blood pressure question.?

Question

im 36 wks pregnant and today at walmart i decided to check my blood pressure on the little thing you stick your arm in.
well it says the normal is up to 120 and higher than that is not. well mine said 144...and im REALLY swollen my feet hurt to walk in the mornings i was just wondering what it meant?! does the blood pressure mean anything?

what is pre-eclampsia?

Answer 1

i had high blood pressure in all my pregnancies, but those store things...don't trust them at all! a your doctors visit, if you are normal, dont even think about those stupid wal-mart machines. (my numbers throughout the whole pregnancy were 140-150, and that was at the doctors office!)

Answer 2

Blood pressure readings are like a snapshot in time, and your blood pressure can vary widely from moment to moment. Also readings vary from machine to machine (and from nurse to nurse).

Blood pressure can change if you happened to be stressed when you took it in that moment. Was something happening at that moment that made you stressed?

Yes, 144 is a high blood pressure. I would go ahead and let your care provider know. They may want you to come in for a blood pressure check.

Pre-eclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure and protien in the urine. Your care provider does screen for these things every time you go into your regular appointment, and you can ask what your previous blood pressure readings and urine screens were like if you do not know. Swelling can be a sign (or not) of pre-eclampsia, but it is usually sudden swelling. If you have had swelling over a long period of time, it isn't in your face, and your BP and urine were normal, it is probably just due to normal circumstances like the heat.

Ask your care provider on ways to lower blood pressure, but two you can always try are rest (especially on your left side) and relaxation (breathing exercises, meditation, visualization, and thinking positive affirming thoughts).

Answer 3

pre-eclampsia is hypertension and swelling of extremities in pregnancy. your legs being swollen is an indication that your blood pressure is above the normal range, which is very common in pregnancy, but there is no cause for alarm, since what you need now is calm, rest and less stress, though you may need exercise like strolling around your house since you are almost due.

Answer 4

its high, but not dangerous. Call your dr, you may need to be checked for pre-eclampsia.