Beginning to monitor my BP at home

[wendyr]

I am currently 9 weeks pg, I will begin to monitor my BP at home because of severe pe in a pregnancy at 28 wks., 8 years ago and other factors that place me at high risk. I am curious though, is it better to check on the left arm or the right arm as I get different readings on both. Also I have the old fashioned arm cuff and stethoscope and I have a digital wrist monitor by OMRON. Naturally my preferance is the easier wrist monitor, can you tell me if the digital monitors work as well as the "normal" method. Thanks

Wendy-34
DH-35
EDD-10/28/03

[expert on call]

It usually doesn't matter which arm you check blood pressure on. In fact, we sometimes check blood pressure in the legs using the same methods. Most of the digital monitors work very well, including the wrist kind. If you have any doubts, take the monitor to the doctor with you and check your blood pressure with it right after the doctor checks it. This can give you a good idea of how different your machine is from the regular cuffs.

Expert on Call

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