High blood pressure, headache.

[Karenm25]

I'm 38 weeks today . It's now 2.30am ani I've woken with severe nausea and headache. Brother in law is nurse and left with me an easy to use electric blood pressure monitor, which is reading quite high ATM. I've a midwife appt tomorrow at 10.15am, the first one my husband can't make. My mum's coming with me. Should I insist he be there or just go as planned with my mum? I'm tempted to wake him now lol

 

[bigbee]

I think it's totally personal whether you ask your husband to come with you or not.

I personally wouldn't unless i felt absolutely dreadful. If you need to be sent to the hospital (due to developing preeclampsia, for example) your husband can always join you there? But see how you feel when you wake up. Good that you have your mw appointment, really...

 

[littlemonkey]

I would have your OH on standby. How high is it?

I was admitted with both my pregnancies due to high blood pressure. Anything over 100 for the top or 150 for the bottom (can't remember the proper names sorry!) will likely see you admitted to be monitored for a while as a minimum.

 

[Les1504]

I developed pre eclampsia with my son. Like little monkey said, the top number can fluctuate with heart rate etc but normal reading is around 140. The bottom number is the key one and shouldn't be above 90. Mine was around 160/110 at 37 weeks. Hope you're appointment goes okay xx

 

[Ella1979]

When I developed pre-eclampsia with my daughter, I couldn't sleep at all due to the pain in my head. Like littlemonkey says, I'd have your OH on standby and go as planned with your mum. It's definitely the bottom number that's more concerning. My bp was 220/110 at its very worse.

Hope you managed to get some sleep and feel better this morning.

 

[littlemonkey]

God I want half asleep when I wrote this earlier! I meant 150 for the top and 100 for the bottom!! When I got admitted the second time mine was 170/120. I can't remember first time around now, but it was over 100 on the bottom.

Hope you're feeling better now and appointment goes ok

 

[Coletteypie]

Hope the appointment went well!

Like others have said is the bottom number that is of concern. And home monitors aren't calibrated to same extent as hospital ones, so can't be relied on the same. when I was admitted at 33 weeks for high BP I was at 145/90 - lower than others above but high for me (normal 120/70). So is all relative to you. The headache is def the giveaway that all is not right, and did u have swelling? My BP came right down tho and was discharged without being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia!

Good luck x

 

[Karenm25]

I ended up phoning maternity unit at 6am. They advised me to go there immediately. Both me and husband went. We were there from 7-11.30 zzzzzz. Everything was grand. Blood pressure was normal. The bottom number reading 30 or so less than it had when I took it. Needless to say my own monitor was going in the bin!!