At around 20 weeks pregnant, my OB diagnosed with me with gestational hypertension, which is essentially high blood pressure during pregnancy. I had three consecutive high blood pressure readings, where my blood pressure was higher than what the OB would like.
The OB told me that slightly elevated blood pressure during pregnancy is okay. However, it can also be a sign of pre-eclampsia, which can be very dangerous for the mom and can result in seizures. My doctor is being cautious, doing extra monitoring and testing, and we are all hoping that I do not end up having pre-eclampsia. If this is the case, I may end up getting induced and having this baby a little early.
My personal (non-medical) opinion is that I have “whitecoat hypertension” and only get high blood pressure readings when at the doctor. A lot of people like going to the OB because they get to hear the heartbeat, see the baby, etc. I personally do not enjoy these appointments much! For me, the appointments are an opportunity for the doctor to tell us something is wrong with the baby. Maybe that sounds negative, but there is a lot of anxiety that comes with being pregnant that people don’t really talk about. All I do while at the office is just repeat over and over in my head, “let the baby be okay, let the baby be okay.”
Anyway, we wanted to be able to do our own blood pressure readings at home to see what my blood pressure is normally. My mom has a blood pressure cuff, so she gave it to us and taught Tony how to do it. Both my mom and Tony took my blood pressure and the readings were normal! Turns out I may be right!
Regardless, I have been doing several things to work to reduce my blood pressure during pregnancy. It could be that the things I have been doing are working? I’ll see at my next appointment if they continue to get a high reading.
Eat a Low sodium diet
I immediately started to eat a low-sodium diet. Sodium leads to swelling and swelling means higher blood pressure! I try to eat mostly vegetables, meat, and other whole foods. I steer clear of pretty much everything in my company’s cafeteria and don’t go out to eat much. I’ve been enjoying cooking more at home (I think that’s part of nesting too!)
Exercise Regularly
This one is a little tricky because it’s important to stay active, but you also don’t want to overdo it. I try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day and I also walk a lot at work (meeting to meeting), walk the dog, etc. I’d like to ramp up my exercise routine for these next few months! I feel like I’ve lost a little bit of muscle definition during pregnancy!
Sleep When You Need to
I try to really listen to my body and sleep and nap when I need to. Compared to other pregnant people, I have been sleeping well. I sleep around 8 hours and usually get up just once during the night. The other night I had a hard time falling asleep, so I let myself sleep past the alarm in the morning and went into work about 30 minutes late. This baby is the most important thing right now, so I am just doing everything I can for it, and if that means sleep, I sleep!
Reduce Stress
I am working hard to reduce the stress in my life. One thing I did is ask my boss for some more flexibility and I am now working from home a few times a month. We’ll see if this works! I think it’s also important to just ask for help when you need it. Lean on your partner, family, friends, and co-workers to help you out.
Find ways to Relax
Relaxation means different things to different people. I have been going to acupuncture, getting monthly massages, getting my nails done, and going on walks. I think it’s important to also just do fun things you enjoy whether that is hanging out with friends or going on dates. But if making too many plans makes you feel more stressed, don’t!
Get A Plant!
This recommendation may sound odd, but I heard it from multiple different people! Interacting with nature helps reduce your blood pressure! I’ve been spending more time outside (now that the temps have warmed up!) but I also added a plant to our condo. We don’t have other plants because I can’t manage to keep them alive, but I’m going to try! Tony found a cheap palm plant at Home Depot that he liked, and we now refer to it as the “baby palm.” It’s like our “love fern!” Does anyone understand that reference?!