chronic hypertension

[ebonymama]

hello ladies,

i just joined....i doh know where to start....i came on here as i was doing my research to find out how to best manage hypertension during pregnancy...

a bit of history:
first to begin i live in the caribbean where the type of healthcare that i see other mothers received is absolutely unheard of....its so bad i dont think there is such a thing as high-risk OBGYN in my country...anyways
i got my first ever bfp in 2011 when i was 29 i had one or two occasions with a recurring tonsilitis where my bp was >140/90 (earlier years bp was normal) so i didnt pay it no concern until the pregnancy......no matter all the meds and hydralazine shots i got it was never below that 140/90....only for a few days then go back up to and more than the 140/90.....until the baby couldnt take it no more and i suffered a placenta abruption at 33 weeks.... (i miss my baby girl everyday still to this day) my bp shot up to 180/111,,,200/150 ....thank GOD i survived the delivery which wasnt even a C-section...it was naturally with forceps....

post partum: that week after the delivery it was still >140/90....

so i went to this private medical clinic a few weeks after....i began treatment for hypertension....and guess what after a few days on the meds which was two (atacand plus and atenonol) mind you....atacand plus is not administered in the public healthcare system...

so after being on that for a few days...my BP went down to like teens and 120's over 70's and 80's....so i continued on it together with some weight loss and it managed to stay that way....

so here i am pregnant again and i think i make myself sick daily....my doc have taken me off the regular meds which is not recommended during pregnancy...and the pressure has slowly elevated to what it was in my first pregnancy... >140/90....

currently on methldopa (aldomet)...i stronly think that that alone wouldnt work for me....

any suggestions anyone...

should i see a cardiologist...we have no Mfm doc or perinatologists in our country....

i will use this thread to update on how i progress and the outcome of this pregnancy....
i really want to take my baby home with me this time

[sam10]

Hello and welcome.

So sorry you lost your precious baby girl. I too lost my firstborn and miss him every day.

I think given your circumstances (no MFM available) seeing a cardiologist might be a good idea. It is important that you will be monitored closely and your medications (which need to be ok for pregnancy - and not all are) need to be adjusted if needed. From what I know adjustment might happen several times during pregnancy and sometimes even switching medication might be needed.

If you do not trust your OB, would you have the option switching to another one that you might be more comfortable with?

Also, are you currently taking low-dose aspirin? If not, I'd ask your doctor about it. Most women who have had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy are taking it during a subsequent pregnancy.
If you have the possibility of getting a blood pressure cuff for monitoring your BP at home, please do so. You can log your BP daily (but don't go crazy with it) and report it back to your doctor (on a weekly basis or whatever you agree on). Your doctor should also give you a BP threshold (how high or low your BP shouldn't go) , so you know when you should call the office and or be seen. Also, please trust your instincts and ask to be seen if you think something is off.

Here is also a link to all the signs and symptoms to watch out for: https://www.preeclampsia.org/signs-and-symptoms

How far along are you?

Please keep us posted and ask any questions you might have.

[ebonymama]

thank you so much for your time sam10.....

so i am to book an appointment with more experienced highly recommended OB soon....

i am gonna see my regular OB 2morrow together with a scan....i will ask about the aspirin....i am certain he is gonna say he doesnt know anything about it....but its worth a try.....

according to the last scan, 2morrow i will be exactly 10 weeks....but it could be more or less off....

at the end of the month i am gonna book the apt for the cardiologists......i think that will give me some good answers....

so amma have an update 2morrow GOD sparing....

[sam10]

Let us know how it goes. Will be thinking of you.

[ebonymama]

hello all,

so i finally had a second scan on wednesday baby measuring one day ahead....

amma be 11 weeks on wednesday....
they didnt measure heartbeat but it was seen ...baby moved alot and so forth.....so thankful to GOD at this point...

my bp at this time i think could do better...
on pre-pregnancy meds it use to be late late 120's over 80's

now its late 130's-early 140's over late 80's- early 90's
there will one or two instances where the bottom will be 100-105....whilst the top is low...
i realise that my bp is lower when lying and higher when sitting

mind u my methyldopa meds isnt at full strength yet....i wonder if in my country they administer that labetalol that all u ladies are on and seems to be working fine??

so i am trying to get in to see a cardiologist at a private institution in about a week's time....