mamalbh Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I'm 37 wks pg. and at my Dr.'s apt last week the nurse said my blood pressure was high. I have never, and I mean NEVER had even slightly high bp. The first number she said was 171 - I didn't realize how bad that was until I got home and looked up what normal was supposed to be. The nurse seemed concerned about it but the Dr. didn't. Well, this morning I was talking to my mom and she told me she had toxemia, and other than high blood pressure she had no idea there was anything wrong. I ended up being an emergency c-section, the Dr. told her if they didn't do it when they did we probably would have both died. So, how worried should I be? Should I call up my Dr.'s office and let them know that my mother had toxemia? My next apt. is on Thursday - should I just wait till then to talk to the Dr.? Thanks :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kat19 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I had it with my first and last pregnancies. I had other symptoms then just high blood pressure. My doctor was on top of it. I was induced for both of those pregnancies. My last one was even a month early. I would probably just wait until you appointment on Thursday. If you are really concerned about it, you could call just to let them know and see what they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I would call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindergretta Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 It is now called pre - eclampsia. My mom had it with my sister. My sister had it with her first. I had it with my first and 3rd and a related condition, HELLP Syndrome, with my 5th. They will look for hig blood pressure but also protein in your urine. They will check your liver and kidney function as well. There is a *strong* family link, so you do need to let them know about your mom. Blood pressure can naturally rise at the end of a pregnancy with no PIH or pre -e. But it needs to be monitored closely and the other components need to be checked. Did they re - check your bp? Did it come down at all? Whenever you are resting, lay on your left side to increase blood flow to the baby. One of the main issues for the baby of a mom with pre - e is low birthweight due to decreased blood flow from the high bp. Please post and let us know how you are doing. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercy_Me Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I had it with my first pregnancy. I was so very swollen that I was admitted to the hospital a few days before induction. Do you have any other warning signs? Swollen feet and hands or protein in your urine? I would call and voice my concerns with the dr. I hope everything turns out just fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Are they having you do a 24 hour urine test? I would just keep your feet up until your appointment. if you start swelling I'd call and go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I'd call and ask all the questions that you now have. Sometimes Dr.'s don't convey reason for concern, although something is technically a concern. I had pre-eclampsia w/ my dd. With it, I was dumping protien out of my system via urine faster than I could take it in. They had me on a very strict no-sodium diet with tons of turkey, yogurt, & veg (but no tomotoes). I was retaining water & had swelling, esp. in the ankles. I felt fine, and my only noticable symptom (other than having to loosen my shoelaces) was the visual occurances. I'd get what looked like a swarm of black dots w/ light halos that "swam" around in front of my vision. I've heard it described by another woman as looking through the under-side of boiling water. Anyhow... although you might feel perfectly fine, it was very dangerous for me. High blood pressure in pre-eclampsia has nothing to do w/ the usual causes of regular, non-pregnancy high bp. A perfectly healthly person can get it. I always had extra-healthy bp readings before that, and again afterwards. It got so high during my labor that I was *thisclose* to having a stroke. I also delivered a month early & poor dd had to stay in the NICU for 10 days, weighing only 4 lbs. Strict bed-rest on my left side, strict diet of only what my body needed, regular urine tests & check-ups were what helped dd stay in as long as she did. They had to stop labor with medicine 3 times in the 4 months before she was born. Obviously, given my experience, my advice is biased. But my advice is to please, please, find out if you in fact have it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansamy Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You're 37wks with a follow-up one week from your last appt. I started developing an elevated BP at 28 weeks. At 29 weeks, still elevated. Delivery at 30 weeks via e-c/s. Your doctor will probably want to schedule your induction next week if your bp is still high. In the meantime, rest and hydration are your friends. Certainly be alert for any warning signs of worsening pre-e/HELLP: headache, nausea/vomiting, pain in the upper right area of your abdomen, worsening swelling - not just your hands/feet, but your face/arms/legs. Your doctor really should have given you a list of troubling symptoms that warrant calling the office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Definitely let them know. There's still a lot of questions and few answers about PE, but every bit helps. I would suggest monitoring BP at home. You can also monitor protein. It's entirely possible that your average is lower than what was seen in the office. I've dealt with PE in close to the