Life. You just don’t know what curve balls it’s going to throw at you. The easiest thing to do is tackle them head on and not worry about the things that are out of your control. Sometimes that’s impossible at other times it seems ludicrous, but in the end unnecessary stress is only going to harm you.
About a week ago, my OB uncovered I suffered from high blood pressure. Automatically I assumed it was something I had done wrong during my pregnancy. Was it something I ate?Should I have finished work sooner? Did I exercise too much? Not enough sleep? Overeating? Maybe I spent too much time worrying?
I had so many questions and so few concrete answers.
Turns out my high blood pressure is a pregnancy symptom that I have little control over. It’s all got to do with my placenta. Once the placenta is out then my blood pressure should return to normal. It’s gestational hypertension that could easily lead to preeclampsia. Fortunately, my blood and urine tests have come back fine and I’ve had no headaches or blurred vision. I did get to spend two and a half days in hospital (it felt like a week and bed sores were threatening…ouch).
This morning, I got up went to the bathroom, started brushing my teeth and thought I would pass out. My entire body felt heavy. I was exhausted even though I managed a full night’s sleep. I checked my BP.
89/60
What the?
So I phoned my OB. It shouldn’t have dropped so low but it was likely that the BP medication had started taking effect. Several hours later it’s 120/80 which is a nice change from the 160/100 which was quite scary even though I suffered no other symptoms.
Now I just have to hope that my BP stabilises and I take it easy over the next week or so. Baby’s going to come early and that’s ok. I had a feeling it would but never under these circumstances. I hope that this gestational hypertension won’t cause any permanent damage and that my BP returns to normal once our little guy is born. I feel his kicks, sometimes it seems like he knows when I’m thinking about him.
If you’re pregnant, make sure you check your blood pressure and listen to your OB. Being fit and healthy is important but it doesn’t mean that you’re risk free when it comes to pregnancy symptoms. Every pregnancy is different and you’ve no idea how your body will react to the new hormones swimming through your body. It’s always best to err on the side of caution. Always talk to your OB or midwife if you have any concerns.
Life is changing. There are going to be many changes around here. From the design to the topics. It’s no longer about training for a marathon or triathlon but about training on job to be a mum, raise a family, and create the life that we want to have candidly that includes finding a balance between family, work, play and training.
