Pregnancy Induced Hypertension - the combat!

Hi Ladies!!
Thursday is sharing day :)
Forget about my dissapointment entry yesterday.
Let's be more positive starting today and start living ;)

Let me share.
Suffering from PIH during my pregnancy with Iman last year do taught me a lot..well a lot!
And gave me the strength to try to do better this time. Esp with my age getting older and older each year, I have to act fast. Potentially, being pregnant in your 30's or 40's will not be as good (good?) as you were in your 20's and maybe you could never get pregnant again pun.. so all the while, with the health and strength we still have, why wait?

So, end result :: get pregnant as much times as you can whilst you are still in your 20's. :D

Ok back to the main topic for today
Got some tips from the elders and also mistakes from last year's pregnancy.
If in terms of engineering :: Lessons learnt :)

Let's share if others out seems to be having or tend to be having the same problem.
Maybe some may not show drastic reduction, but we should try. Org melayu kata :: ikhtiar :)

[disclaimer :: all are from observation and self taught experience. to my doctor-friends/nutritionists out there..do correct me if the theories below had been proven wrong..huhu (--")]

COMBATing PIH!!

1.  Number one rule :: I need to cut off all the caffein. Big NO NO to coffee, nescafe..dan yang sewaktu dgn nya.susah juga yang ni sb I'm a big coffee addict.Best to cut off la kan? I'll try to limit bit by bit..then terus cut off, however difficult. Yes ladies, I admit I still drink coffee whilst pregnant. And that was the main factor contributing for my PIH. Ok, for now...we go slow on this.Susah, when you're working hard to run without caffein in your system (--")..but I've tried milo.So far it works up-to 60% (^_^)V

2. Decrease or if you could demolish unnecessary salts in your diet.Malay food is full of salty items..masin adalah sedap kan?Telur asin, ikan masin is very tempting..kicap, taucu, mmmm..byk tu.Even simplest food could be loaded with salt. Moderately try to reduce..undertaste of food (tawar) is always better than overtaste (masin mcm tertumpah lori garam) kan? :)

3. Fish oil! :) A lot of researches shows that fish oil lowers your BP level.

For me, it helps..i think so.So far record for BP is better than previous pregnancy :)
Try Neorogain, or this one from Cosway.
Bila makan ibu pun rasa lbh bijak (haha..ok yang ni tipu)

i choose to have this babe~

Let's see to some sources such as webMD.

"A type of fat called "omega-3 fatty acids" is found in fatty fish like mackerel and salmon. Large amounts of fish oils may help reduce high blood pressure, but their role in prevention is unclear. Taking fish oil pills is not recommended because high doses can cause unpleasant side effects. The pills are also high in fat and calories. Of course, most fish, if not fried or made with added fat, is low in saturated fat and calories and can be eaten often."

4. Managing stress

This is the MAIN factor for me I think.So starting now, Ill try to waive all factors that might possibly contribute to stress..esp unnecessary work stress. 

Do what you are assigned to do. Jangan layan ad-hoc requests and out-of jobscope additional work. Avoid all arguments and try to maintain cool all the the time. It is really not worth to get high BP due to work related stress. The money they cover for you for maternity will not be higher pun if you catch additional sickness due to them :P





5. Eat/drink as much calcium! This is really true for me. I hated milk whilst carrying Iman.Bad thing. Lesson learnt! I don't really know how technically calcium relates to the body's BP leveling..but let's have a look about calcium what i have found.

Calcium is one of the major minerals your body needs to function properly. Most adults need from 1000 to 1200 milligrams (mg) calcium per day and teenagers need about 1300 mg per day. Your body also needs adequate amounts of vitamin D to be able to utilize calcium properly.


Consuming three cups of dairy products each day should provide you with enough calcium. One cup of dairy is equal to one cup of milk, one cup of yogurt or 1.5 to 2.0 ounces of cheese (about the size of two dominoes):

• One cup fluid milk has 300 mg calcium
• One cup plain yogurt has 488 mg calcium
• Two ounces of cheddar cheese has 400 mg calcium
• Two ounces of blue cheese has 300 mg calcium

You can increase your dietary dairy calcium intake a few ways:

• Add dry milk powder to soups and sauces
• Drink milk as a beverage
• Use low- or non-fat milk in smoothies
• Eat low- or non-fat yogurt as a snack or for dessert
• Top cooked vegetables with cheese
• Add a slice of cheese to a sandwich

Yummy Calsi-yum bleh juga la kan?Yummy yummy  :)








6. Get your vit Cs loaded in!! Naturally :)
Vitamin C seems to expand blood vessels and constricted arteries, consequently helping to lower blood pressure. Red cabbages, red bell peppers, citrus fruits (mandarins, oranges, etc), kiwis, strawberries, and potatoes all are rich in vitamin C.



7. Garlic. Load this in your soups and stir fry's. Yummy as well !





8. Potassium helps maintain blood pressure levels. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels and allows the blood to flow easier.

Clinical studies have indicated that consuming food high in potassium helps lower blood pressure. Vegetables high in potassium are, among others, tomatoes, potatoes, cantaloupes, bananas, beets, Brussels sprouts, avocados, and oranges.Foods high in magnesium are chocolate, avocados, spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, and barley. 

Yummy food as well ni..not that bad for keeping healthy reasons :)



9 .Practice relaxation or slow, deep breathing.

Practice taking deep, slow breaths to help relax. There are some devices available that can help guide your breathing for relaxation; however, it's questionable whether these devices have a significant effect on lowering your blood pressure.Try before meeting your doctor for your BP testing. Works for me.



10. Celebrate celery!!~

"According to Chinese theory, celery is effective for hypertension because it acts upon the liver; one type of hypertension is associated with the liver.In Mainland China, celery juice was useful in reducing hypertension in 14 out of 16 patients. The juice was mixed with equal amounts of honey and about 8 ounces was taken orally three times each day for up to 1 week. Fresh celery juice can be mixed with vinegar to relieve dizziness and headache and shoulder pain associated with hypertension. In cases of hypertension of pregnancy and climacteric hypertension, drink fresh celery juice every day"

Sedap juga celery juice ni. Blend in with cucumber and lime..nyum nyum :)


11. Last but not least. Cut off all the red meat, and inner parts : hati, limpa, paru..put more to lean meat and fish. As a meat lover, this is very hard for me..meleleh air liur tgk daging bakar dgn nasi kerabu. Kalau teringin sangat, mkn skit la..won't hurt kan? :) But try to avoid at most times if not all :)






This pregnancy target : no more PIH!~
No more labetalol..no more daily BP readings..letih woo.
Tip top till the end.So far so good..

Alhamdulillah.and i hope it will stay that way though its quite tough when you're working and all the big jobs and projects starts to boom once you've hit the third trimester.alahai.. :'(


But worth trying kan?Ikhtiar tangga kejayaan.

The good thing is that this target is achievable, bukannya mustahil pun kan?



Ok lah..just to share these this morning..have a nice day peeps!
ok ok..letak gambar budak iman ni dulu..enterframe kejap :)

Growing much smarter each day :)

Till then,




Love,
Zahra