worst case scenario, but I've also had the experience of having high BP and being on bedrest, but having, otherwise, a healthy, growing baby and good readings otherwise for almost 3 months, taking my DD from another "too little to survive micropreemie" to "still preemie, but didn't require NICU". Your insurance company may pay for in-home monitoring, where someone either comes to your house or gets your data remotely from tests you do, then calls daily to check on you. In my 2nd pregnancy, this seemed unnecessary to me until towards the end (especially since I was in the doctor's office twice a week for monitoring anyway)-but it was that nurse over the phone who was able to pick up that my "strange feeling" was important and urged me to go to the hospital. Within 6 hours I was not only in full-onset pre-eclampsia, but in labor as well, so she was absolutely right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 What was the diastolic number (the bottom number)? Did they check your urine? Was there any protein in it? Did they recheck your blood pressure? Did they talk to you about symptoms to be aware of- vision changes, abdominal pain, swelling, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I nearly died of full blown eclampsia with ds5 (seizures, the whole bit) , so my advice is probably a bit biased. Definitely let them know about your mom! I would ask them to check your protein. Also, as everyone else said, get lots of rest (on your left side), drink tons of water, avoid sodium. If you get a headache, blurred vision, or abdominal pain, then do not pass go, head straight to labor and delivery. Just to add: with second pg I was on bedrest, but avoided all major complications. With third, I didn't have any issues at all. I hope and pray you are just fine! Please let us know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You might look up Dr brewers pregnancy diet. My midwife has had very good results in avoiding eclampsia with her patients by stressing a diet very high in protein and not cutting out salt. It also helped me. I strongly recommend you read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parias1126 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) If I were you, I would be calling the doctor's office. My BP was that high at 37 weeks. My doctor was not concerned, but then another doctor from the practice came in and told my doctor, "You are NOT sending her home. She needs to go to the hospital immediately for an induction." That was my last pregnancy. The one prior, my doctor was on top of things and when my BP was high at 36.5 weeks (my number was right around 170 too), they sent me right to the hospital to get induced. With my first pregnancy, I had developed high BP extremely early (at about 10 weeks along). My doctor did NOTHING. I was only 18 and didn't know any different and stayed with the doctor that was oblivious to everything. I soon started swelling everywhere by the time I was 22 weeks. I went to the doc for a check up at around 27.5 weeks and was told I had an "overabundance of amniotic fluid" and he just sent me back to work. He didn't say anything about the fact that I was swelled up like a huge balloon. If I had known then what I know now, I would had known I had developed preeclampsia. Needless to say, I was delivering a baby at 28 weeks because my doctor was a poor excuse for a doctor. :( My DD is 17 and pregnant now and she has had high BP since 10 weeks. She is on high BP meds and her doctor has been right on it the whole time. He is extremely concerned. I think the preeclampsia is started though because she is laying on the couch right now because her feet and hands are aching from being so swollen. I'm actually getting ready to contact her doctor. High BP is not anything to play around with and you really should contact the doctor's office. Are you at a practice where your doc is the only one there or is he/she in a practice with many doctors? If that wasn't the case for me my last pregnancy, I would have been in trouble since my doctor was female and so utterly laid back! Edited January 31, 2011 by parias1126 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parias1126 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I also wanted to add that one of the #1 causes of preeclamsia is if your mom had it. It is hereditary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamalbh Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 ** UPDATE ** I called Dr.'s office - left a message for the nurse - she called me back about an hour later. She just said to take it easy and she moved my apt. up to tomorrow. I'm a little frustrated that they're so non-concerned about it all. I would have been in trouble since my doctor was female and so utterly laid back! :iagree: My OB's a woman and she always acts like I should never be worried about anything. I have no vehicle right now, but dh will get home around 3:30, and I plan to go somewhere to check my bp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Are you unusually swollen? Is there protein in your urine? Do you have any other issues, such as gest. Diabetes? If the answer to these questions is no, then you should relax, put your feet up and not worry too much. At 37 weeks, you could go into labor soon regardless and this is probably why the dr is not over whelmingly worried just yet. Far earlier in the pregnancy is a tremendous concern for several reasons. Regardless, stressing yourself out over what might be will do nothing other than make your blood pressure get higher. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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