What's Another Needle?

Hubby and I had short physicals to upgrade our insurance plans and prepare for life with baby. I had to do another round of blood and urine tests, but the clinician was nice and she used the little needle. At the very least, I learned that having blood pressure on the low end of the normal scale is a good thing for baby. I'm still not entirely sure what this means, but I'm not fainting so I must have enough blood, oxygen and nutrients going through my system! My favorite part of the exam was when she reminded me that I did not have to fast. I guess they know better than to stand between a pregnant woman and food. ha ha.

A blood pressure reading appears as two numbers. The first and higher of the two is a measure of systolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills them with blood. The second number measures diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. Normal blood pressure is usually in the range of 120/80 (systolic/diastolic). In healthy people, especially athletes, low blood pressure is a sign of good cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health. A pregnant woman may have a normal blood pressure as low as 90/50 or as high as 135/80, with an average of about 110/70. The pressure itself is not as much of an issue as how much it rises over the course of the pregnancy. The most frequent symptoms of hypotension are lightheadedness, weakness, fatigue, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Your symptoms of lightheadedness and shortness of breath may not be related to low blood pressure, however, since many other problems can cause those symptoms. During pregnancy, hypotension can result in reduced blood flow to the placenta, reducing oxygen and nutrition delivery to the fetus. This can result in growth problems and reduced amniotic fluid if it is chronic. During labor, it can cause fetal distress if oxygen delivery is reduced acutely.

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