High Blood Pressure - Evans,CO

I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant with chronic HBP. It's controlled, and has been 120/80 the whole pregnancy. WIth my first daughter it was controlled as well, and she was born at 38 weeks 5 lb, 12 oz. With both pregnancies I've taken a magnesium supplement everyday called Natural Calm by Peter Gillham. Has worked wonders for me. Take it every night due to it helping me sleep, and I know it helps with blood pressure. It relaxes the blood vessels naturally. The other homopathic thing I take is Calm Forte by Hylands. I believe this helps as well.
You'll do fine. Watch the salt, processed foods, and heavy meals. Drink lots of water, keep lets elevated once a day to keep your legs and feet from retaining to much water (drives up BP), and if you want try the 2 things I mentioned!

Keep taking your meds like you are.
Yep, laying on your left side does help. Whenever I would go in & my BP was like 160/95 they would have me lay on my side & control my breathing. It helped bring it down every time.
Like you already are doing: Watch your salt intake.
And if the pregnancy does effect your BP a little too much, there are many steps to take before bedrest or anything like that would kick in such as adjusting your meds or giving you different meds all together. Finally, if in the end it is still just too high even on the meds you may have to take it easy throught his pregnancy. I know with 2 other kids at home that's a tough task but you can do it. Get yourself a montly massage or something relaxing that you can look forward to.

Good luck J. & congrats on the pregnancy!

Eat magnesium filled foods, these automatically decrease bloodpressure.

I've been studying nutrition for many years. What I do know is, you need to be drinking purified water. Make sure while you are prego you get at least a gallon a day. also you have to have sodium in your diet. I know what the doctors have been telling people about sodium and high blood pressure, but their stories change. Make sure you are getting at least 1200 mg of a good quality calcium. Green leafy vegies are a must. See a dietician as soon as possible. She will be able to give more suggestions. Keep your doctor informed of what you do.

Please, please, please do not start taking supplements based on the advice of people who are not doctors and who do not know what medications you currently take. Many medications for blood pressure have specific food/supplement interactions that can be dangerous. Check with your docotor or pharmacist before taking any type of supplement to make sure it's safe. Best of luck with your pregnancy.

Is your BP adequately controlled with your meds? If it is, there's no reason why being pregnant should change that, unless you also develop pregnancy-related hypertension, which is unlikely. Not stressing is one of the best things you can do to keep your blood pressure healthy. Do monitor it (since you have high BP, your doc will do that anyway).

Do pay attention. Don't worry. I, too, have chronic hypertension. I had been able to control it without meds for several years and through my first pregnancy, but when I got pregnant the second time, the diet and exercise options were limited, and my BP did rise. So my doc took the rather unusual step of starting me on BP meds at 20 weeks. I was sent to a fetal/maternal specialist to make sure things continued to go well, but other than the rise in BP, which the meds fixed, nothing else happened, and I ended up with a happy, healthy baby boy.

I went thru two pregnancies with HBP. I purchased "resperate" which is a controlled breathing device.....it is amazing, but $$$. Check it out on amazon. It does work, and it helps you meditate.

My first pregnancy I worried about my BP constantly....which did nothing but drive it up. I ended up havign to go on BP meds. My pregnancy was great although my son was only 5.5 lbs, born at 37 weeks. he is doing great now.

My second pregnancy was unexpected, and very soon after my first pregnancy. I was still on the bp meds from the first prgnancy. I was so busy with my first child, I kinda forgot about my bp/pregnancy. My bp was great all pregnancy (I was on meds the entire pregancy). And my son was 7lbs 2 oz....and prefectly healthy born at 39 weeks.

My recommendation is try resperate for sure. And try not to worry about your bp.

J.,

I know that you really did not want to hear about diet and exercise...but that does the best thing. Also, you need to learn to do some relaxation exercises to keep calmer. Stressing about it makes it worse...I know that you know that. Try to have a calm household. Play and listen to soothing music etc.

Low salt for sure... Try not to gain too much weight. I too developed htn while pregnant. I still have it and my son is 6... Not much you can do. Google the topic and listen to your obgyn.. Good luck!!

I had HBP with my first child and spent the last 3 months in bed on my left side.

To this day I still sleep on my left side. Watch your salt intake. I'm sure you already know that the majority of meats you buy at the grocery store contain salt as do most seasonings we use and just about any prepackaged product we buy.

Work with your doctor. You won't be the first or last mama to experience this issue.

The ladies here have great ideas about reducing stress, too.

I know it's hard not to worry, but try to relax - that will help!!!

My family (my husband, three kids, and myself) takes a liquid, whole-food nutritional supplement called Body Balance. All ingredients derive from things we are supposed to get in our diet, but rarely do because our soil is so depleted of nutrients now. We love this product and I'm very impressed with the company and it's other products as well! I am pregnant with our 4th and have taken this throughout my pregnancy (I showed it to my OB and she saw nothing wrong with taking it). I have heard stories from other customers (with varying ailments from HBP, diabetes, fibromyalgia, lack of energy, hard time sleeping, asthma, etc.) about the wonderful things this product has done to bring back their health and wellness (many times eliminating the need for prescription meds)!

If you're interested in finding out about the product, go to www.mylifeforce.net/catiemadden. The site has a product list and description (you could print it out and bring to your doc to take a look at), testimonials from MANY customers, endorsements from health care professionals (over 160,000 docs, nurses and other HCPs endorse it), and background on the company itself (it's over 28 yrs old, internationally known, has an A+ rating from the BBB, is debt-free and owns it's own manufacturing company which eliminates the middle-man).

Good luck, J., and congratulations on your pregnancy!!!

Conn's syndrome is what causes high blood pressure. Blood pressure is controlled by the hormone aldosterone. When you are secreting too much, you are retaining too much sodium and loosing too much potassium. One of the medicines for that is diretics. These meds raise potassium.

So that is what you need to do. Limit your salt greatly, eat potatoes at 2 meals, eat bananas, and other high potassium foods. Do a search for 'herbs that raise potassium' or ask them to give you potassium.

It is important to have normal electrolytes while pregnant.

Go to www.prevention.com It is "Prevention" magazine. Very good.
And just input "high blood pressure" in the search box.

Also, my Mom has HBP. Per her Doctor, she took a class on "deep breathing." Her instructor had High Blood Pressure too... and for her... it has REALLY helped.
It is a tangible real help, for High Blood Pressure, and stress.
My Mom now, does not have to take her HBP pills.

And yes, relaxation exercises. My Mom likes Yoga or Tai Chi... which also incorporates "deep breathing."
And of course, watch your salt intake.

Being Pregnant and having HBP... your Doctor will monitor you more closely.... and heed to his/her... advise.....

all the best,
Susan