Blood pressure on the rise

Hi ladies -- first time poster, long time lurker. I'm 31 weeks 3 day with twin boys (and so excited!) Last week I had a little 'excitement' when I lost feeling in one of my calves and wanted to rule out a clot, when I went to the doctor I was relieved to discover that it was just lots of baby pressing on my nerves/vessels - however my blood pressure was elevated and my doctor mandated that I take a sick day on Monday and reevaluation. The re-eval went great and my blood pressure was slightly elevated but relatively normal.

Today (Wednesday) I had some sparklies and floaters in my visual field and my hands were feeling swollen so I suspected something was up. We just happened to have an employee health fair so I went down for a flu shot and my free blood pressure check. My pressure was even higher this time than it was on Friday. The employee health doctor, who just happens to be a twin momma herself, said - yep, time for you to go home for the day, and more than likely for the remainder of the pregnancy..

So I'm beating myself up because I feel like I'm throwing in the towel, I thought I could make it so much further.. I guess I just need some reassurance that it's ok to leave work now for the remainder of the pregnancy and I'm not just wimping out. Carrying two babies is hard work! And I get the feeling many of my coworkers just want me to act like it's no big deal (I work in a clinical lab at a hospital, so we are constantly sitting, standing, sitting, stooping - to the tune of many BH contractions each day). I do have a call in to my doctor, and I'm pretty sure he'll go along with whatever I think I need, so I stand straddling leaving completely to get some much needed rest, or attempting a reduced work schedule..

*sigh* these babies are so much more important than my job..

Any advice would be very appreciated!

 

Listen to your doc. Your body is telling you that you need some rest...

 

Heck, my doctor sent me home for a lot less... at 25 weeks I told my dr. I was feeling really wiped out and she wrote me a note on the spot and told me to go home and eat M&M's. It's really taxing on you to carry twins, and you don't want to take any risks with your blood pressure or anything that might risk an early delivery. You won't regret resting, but you might regret trying to power through another couple of weeks of work. So make yourself comfy on the couch and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. And send pictures of yourself eating bon-bons on the couch to your coworkers every day just for good measure

 

You are not "throwing in the towel" ... you are refocussing your energy. Stay home, put your feet up and drink lots. Make that your full time job. I tried to be superwoman at work with my first baby(singleton), walking, lifting, wearing a smile constantly and was repaid with pre-e and early induction. I should have just been superwoman at home and eaten chocolate. Would have been more fun. ardon: You have to leave work soon anyway so do what feels right for your babies. Good Luck.

 

I would be done working. THe babies health is more important. You don't want NICU babies.

 

Growing 2 humans is enough. Your body is telling you that it needs to you do THIS work, now. Listen, and gestate. It's difficult when your job is not very understanding, but just know that you are making the best choice for and your family. The job comes a distant 2nd.

 

I'm constantly "giving away" my gestating duties to others to get them to stop making comments.

Random Person: You shouldn't be eating THAT much!
Me: Would you like to carry one so I can eat less and still get enough calories that these babies grow?

Random Person: It shouldn't be that different than one baby until later on.
Me: Well, if I could share the extra pints of blood and fluid my body has created as well as the second half of hormones I would.

Random Person: Tired already?
Me: Yeah, I just created a functioning kidney... twice!

I'm a smart aleck though...

 

Oh don't beat yourself up about it AT ALL! You made it longer at working than a lot of mom's of multiples I know! There is no shame in listening to your body and saying "Enough is enough". These kiddos need you to slow down and they are telling you by making you experience these uncomfortable things.

You have to remember something, especially when you feel like people in your office think you should carry on your day like it's no big deal because, hey you're JUST pregnant...remember this - the female body was built to carry ONE baby at a time, not multiples. People who have had singleton pregnancies, even those that had 9lb babies, have NO clue what it feels like to have TWO little people kicking and moving and growing and putting pressure on every nerve ending in your body. They just don't get it and I, personally, don't think they ever will until they experience it for themselves.

There is no shame in slowing down. You are doing this for something far more important than your work. You are slowing down for the health and well being of those beautiful babies growing inside your body!

 

Thanks for all the feedback ladies!! My decision got made for me, my doc took me off of work, put me on modified home bed rest and I'm actually sitting in the hospital right now twiddling my thumbs because he decided to do dexamethasone steroid injections in case they decide to come early. ( And turns out I officially have gestational diabetes so they are monitoring my wonky steroid hyped blood sugars until they stabilize.

Thank you all again -- I think I'm going to take a PP advice and start handing out my gestating duties to people who make impertinent assumptions Guess it's time to go check out the bedrest threads!!