Gestational Diabetes/High Blood Pressure (Bed Rest??)

I am in medicine also. It seems your not expressing yourself accurately to your Doc. Realize some of these docs are fried them self so you have to make sure they hear you accurately.The most important thing is your baby and you. Do what it sounds like your body is trying to tell you before you collapse, have a stroke or have an early delivery. Not to scare you but geeez listen to yourself your the only one in that body. Good luck.

Hi H.,

Listen to your body. Take care of you! Take time off from work if you need it. It can be difficult taking care of a 2 year old, working, and being so close to the end of your pregnancy. Talk to your doctor. I was taken off of work a month before I was due to be off of work with my first son. Every one and every pregnancy is different. If your body is telling you to slow down, than it's most likely important that you do. If you find that you have to continue working for a while, try to find someone who can assist you atleast for a couple of hours with your two year old when you get home from work, and during that time put your feet up, rest, and try to get some extra sleep.

Take care of yourself!

H., my daughter has an 18 month old and was greatly helped during her pregnancy with an all natural product. Please feel free to contact me at ____@____.com if you would like more information. I am running later for an eye appt. or I would be more informative right now. Take care and I pray all goes well for you and your little one. I would encourage you to at least contact me and get some information on this as it has blessed many in our family alone. Looking forward to connecting with you, Deb Pozzo

H. ~
First of all, being a teacher, and you say you're worried about the health concerns (I assume you mean the flu), have you had your H1N1 vaccine yet? You are in a high-risk group and need it. I'm an OB nurse, and my step-daugter is a nurse & pregnant, and she has gotten her vaccine. I know it's scarey, but the flu is more scarey. :)

You can always ask your doctor to take you off work....it's not a big deal. They are usually willing to do so if you're having issues like the diabetes & blood pressure. Some swelling is normal for most pregnant women, but can be worse when you're on your feet alot, and with the blood pressure. Try to drink more water (I know that sounds wrong, but it's true!) and when you sit, elevate your feet.

Good luck!
D.

You might have to ask. If you are feeling that badly go ahead and do it. As far as your blood pressure goes, you might take some extra calcium before bed. Calcium is a great natural blood pressure reducer. For the swelling, watch what you eat! Nitrates that are in processed foods can really add the water retention issue...cheese, bacon, lunchmeat, salad dressings, anything with MSG (disguised as "natural seasonings, natural flavorings, spices"). Be sure to stay hydrated. Only 8 weeks or so to go...Congrats, hope you feel better and that this helps! :)

I would talk to your doctor and tell them everything. When I was pregnant, i stopped working at 35 weeks. I was having HORRIBLE back problems. I wasn't able to sit and do my job. My job was very unhelpful. I tried to stand and do my job, and they told me that wasn't allowed, I had to sit down. Not sure what the problem was. But I told my doctor all of this. Plus, I had migraines that were getting worse, and I had a history of them before being pregnant. And I coudln't take anything that would work for them. About the time i was taken off of work, I also stopped feeling my daughter move and kick. The placenta was in the front instead of the back, so though she was moving, the placentea helped to absorb a lot of what she was doing, So i coudln't feel her. Because of that, i was having to go into the doctor 3x's a week, and had already been to the hospital 3 times because of this as well. So I asked to be taken off of work, and they took me off of work. I was induced a week early of my due date as well, because I was becoming pre-eclamptic.

You would want to ask about being off of work with stress, and ask about bed rest. There is differenet classifications of bed rest. If the doctor says you should, find out how long in a day, and what they mean.

With having your son at home, if you are at home with him, you will want to make sure your husband is on board with picking up the work around the house. If you have your son in daycare now, you may want to keep him in day care. That will give you time to rest. If anything take him out of day care, say on wednesday, so you have him in the middle of the week, but have time before and after the weekends to rest up.

Good Luck

Goodness. I'm due with #3 this week, I'm a nurse. I had one high blood pressure at my doctor's office 2 weeks ago, was sent to the hospital to be monitored for several hours (where I never again had a high blood pressure reading), and was immediately taken off of work. I don't even have any other health issues (except the 2 year old at home, I hear you sister). Your concerns definitely need to be taken up with your doctor. I'm not on bed rest, I was just told to keep my feet up as much as possible. Good luck to you, hope everything goes well. N.

wow, sounds like you are dealing with alot right now. I remember when I was pregnant with my second son. My first born was 2 years old at the time. My Husband was working two jobs at the time and I was also working full-time. When I look back on it I don't know how I managed it all. After working 9 hours then coming home and dealing with stuff (getting dinner & running after a two year old) plus the morning sickness that lasted 8 months.

My first pregnancy was complicated with pre-clamsia (high blood pressure) so with my second my Dr. requested I start FMLA ASAP. I went in for my normal appointment and my blood pressure was up and I did not return to work the following day. I think Dr.'s are more prone to request you take off work if you have had problems in the past.

