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High blood pressure after giving birth
Before pregnancy, I really didn’t know a lot about having hypertension, or the risk of developing preeclampsia. So I was very surprised when it happened to me.
Most women’s blood pressures will return to normal range after delivery, even with preeclampsia.
I was not one of those women.
After giving birth, my blood pressure went back up to over 170/90, which is very high.
They kept us in the hospital for a week after our son was born, and I was tired, sore, and done being in the hospital.
After being readmitted shortly after they discharged me, I was scared and quite frankly, pretty angry.
What did I do wrong? What was wrong with me, and why could no one seem to be able to fix it?
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Struggling with preeclampsia after pregnancy
There really isn’t much information on preeclampsia, what causes it or how to prevent it well.
All we know is that it causes swelling, protein spilling in the urine, high blood pressure and is a precursor to eclampsia, or full on seizures.
After 12 weeks, my prescription meds were not able to lower my bp levels back to a normal range,
only keep them in a safe range.
I would still occasionally get headaches and chest tightness, which are two indicators of high blood pressure.
Disclaimer:
I am not a licensed health care practitioner
Take into consideration when reading this, that these are just things that I have done for myself.
I am not a health care practitioner, just a woman who has studied natural health.
I am not suggesting that you do take yourself off of Blood Pressure medications unless instructed by your Doctor or Physician to do so.
This post is about natural ways to lower your blood pressure after pregnancy, or after having postpartum pre-eclampsia.
Naturally lowering blood pressure
I took myself off of my Blood Pressure med’s after about 4 weeks on my vitamin regimen, while monitoring myself from home.
Currently, I take 2 fish oil capsules, 2 beet root capsules, 1 COQ10 capsule and 1 Magnesium capsule every morning.
This keep’s my blood pressure levels from elevating, and keeps them in a normal, safe range. These are also safe to take while breast feeding.
Supplements
Beet root
Beet root is one of the most effective supplements you can take for lowering blood pressure levels. This is the Beet root supplement that I take everyday, and it has worked amazingly.
After I added this into my daily routine, I saw my BP levels go from 145/90 to 125/80 in less than two weeks.
Omega-3, Fish oil and COQ10
Nordic Naturals is my favorite brand when it comes to fish oil.
For a healthy heart, you need Omega-3’s, and adding in Co-enzyme Q10, or COQ10, will help with high blood pressure.
Magnesium
When I was in the hospital, my blood pressure was so high that they decided the best thing to do would be to put me on a magnesium drip.
That is because magnesium glycinate can help decrease bp levels, and when taken everyday, it can keep blood pressure levels from being elevated.
You can find Magnesium at your local pharmacy or health food store.
Lifestyle Changes
Changing your lifestyle is the biggest thing you are going to have to do to keep your blood pressure down, especially after preeclampsia.
This is not a get fixed quick thing, you will have to keep up with the change.
For the most part, natural medicine only works as long as you take it.
So if you go off of your vitamins once you feel better, you may start to notice that you backslide into how you were feeling before.
Exercise
Light and frequent exercise is one of the best ways to lower your blood pressure.
Getting your blood flowing with yoga, tai chi, resistance training and walking are three of the exercises I have found most effective.
Remember that it is best to slowly increase your intensity when starting to work out again after giving birth, or after having issues with high blood pressure.
Epsom Salt baths
Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate, is great for lowering blood pressure.
Taking Epsom salt baths once a day, or every other day, can be great for helping to lower blood pressure.
Magnesium sulfate is also the type of magnesium they give you in an IV in the hospital when you have hypertension during pregnancy.
Water and Electrolytes
When you are low on electrolytes, your body will feel dehydrated, regardless of how much water you drink.
Electrolytes are minerals like potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium.
Taking and electrolyte supplement can help to keep you hydrated, and feeling your best when it comes to both exercise and lowering hypertension.
Changing your diet
There are things you can change about your diet to help manage your blood pressure.
Adding things like pomegranate juice, beet root juice or powder, fish, leafy green veggies, and red meat can be good for lowering your bp.
Again, be sure to consult with your health care practitioner before making any lifestyle changes.
What I’m taking now, one year after giving birth
I am updating this post today, about six months after I first wrote it.
A company called LifeSeasons reached out to me, and asked if I wanted to try a few products of theirs. I knew they had one called B/P Stabili-T, and so I took them up on their offer to see if it would work for me.
My results after two weeks…
I checked my Blood Pressure the morning before I started taking it, and it was 130/75. Not bad, but still a little high.
This morning (after 2 weeks taking B/P Stabili-T) my Blood Pressure is 115/65!
That is lower than my BP has been in over a year, and better than with any other supplement I have taken for it.
You can read my full post about this product here.
