Low Sodium Diet

[arm605]

I saw my new OB on Monday, as I was uncomfortable with the everything-is-rainbows-and-unicorns doctor I used to see. I am 21 weeks and my bp is trending upwards, and especially higher with work. Dr. feels that I am a chronic, and wants me to do a low sodium diet. I saw him at the end of my last pregnancy (35 weeks, severe pre-e) and he had me doing the low sodium diet after my daughter was born then as well. It didn't improve my bp, and I ended up needing meds anyways.

I see mixed information on the value of diet. Obviously its going to be healthier, but does it really have THAT big of an impact?? The doctor is commonly known for his obsession with diet, so I don't know how much focus to put on it.

In the five days that I have tried to adhere to it, I have noticed my stress and anxiety level rise, as well as an emotional impact. I don't know if it is because my dr gave me a 50/50 chance of getting pre-e again, I am noticing my bps rise, or just the mere stress of eating low sodium. I know how difficult it was to do after my daughter was born, and I can't picture myself lasting with it until August (fingers crossed). The logistics of it are tough for my family: I have a metal hip and degenerative SI joint and need to rest on the recliner all night after work. My husband is left to do everything and is very busy. My toddler has a tree nut allergy and is lactose intolerant, and there are a lot of healthy snacks that we just can't have in our house.

Part of me wants to just eat the way I need to eat to keep stress at bay, but part of me is afraid that if I ignore the doctor's advice and things don't go well, I will end up feeling like I did something wrong.

Thoughts to ease my mind?

[trish]

I looked through the archives and found this post with information and some additional links. Basically a low salt diet hasn't been shown to help. It might keep BP down slightly but likely won't keep PE away.

http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/viewt ... 17&t=19981

[angieb]

Blech, I know you just switched doctors but I'd keep looking if I were you. My doctors never suggested a low sodium diet (not that it seems like that would be unhealthy), but it would annoy me for a doctor to focus so much on diet as pre-eclampsia/blood pressure treatment since that is not what is going on with pre-eclampsia at all.