I would tell the dr. how your feeling and go from there. With the way the economy is and all it would be up to you and your husband if you can make it just on his check. If you guys can do it than i wouldn't work I would stay at home. I did here somewhere that the diabetes usually goes back to normal with you after the baby is born. But down the road as you age you may end up with diabetes. So that could help maybe. Try going for a massage if your out of the clear your past 12 weeks. Try to get a massage they really help you relax asa mother and a carrier of a baby. Good luck

I would defnitely ask for it. You certainly have every reason to be put on bedrest. If you tell the doctor exactly what you said here, I am sure they would agree you need to be on at least modified bedrest/no work. Bring you're husband with you if you think you will need the support to discuss and help to remember everything you need to tell the doctor. Or, even writing it all down will help as well. I hope you are monitoring your blood pressure at home and work also. Giving them a log of that especially if it is higher while at work and doing other activities would probably help as well. Take care of yourself first and foremost. I know you will make it through just fine but these are complications should not be taken lightly. Good monitoring is key. Best wishes and prayers for you!

I hear you! I was 43 when I had my last daughter. I ended up with preclampsia just like the first pregnancy and was surprised that the doctor told me to put my feet up at work instead of taking me off work a little early despite the fact that my BP was steadily rising every appointment. Especially given my past history of preclampsia. My job was super high stress, high hours so give me a break. If I got lunch I was lucky, much less time to put my feet up. After 4 or 5 trips to the hospital with high BP and swollen legs, finally the hospital doc said there is no way you are going back to work tomorrow. Preclampsia is very dangerous and I ended up with Liver and Kidney damage that took six months to heal despite the fact that I spent the last month on bedrest so you should be more forceful with your doctor about what you are feeling. If that doesn't work then ask for a second opinion.

If you are physically exhausted please, please have them check your kidney and liver enzymes. Exhaustion was the first sign that something was out of whack with me.

Good luck and take care of yourself!

Oh H...talk to your doctor. I also had gestational diabetes.. and the b/p..and was working with pre-schoolers. I gave all my concerns to my doctor and she wrote me a letter to my employer to reduce my work hours... You just need to ask!! Good Luck and put those feet up!!

I never had Gestational Diabetes, but I did have HBP and preeclampsia. I also had daily migraines, which then prompted a call into the doctors and I ended up on bed rest... I also ended up having my son 6 weeks early due to it.

In my case, I was full-time but in an office of high-stress where I had the women giving me nothing but issues daily. I came to the only conclusion that some were trying to get me to quit. (Women in the work place can be catty as I have seen it enough). Dealing with that day-to-day stress, and the constant 'walk on eggshells' feeling I had, that is what triggered my health issues. Otherwise, my pregnancy was awesome and I had nothing major to write home about.

As for the other issues (if you are concerned over H1N1), this is so media & CDC driven- that I too, lost sleep over it at well-child visit time. I am finally over it and going with my heart on what is right; and that is to practice common sense, getting sleep, washing my hands consistently, eating right, fitness and avoiding those that are ill or if I am contagious or with a fever. Sometimes simplistic measures are very well served. (I also practice alternative medicine, so I am well-prepared.)

If you have the time to take - take it. It may be well worth it depending on how you feel. You will have to decide what is right for you, I do not feel we can answer for your health or your baby's. (though you should be prepared for a bunch of opinions.)... I know my OBGyn would see me sooner than if I needed than when I was scheduled to see her. Talk it over with your husband and see what you think is right for you as a family.

EDIT: Just please talk with your doctor about your feelings... I would hate for you to feel that something more is wrong with you than what could be. Every body and every pregnancy is different. I just do not want you to panic over something that may not be the case for you.
Rest, Relax and Breathe~ you'll be fine. :)

I was at the ER at 28 weeks with bp of 150/100.. My dr sent me home at that point and said no more working.. after 2 weeks on medicine the bp stabilized and I asked to go back to work.. they let me go back 20 hours a week.. which was just lovely..

I enjoyed going to work 4 days a week 5 hours a dya... what a life..

You might consider asking your dr for a reduced schedule.. being home full time waiting for the baby to be born is boring.. but a reduced schedule might help your stress and not use up all of your maternity leave.. with a teaching job you might have to work 3 full days or something intead of part days just for consistency with your class.

Please do share your concerns with your doctor. A first grade classroom is a high stress/high activity place. If you are not feeling well, in addition to all the other symptoms (swelling, etc.), I would not wait until next week. Call the doctor and see if you can get an appointment ASAP. If it's at the end of your work day, the doctor will have a chance to see first hand how much you are swelling.

Good luck!

H.,
I too am a teacher and just had baby #3 last spring. I was put on bed rest at 31 weeks! Try to avoid it if you can. It sounds great in theory, but with another child at home to take care of it is a nightmare! That being said, teaching is exhausting! Don't wear yourself out. You can certainly start your maternity leave anytime you want, if you don't need to get paid. If you are trying to keep benefits and use sick days/disability, you do need a doctor's note. Maybe the doctor could say "no working". I know someone who did not have to go on bed rest, but she had to stop teaching. The everyday stuff was too strenuous. The last two weeks of my pregnancy, I was allowed out of bed, but not back to work. If you are that concerned, tell your doctor. If you are already 7 months, they should really listen to your concerns and write you a note to stop working. You need to have the strength to deliver the baby when the time comes and the energy to take care of two little ones! Good Luck!