delivered. It can happen that way. Just try to lay down, FLAT, as often as you can, I know that made a HUGE difference for me, sometimes a 20 or more point swing from sitting up. Try to find some peace that you HAVE made it this far, and just believe and visualize that you will be delivering at 37 + weeks and that LO will be perfect, that might sound silly but I try to believe in the power of positive thinking, and sometimes just trying to have faith in life and my path. I will pray that your LO stays put for another 2 months, hoping you are having a better night than today was...

 

[Dinah93]

I guess I'm allowed to be pouty, pre-e has kicked in so they're having to go in to take our baby out hopefully on Tuesday but sooner if needed. She'll be 28+1. I'm terrified of how this is going to impact upon her, how tiny and delicate she'll be, if she'll have long term disabilities. Please can anyone who believes in anything keep her in their prayers.

 

[seaweed eater]

Sorry to hear that Dinah you and your LO will be in my thoughts. I bet they will take great care of both of you and that you'll be fine!

 

[WinterKage]

Thinking of you and your little girl Dinah x x Hope your both ok x

 

[Tititimes2]

Dinah- I'm praying for you both.

 

[Dinah93]

Thank you for everyone's prayers. Our little girl was delivered on Monday after my platlets fell again and my liver started to fail overnight on Sunday. She came out crying and weighing in at 1lb 15oz. We've called her Grace Nancy Alison. Nancy was DHs grandma who passed away the week before my LMP where I fell pregnant, and Alison is my mum. Grace is all her own name. She's had to be ventilated as she was tiring out trying to breathe, but luckily they'd given me steroids a few days earlier to mature her lungs. She's so tiny and fragile, but she opened her eyes today and has been having a good stretch, and they're hoping she'll be weaned off the vent within about 48 hours. I'm trying to stay positive as the doctors say unless they panic, we shouldn't.

 

[Dinah93]

Also for anyone who has delivered and is still on meds, what are you on? In a whole hospital of doctors I don't seem to be able to find one who can give me something to not only control the bp, but which is safe for breast feeding.

 

[seaweed eater]

Congrats on your beautiful girl, Dinah!! How are YOU feeling? Wishing both of you speedy improvement!

 

[Dinah93]

I'm feeling okay, initially very emotional that she has to have so much help, but it's hard not to just fall in love with her. Blood pressure not good though and won't come down, they won't let me over to see her this morning as it's too high, they took me off a load of tablets after surgery, but now don't seem to be willing to make any decisions to put me on some for the longer term. I'm happy enough when I'm feeling well and by her cot, I'm suprised the c-section didn't take more out of me to be honest, but I'm still fairly mobile.

 

[WinterKage]

Congratulations on your little girl, she is gorgeous x x With my little boy after I had him I developed high blood pressure and the tablets they gave me for it weren't working so I ended up staying in hospital for more than 2 weeks, when I finally got out and had the midwife come round to visit to check on blood pressure and weigh him it was extremely high so I was admitted to hospital again so they may keep you in to monitor you hun x x