Hi there hope someone can help me out......
Have developed white coat syndrome (even at home!!) and now find it difficult to get accurate reading even at home however here's some no.s I am coming up with 140/97, 130/91, 123/85, highest has been 160/100 but feel anxious everytime I take it.... :( :(. How long can I monitor with these readings before doc will want to put me on meds??? at this stage is just monitoring but the longer I monitor the more anxious I fell I become.... i know I'm causing my own probs but can't seem to get a calm perspective on it. HAve recently had 2nd baby (BP since) and am convinced this brought it on.
Anyway does anyone have anything reassuring to give me......
thanks ::))

stats (female, 30, labile/high bp for 2 months)

Hi Mum2-
If your BP was normal before and during the pregnancy, it's very possible that you are simply going through TRANSIENT post partum hypertension, a not uncommon phenomenon.
Most physicians would likely continue to monitor you at LEAST 12 weeks post partum, before diagnosing essential/priimary hypertension.

You just had baby #2... joyful, yet STRESSFUL...and your body (and mind!) needs a period of adjustment.

Try not to panic, particularly since at 30, it is unlikely that your #s are going to stay elevated if you have no prior history of/and if no one else in your family got HBP until much much later.

Is your home monitor accurate? (Presumably this is the first time you've ever had to monitor or even worry about blood pressure, so naturally you're nervous and anxious!) What kind of monitor is it? (Wrist and finger monitors are notoriously inaccurate.) And has it been calibrated against your doc's?
Also, it's helpful to take it after you've been sitting QUIETLY at least 5 minutes (as if you have the time right now!). Take three separate readings, waiting 2-3 minutes in between.
Throw out first reading (it's usually falsely high due to anxiety), then average the last two.
Best to do all this at least a half hour before exercise, food or smoking. Sit in a chair, back supported, feet flat on floor (not crossed!).
When you take the pressure, make sure your arm is limp and relaxed, supported on a table. If you tense your arm, you will get a false reading.
Cuffed arm should be level with the heart.

zuzu xxx

PS Just noticed Gatormom posted some reassuring info.

Mum, its me again. You and I have the same exact experience!!! My bp was super throught the preganacy(praise God!) and went up after the baby. Then like you, I absolutly freaked out and paniced. I had white coat everywhere. From the dr office to the drug stores and even at home! My gp was the one to tell me about my bp. My ob says not to worry. I just dont take my bp because it freaks me out.

Thank you All for your replies, I feel a bit more at ease about it now and a little less frantic, was going over board on the amount of readings I was taking each day, my poor husband thought he'd lost me to the bp monitor!! BTW - Zuzu the monitor at home I have is a Braun..... any feedback on that one?

Psalm91 - thanks it is good to hear from someone in a similar position - I have been tested for preclampsia and it is not that. Is your baby 4 years now? what kind of readings were you getting and did you ever have to go on meds or did it just sort itself out, do you have to be monitored. I did read your thread in the archive but there was no verdict so assumed everyone's bp went back down. I am with you though and am convinced it is linked to the delivery and the trauma on the body involved, however my docs will not buy this, which seems crazy considering what our bodies go through. I have put myself on the following cocktail of vitamins - oc-enzyme q10, hawthorn, calcium, fish oil, vit c and a multi-vitamin have also upped my intake of bananas and oj (thanks to this website). I do get headaches which adds to my anxiety but how much of that is sleep deprivation and linked to breastfeeding...??

I have to see the doctor again this week, she is saying if not much changes in the next month they will prescribe me...... which puts the pressure on...... :(,

Anyway thanks for being out there guys, and if anyone else has anything to add I greatly welcome the advice as it is all a bit of a mystery to me.

xxx :)

Mum,

I'd recommend that BEFORE they put you on a lifetime of drugs, you wear a BP auto-monitor for 24 hours. That's the best way to minimize white coat.
I have WCH as bad as anyone (my cardiologist said he's NEVER seen a case as bad as mine) but even in a hospital, with an auto monitor, I spit out a steady stream of 115/75's!

hi mum, are you from England? just curious. Yes I went on meds. verapamil. Combine the post partum and the anxiety, it kept me hi. I really had to back off and get myself into a peacful state again. I really had to back away from all the negative words and energy from the dr. It would have been one thing if I saw progress in my bp. I gave that dr. a chance to help me, but I saw no progress with him, I was on a negitive merry-go -round. Basically I felt like that gp was not the one to get me through this. I am going to use my obgyn who Ive had for years and he is so encouraging and soent scatch his head and speak death over me. I am like you-obsesive compulsive. The more I thought about bp, and freaked, it just stayed hi. Remember, you are ultimatly in control of your own health care. You can give yourself 6 weeks of supplements and a good diet and see how that works for you. Especially calsium and magnisium. Your baby needs it as bad as you do. You can tell the dr. that you want to try supplements and diet, maybe in 3 months you can see. bp vary so much through out the day. O yea, the sleep deprivation would raise anyones bp, plus taking care of aanother little one. My baby turns 4 this month, the 19th. we are having a Spongebob party, serving crabby patties(hambergers). I shopped the after x-mas sales and I have 10 presents for him. My husband thinks I've gone overboard. obsessive/compulsive-nah!

Hi Psalm
Am expat in Hong Kong...... the docs here have a tendancy to over subscribe so was very curious to see what others thought, thanks for your replies.
Good news (well i think it is) went to the docs today and first reading was 130/90... am happy with that as am sure it would've gone down a bit if taken again. Doc is happy to monitor for a while longer before looking at meds, so am going to try and forget about it for a bit. Would you consider this a "not bad" reading? Are you still on meds or did it sort itself out?
I hope your spongebob party goes well!
xxx :)

Hi mum, whats an expat? Hong kong, Wow! It is not too bad of a reading. That is about where mine sits at the drs office. I basically get readings of 150/90 and a little lower, and that is when I am very nervous. My ob says not to worry. When i see gp's, they freak out and want me on meds and take my bp everyday. For me, I am more relaxed if I just leave it alone. I try to eat a good diet. It is hard with all the sodium in packaged foods. I take supplements for bp(calsium, magmisium, garlic,cq10, I also have a supplement called "blood pressure factor" by Michaels. All it is, is nutritional support for the blood pressure. You can research it online. I also try to eat foods high in potassium(bananas, potatos, orange juice etc) Because I freaked out about the bp, I took my meds, but now I dont take them everyday. Try to relax and enjoy that sweet baby of yours, and nurse away! oh, and take your supplements. I know when I was nursing, I never felt full. I was always hungry, which worried me, because I didnt want to get fat. But the baby and you need all that nutrition, so enjoy!

Hi Psalm, thanks again for your replies.
Expat - is expatriate - I am a Brit living in hong kong temporarily.
I was pleased with my 130/90 and am getting lower readings even now at home. I am getting the odd high one 140/100 but am not bothered, am going to just monitor every other day - would you suggest every day still? like you freaks me out a bit would be good to not do it at all to be honest. Doc is happy to leave me for a month, I am convinced it was a labour blip now more then ever - probably if I hadn't checked it at 2 weeks postpartum it may have gone back to normal by 6 weeks and I may have never known about it..... anyway..... as I now have a history of bp what do they say about trying to fall preggers again?
xx :)

pushing this to the front page.