My blood pressure is up :(

[happycupcake]

Went into hospital last week to see mental health midwife (anxiety), asked her to check my BP because my feet and ankles won’t go back down anymore, unless I sit with feet elevated literally all day. It was a little elevated but not hugely. Had to go back same day to see consultant, BP had gone back to what it usually is by then but my urine sample had trace amount of protein in it. She said it wasn’t anything to worry about, but today I checked my BP (my BP thing is quite accurate mostly) and it’s gone up to 143/91. Meant to be seeing midwife at home tomorrow to discuss home birth and I was thinking about ordering a birth pool earlier but looks like this may not be happening.
I had preeclampsia with first baby years ago but not with the other two, was hoping to escape it this time too but I don’t feel like I have. Can’t tell if it’s anxiety and paranoia or if I have been experiencing some of the signs but I have had a few dizzy spells this week, my legs are swollen as are feet and ankles ... I always see spots anyway so that isn’t unusual but my headaches have returned.
Hoping I’m given a choice to take medication at home and monitor weekly so I have a chance to come off diazepam completely. I’m so close, only 3mg to go but don’t want to drop it immediately in case of withdrawal. I don’t know how much of a risk 3mg is to baby and whether the risks of that would outweigh the risks of waiting this out a little longer if it is preeclampsia ... sorry, I’m rambling on because I’m anxious

 

[Bevziibubble]

I hope everything is OK

 

[happycupcake]

I think it may be stress. Urine sample ok, awaiting bloods tomorrow

 

[jessicaftl]

My BP likes to shoot up at appointments too, mainly because I'm so high strung and anxious. Hoping everything turns out okay for you and you get your home birth!

 

[happycupcake]

Thank you.

As it turns out, it isn’t preeclampsia but really low potassium levels. I can’t say precisely why this has happened as I don’t tick any of the usual at risk boxes for this, but my diet is rubbish I know this much. Apparently it’s rare for diet to cause it, but as I said, I don’t do anything to cause it so I don’t know how this has happened. Possibly low iron. But my iron isn’t hugely low.

Anyway, I thought I should say, anyone experiencing swelling in their feet, ankles, and particularly legs (I haven’t once had this as far as I recall), please please please get checked out. Not just for preeclampsia but also potassium levels. I hadn’t any idea mine were low, especially not as low as they are. I assumed I would have experienced more symptoms, and the few I do have aren’t solely to do with this, you could attribute them to many things, including regular pregnancy issues.
I don’t know about anywhere else but in the U.K. from what I have read, the threshold for hospitalising someone with low potassium is 2.5, which is when they would give it intravenously because there’s a real risk to your life. My current levels are 2.8, which is, to me, frighteningly close to that. I’m having to use potassium supplements which they don’t like to give because obviously too much potassium can be worse than low levels, but I’m also having to wait until tomorrow to see if they want to give it to me via injections instead to kind of fast track levels back to normal. It’s actually quite easily fixed, usually through diet, though I don’t know how long it takes. Not too long I don’t think.
As far as I’m aware they don’t routinely check for potassium levels so I’m lucky my midwife did yesterday otherwise my health may have declined out of nowhere, putting the baby’s life at risk and mine.

I just wanted to say because naturally hugely swollen ankles and pregnancy you assume drink more, or it’s hot weather, or possibly preeclampsia (as with BP too, but potassium has an impact on this also), but sometimes it may not be any of these, and the real cause may not be obvious

 

[jessicaftl]

I'm glad you were checked out and found out the problem. I hope you can get it to some higher levels soon.

 

[Bevziibubble]

I hope your levels rise soon

 

[happycupcake]

So bananas are amazing things. I had one before my appointment yesterday and my levels increased back into mild deficiency range, so that’s an improvement. I’m taking so much in soluble supplements I’m constantly bloated!
I didn’t think this would happen, it’s not something you expect. Iron deficiency yes, that’s common, but not potassium

 

[jessicaftl]

I'm dealing with iron deficiency instead, I'll probably have to get an infusion in the next few weeks, but I'm happy to hear you're doing better with your levels. Potatoes are another one that are high in it, actually I think they're higher than bananas, but bananas are amazing lol.

 

[happycupcake]

Yeah I can’t do potatoes at the moment, for some reason they trigger heartburn. Probably because they’re quite heavy. Also iron deficient here too ... Spatone isn’t doing the job so thinking I will ask about IV iron

 

[jessicaftl]

I tried taking higher iron supplements at the recommendation of my midwife and they actually gave me some of the worst (tmi) diarrhea for three days. I was so dehydrated...

Sorry potatoes give you heartburn, hopefully bananas will help enough to bring those levels up!

