Had my Baby!!! BP is Worrying Me However. Opinions Wanted!

[amberstrika]

Hello ladies!

I went to my appointment on Tuesday for my 39 week, and all of a sudden I was told my amniotic fluid was low (6.1) and we were having the baby via c-section on Wednesday. The section went AMAZINGLY well because I stood firm and demanded medication to help me stay calm. I finally had an anesthesiologist listen to me, and he gave me Versed which was fast acting, fast leaving, and made me calm and interactive the whole surgery. It was my easiest delivery to date! I also completed the deal by get ting my tubes tied.

I was thrilled to have never gotten officially diagnosed with Preeclampsia after having had it my previous 2 pregnancies. In the hospital, my Blood Pressure was running on average around 100/65. It was gorgeous.

Unfortunately, out of the blue this evening on my first evening home, my pressure has risen to 138/89. After 3 days in hospital with it never once rising about perfection, it is now borderline high. I went and laid down in bed and checked it a few hours later, and it was still running high at 139/86. I have no idea why it's suddenly rising. The only thing I'm doing differently is cutting down my pain killers from 2 percocet every 4 hours to 1/2 a pill every 4 hours. I'm unsure if cutting down narcotics would raise my pressure.

The last day in the hospital all of a sudden I started to swell up reallllllly badly on my legs and feet. My nurses and OB all told me that it's normal for women to swell in the lower extremities after a c-section because of all the fluid pooling down from the body getting ready to leave. I noticed that my hands and wrists swelled up a pretty good bit as well. To be fair, I started eating whatever I wanted, and have not been drinking as much as I should..

So, what do you all think? I'm pretty swollen, and my pressures have risen so high after what they were reading. I should mention that in 2003 with my first baby I only developed Preeclampsia after she was born. I went home and 2 days later it hit me like a ton of bricks. But I had other problems at that time as well. Pulmonary Edema, Pneumonia and Preeclampsia. I'm just so incredibly nervous after the sudden rise in my blood pressure. I'm hoping it's just from too much salty food all of a sudden. Or maybe it's just normal to rise a bit at this time. Thoughts??

But, if it's just want I'm eating, or coming off the pain meds then I will OFFICIALLY have had my third pregnancy with no Preeclampsia.

Here's a link to my baby album! I feel like most of the women here helped me through this whole journey. This is the outcome:

https://plus.google.com/photos/11758550 ... lafS5svSDg

[sam10]

Congratulations. So glad to hear your section went well w/o any complications.
The swelling you are describing can be normal after a c-section. I had that as well, and my doctors assured me it was from my section. Your rise in BP I find more concerning, especially with your history of postpartum PE. I would check with your doctors. What is your normal BP?

[alexis]

I had that as well. In my case they were concerned because I am a medicated chronic and I was throwing up some pretty serious spikes, like over 160/100 (also, the swelling was really pretty awful, like can't walk awful). They had me come into the office. I don't think there's any harm in calling in and asking.

[angieb]

I had the swelling after my c-sections too- it was really bad. My bp also jumped up, up from my normal levels and barely under 140/90, for a few days. My mom and DH were ready to drag me back to the ER/L&D but I refused because I felt okay and my bp wasn't crazy high just yet. It stayed just barely under the 140/90 threshold for a couple days and then everything resolved completely, I think a slightly elevated bp can be normal after c-section/delivery as well, while it can be postpartum pre-e, I think it can also be normal.

[amberstrika]

Thanks for all the input. Unfortunately, the doctor at my OB practice just started the day before I delivered my baby and replaced the only OB I had seen the whole pregnancy. She has seen my BP for the past 2 days and says It's nothing to worry about. She just brushes it off completely. She says it's fine. And No big deal. I don't understand how my pressure can go from 100/60 for 2 days postpartum, then jump to 140/94 the third day and continue to stay that high, even when I'm laying down on my left side. My pressure was never this high my whole pregnancy. She just doesn't seem worried or concerned at all... With my first pregnancy, I developed severe Preeclampsia on the 5th day postpartum and ended up with a ton of life threatening problems. I don't see why she's being so unconcerned about this. She doesn't know me or my history at all. I'm royally p*ssed off about the lack of concern. I'm just not sure what to do. This OB could care less about the readings.

[alviarin]

You could always ask your GP for a second opinion. My GP was actually much more helpful dealing w/ my postpartum BP issues than my old OB. That being said, she only wanted to put me on BP meds if my diastolic was in upper 90s or above.

I hope you start feeling better soon.

[mom29]

If the new OB doesn't know your history of pulmonary Edema and pneumonia after a previous delivery then she needs to be informed. You could call the office and tell the nurse or secretary and explain that your history and current high bp's are worrying you. Or you could follow up with a pcp.

My pcp did a much better job folllowing me after my previous OB refused to increase my meds. despite having had post-partum pre-e in the previous pregnancy. Fortunately, the MFM was willing to increase the meds. when I called him even though he didn't deliver (just handled my diabetes).