Solved: Pregnancy BP Question

[Slache]

Today they took my BP and it was 140/100. She said that was too high and took it again and it was 140/99. She said she would be back in a few minutes and then it was 115/85 and she only recorded the last one. Is that normal?

They are testing me for preeclampsia but I have no other symptoms. I just want to know if it's normal to ignore the first 2.

Update: Thanks all! I was stressed, did not rest for 2 minutes and am monitoring a few stats daily due to some complications.

I apparently got an email before I even posted this telling me I don't have preeclampsia.

Edited July 21, 2020 by Slache

[Arcadia]

They treat it as white coat syndrome (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/white-coat-hypertension/faq-20057792) if the blood pressure reading was high then drop after sitting around for awhile. So it’s normal to ignore the higher readings. I have low blood pressure while my brother’s wife has high blood pressure, we both have to be cautious.

[Beth S]

IMO, you may be stressed out when you first arrive for your appt. 
Giving you a chance to relax would provide a more accurate reading.

My dh now ALWAYS asks the med tech to take a second BP reading (for well checks) . . . and nearly 100% of the time, the second reading is lower.
It would be unsettling if the staff ACTED on your first BP reading with a panicked trip to the hospital, for example.

[Guest]

I would suggest getting a BP monitor and monitoring at home. PE is not something you want to play with, and monitoring just in office may not catch it early on. 

[SanDiegoMom]

When I was told they were going to induce for Pre Eclampsia my blood pressure readings didn't go down. They stayed in that same range.

That being said, I would definitely get a monitor.  If you end up having Pre Eclampsia, it's supposed to be a kind of marker that you will have high blood pressure later on. It helps to stay on top of it.

[Katy]

You should be sitting still and calm for at least two minutes before they take your blood pressure.  But they don't often do that because they're on a time crunch. They didn't record the first number because from a medical perspective you just got there and hadn't been sitting still and calm.

Feel free to get a cuff and watch it at home.  If you have high numbers the trend will be to stay high.  You can also practice with it and learn to relax and lower your blood pressure, or at least most people can.

[Slache]

Thanks all! I was stressed, did not rest for 2 minutes and am monitoring a few stats daily due to some complications.

I apparently got an email before I even posted this telling me I don't have preeclampsia.