 

[happycupcake]

Were they tablets? It isn’t uncommon for them to have unpleasant side effects. This is why I won’t take them. I asked about IV iron today but the person I spoke to said my levels don’t warrant it. I hear different things from different people. Don’t know what to think!
I have potassium supplements so they should be ok. I would imagine, if they’re doing their job, my levels should be ok already. The heart palpitations I have had for months have completely disappeared

 

[jessicaftl]

They were even a special supplement: Iron Asporotate, which is funny, because my mw specifically said it wouldn't cause constipation which is the issue I get from the regular prenatals... I really lucked out there. I'm taking a low dose in my prenatal for now, but I doubt it'll bring my levels up. They are at 9.5, and if they go below 9.0 I can't have the water birth I want.

Heart palpitations are what I'm dealing with and I'm still having them but not as frequently, I know it's from my iron levels!

 

[happycupcake]

Ah, sounds like my levels. I’m at 94 (which I think is 9.4?), which I’m told different things. Some say that’s really low, some say it isn’t that low and doesn’t warrant IV iron.
Iron can impact on potassium levels, or the other way around ... can’t remember. But anyway, may be an idea to ask them to check this too, just in case. Both iron and potassium deficiency can cause heart palpitations, they’re really horrible! I have an echocardiogram booked soon, good job really since I don’t know how long my levels have been low for.
We were planning s home birth and were due to have the midwife perform the home visit the day we found out about my potassium levels. Typical. This and low iron spells hospital birth. Unless by some miracle both are fine by then. Iron is harder than potassium to correct I think. I don’t think your supplements will do much, mine didn’t. Because you’re already low, you have to be taking in a lot to bring your levels back to what they ought to be, on top of maintaining what you should have daily and what baby will take.
I would imagine though, if it’s only the iron that’s the problem, they would allow you to labour in water but birth on dry land, surely? I think the main reason they wouldn’t want you to birth in water is to monitor blood loss

 

[jessicaftl]

I was told as long as I stay above 9.0 I should be fine, but my mw is sending me in for a consult (mostly for insurance rules). She did also tell me it takes weeks for the levels to go up, and we both agreed there's no way it'll get above 10.5 by the time I'm due. From what I've googled, 9.0+ isn't so bad , but the risks are a lot higher when you get down to like 7 or 8 hemoglobin.
For me, I had great levels in first tri, but I noticed those heart palpitations coming into second tri and didn't think much of is, wasn't taking the iron then because my levels tested great (yaay for cast iron cooking). But with the appetite loss I haven't been eating as much leafy greens or iron rich meats, and for most pregnant women I saw their levels drop a lot by third tri from all the extra blood volume. I switched my prenatal a couple weeks ago, and my mw will test my blood again when I see her next, so hopefully they haven't gone below the 9.0.
I hope you get your homebirth. I imagine as long as I'm above that threshold I'll be able to birth with my mw at the birthing center instead of going to the hospital. I would have probably preferred a homebirth over any of it, because I just hate hospitals that much, but they're so uncommon in America. Fingers crossed you can get your levels a bit up for the potassium at least, and your iron. I personally don't feel mine is terrible, but I am also adding in more iron-rich foods again, daily to help bring the levels up.

 

[happycupcake]

How are you?
Ignore what I said above about supplements possibly not doing enough. I was told in hospital there wasn’t any way the Spatone I’m using would do the trick (they’re 5mg sachets and I use two daily, along with my multivitamin that adds it up to 27mg daily iron). What a complete load of rubbish that turned out to be. Had bloods done Friday, today I was told iron is up to 110, or 11.0 (it’s the same thing I think). I haven’t been taking those sachets long. Two weeks I think? It’s to do with how it’s absorbed.
If you don’t find your levels increase to what you would like, could you ask for an IV iron infusion? I mean, it isn’t going to put you at any increased risk of haemorrhage, but if you did then an already low level will only become lower, which is where the risk lies. It seems to me a good idea for an infusion if other things aren’t doing the trick. Hopefully they will though

 

[jessicaftl]

I have my risk consultation next Tuesday and my midwife is taking my blood this week to check and see if it's still above 9.0. I won't know much until then, but I agree the risk is mostly if it's super low. I have been taking the prenatals for awhile with the iron, and it's already slowing my bowels down a bit, so I assume it is having an effect on me, though probably not enough to get my levels up to 10.5. I'm also eating loads more iron rich foods like legumes, dark leafy greens, and trying to get in beef.

I do plan to ask for an infusion if I need it, but I really don't want to as IVs are one of my least favorite things. I'll definitely update when I find out more!

 

[happycupcake]

Yeah it doesn’t sound like fun but at least it bypasses your liver so you won’t experience side effects. If the supplements you’re already taking aren’t doing enough perhaps it’s worth you looking at an alternative?