When did you start?

[cmccaffrey]

I was just wondering when your doctors put you on blood pressure meds in your subsequent pregnancies? Did you have hypertension before you got pregnant or did it happen as you started getting further into your pregnancy?? I am curious because after talking to my MFM he never mentioned whether or not I would go on bp meds, but I don't currently have high blood pressure and my pressure went from 102/69 at 24 weeks to 130/80 at 26 weeks. I just wanted to know what some of your doctors did in your situation.
Thanks!!!

[alviarin]

I was not put on BP meds when pregnant, probably because my BPs were very labile. So even though I had some highs I also had lots of normal readings (though less and less as pregnancy progressed). And for the most part my highs weren't severely high, and for a while I could keep my pressures down with rest.

Unfortunately after my second pregnancy my BP stayed high, with my diastolic staying in the 80s and 90s for the most part. So I am on a low dose of BP meds to keep my diastolic down a bit in order to lower my long term risks. I am also apparently salt-sensitive now. I am heavier than I have ever been, so I'm still hopeful that I could wean off BP meds after loosing weight.

Now that I'm considered a "chronic hypertensive", If I become pregnant again my doc predicts I will need my BP medication adjusted upwards.

[kbunsey]

All the way through - and I wouldn't want it any other way. Part of it was a mental thing for me. I have a child's pressure on a very low dose of BP med. The nephrologist says I can go off the med when not preg - but since I have intended to and thankfully have become pregnant 2x since 2008 - I've just stayed on the med. We'll see after this pregnancy what my BP looks like. I was not on BP meds in my 1st pregnancy before I became preeclamptic. Best wishes to you!

[alexis]

I'm a chronic. I was started on 100mg of Toprol with a pressure of 165/105 and wound up needing it doubled so heaven knows what my baseline is. My current internist wants me switched to an ACE inhibitor after I give birth because I'm at high risk of diabetes.

In my first pregnancy (chronic HTN unmasked by pregnancy) they were unconcerned with a baseline of 140/95 and I was never put on anti-hypertensives even when it rose--from what I understand, the NHS is quite conservative with treating hypertension in pregnancy. From what I've seen, American doctors are more aggressive.