blood pressure question

Hey ladies! Okay so with my previous pregnancy with my DS I had pre-e. I developed it around 32 weeks and delivered the day I turned 37 via c-sec. I had to take BP meds for about 6 weeks post-partum because my BP never fully resolved itself after the birth (although all the other things associated with pre-e did).

This pregnancy I started having problems with my BP around 16 weeks. Doc said she didn't think it was pre-e because I didn't have any protein in my urine, just the high BP. So she put me on labetalol and everything's been okay since. Today I have felt very "off". I have literally laid around all day and done nothing. I've felt a little shaky and had a headache as well. I finally checked my BP on an automatic monitor I have at home and it was a little high at 145/94. I wanted to double check it (because I never believe the automatic ones) so I had my DH help me hold everything in place so I could take it manually (I'm a nurse .... or was until I left work in Dec.) and it is a little high. On the manual reading I got 144/98.

I did take my meds today, so I'm wondering if I should be worried about my BP going up because of something like pre-e or if it's just a weird day for me today and it's probably okay. I'm going to keep an eye on it throughout the evening and give my doc a call if it goes up any, she's on call this weekend.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Oh and something I wanted to add but for some reason it won't let me edit my post is that my upper right side has been hurting pretty bad off and on the last 2 days. Like right under my ribs. Today it's been there pretty constantly. It doesn't feel like the other pains I've had as far as ligaments stretching. I say all of that because I don't think or know if any of it's related but I really meant it when I said I felt "off" today. Bleh.

 

I'd personally get checked out. I've had issues with my BP since my first and they upped my dosage initially because my BP was gong higher - apparently a normal thing with twins. I've just recently been switched off that BP med to another, not because it was going sky high .. but a little higher than normal.

 

I wound up calling my doc and she said to go ahead and go in and have it checked out. I did and wound up being at L&D until 3 this morning.

My BP is running high but not high enough for them to change anything yet. My doc wanted to see me on Monday morning to discuss it. However, it was good that I went in because they ran some labs and apparently I'm pretty anemic. My hemoglobin level was 8.3. The nurse said they like to see it above 12. So I've got to go buy iron today and start taking it twice a day. Anybody have any suggestions on different iron pills? I've heard they can wreak havoc on your body...any ideas on how to proactively deal with that?

 

I haven't had an experience with iron pills - but I would think taking them with food will help with stomach issues and you'll probably also want to take something like Colace to help keep you regulated as Iron can and often constipates people.

Good luck!