I'm not sure what to think anymore.
From the beginning of this pregnancy I've had a midwife and an OB - the midwife recommended I see an OB both because my first pregnancy ended in pre-eclampsia - and they have given me opposing advice several times, although they both support my VBAC (the midwife more than the OB, of course). But now I'm really in a pickle.
My blood pressure has risen a little bit - it was 130/90 Tuesday when I went to my OB appointment. The doctor put me on modified bedrest, wants to see me weekly, wants to do a nonstress test on the baby every appointment, and the only one I really have an issue with: he gave me a prescription for blood pressure medication. I don't like to take medication at all, and taking blood pressure medication that will affect the baby is something I REALLY don't want to do.
So I called my midwife for advice, which was: eat more beans and less meat, take more garlic supplements and lots of Vitamin C. She, a vegan, wants me to go vegan for the rest of the pregnancy. While the doctor told me to be on modified bed rest, she wants me to exercise more.
I can't help but feel like one is doing too much and the other isn't doing enough. On one hand, I really would like to avoid the blood pressure medication - but changing my diet that drastically isn't something I'm financially prepared to do, much less something I have time to address right now, and I have no idea if it could be as effective as she thinks it's going to be. I kind of assume that it might help if I just happen to have BP that's just slightly elevated, but if it becomes pre-eclampsia, it's not going to help.
Maybe I should try this vegan thing for a while and see if it helps? Wait until I develop other symptoms of pre-eclampsia before I take the medication? The doctor was kind of giving me the medication in hopes it would keep my blood pressure from getting too high, but if I don't need it right away, maybe it wouldn't make a difference?
From the beginning of this pregnancy I've had a midwife and an OB - the midwife recommended I see an OB both because my first pregnancy ended in pre-eclampsia - and they have given me opposing advice several times, although they both support my VBAC (the midwife more than the OB, of course). But now I'm really in a pickle.
My blood pressure has risen a little bit - it was 130/90 Tuesday when I went to my OB appointment. The doctor put me on modified bedrest, wants to see me weekly, wants to do a nonstress test on the baby every appointment, and the only one I really have an issue with: he gave me a prescription for blood pressure medication. I don't like to take medication at all, and taking blood pressure medication that will affect the baby is something I REALLY don't want to do.
So I called my midwife for advice, which was: eat more beans and less meat, take more garlic supplements and lots of Vitamin C. She, a vegan, wants me to go vegan for the rest of the pregnancy. While the doctor told me to be on modified bed rest, she wants me to exercise more.
I can't help but feel like one is doing too much and the other isn't doing enough. On one hand, I really would like to avoid the blood pressure medication - but changing my diet that drastically isn't something I'm financially prepared to do, much less something I have time to address right now, and I have no idea if it could be as effective as she thinks it's going to be. I kind of assume that it might help if I just happen to have BP that's just slightly elevated, but if it becomes pre-eclampsia, it's not going to help.
Maybe I should try this vegan thing for a while and see if it helps? Wait until I develop other symptoms of pre-eclampsia before I take the medication? The doctor was kind of giving me the medication in hopes it would keep my blood pressure from getting too high, but if I don't need it right away, maybe it wouldn't make a difference?
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