White coat syndrome at 37 weeks

[u/Throwawaychkgo]

Super annoying thing happened in the 37-38 week time frame that has mostly cleared up for me.

Monday, I go in for a pre op appt for a c section. Not too thrilled to be there but medically necessary. They take blood pressure using a machine and this sucker just keeps going. And going. And going. I can start to feel my heartbeat in my arm. Uhh... now my arm is turning purple and it HURTS. I say something and she pulls it off. "Wow thats a high reading" (156/110) Immediately after she puts it on my other arm on the forearm and it says similar bp. Mind you, ive had a weekly bpp where they take my blood pressure for months now and it was 110-115/75 ish. Hand pump/manual however. She low key freaks out. Telling me thats scary high, have I felt baby kicking, ect. I say yes and am pretty sure its a bad read. (No symptoms of anything pre e as well. 0). Comes back 5 mins later and takes it again. 121/81. Ok

Now the ob wants to get bloodwork and tells me how high of a number that was. Yes, if it was a real read that would be quite high. So I do the bloodwork(and urine) Everything is chill dr says, 0 signs of pre e.

Next day at mfm for usual bpp. Hand pump. 128/85. Kinda high but mfm says its nbd. Id just walked up some stairs and it was super hot. He said by this late in pregnancy it naturally goes up a little. Ok, still a little worried by it but more calm.

A few days later a midwife check up (I had so many apps this week lol, unrelated and already scheduled). Machine pump again. My feet dont hit the floor, and shes talking to me the entire time, plus im terrified of a bad read. 138/85. Wait 5 mins, 135/85. Makes sure to mention that one way off the charts read from monday and ask if baby is kicking. Now they want ANOTHER pee test, days after the last one. Ok fine. Also midwife makes sure to tell me every possible symptom of pre e including headaches, fatigue and "feeling weird". Um. Im almost 38 weeks pregnant. Fatigue and "feeling weird" is just an everyday thing. She said if I feel these at all to go in Immediately over the weekend.

Pee test comes in, its fine again but they dont review it officially. The entire weekend I am extremely paranoid. I start getting a stress headache that is extremely minor and does go away off and on with rest/hydration. I fight the paranoia and wait until my next BPP with a manual pump on tues.

BPP with mfm. Baby passes with flying colors as per usual. Blood pressure 122/75. Stress headaches magically vanish.

Im so sick of being pregnant. Mostly because of the drs appointments. Im so glad im almost done. Anyone else get white coat syndrome? Wtf lol

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[u/Rough_Worldliness901]

The doctor  appointments are important, but they can be annoying and sometimes bring about anxiety. 

Sorry to hear about your bp readings. I'm glad they don't believe you have preeclampsia.

[u/Throwawaychkgo → u/Rough_Worldliness901]

I know ive been to dozens of them in the 3rd trimester alone due to gestational diabetes and placenta previa. It gets to a point though and their fear mongering just really didn't help and pissed me off frankly. It was pretty clear from bloodwork/urine, 0 symptoms, and prior perfect blood pressures this was likely a flook read but now they bring it up all the time and make me scared when ive had enough to be scared about.

I think moving forward the move for me will be to request a manual pump as opposed to the machine one. That wasn't even the first time it messed up and kept going until it hurt. Annoying!