Patient's question:
Now I'm 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant. My blood pressure measured at the hospital is 100/160, but it has always been normal before. My legs and feet are quite swollen, and they improve after resting at night but still remain swollen. Today's ultrasound shows a biparietal diameter of 9.2 cm, a femur length of 7.0 cm, a fetal heart rate of 142 bpm, amniotic fluid of 4.6 cm, and the placenta is located at the posterior wall of the uterus, grade 2. The urine test shows one plus for protein, while other results are negative. There are 55 epithelial cells, with a reference range of 0-8. It's been about 20 days since I started experiencing pain in the pubic area, especially when I first lie down at night, making it almost impossible to turn over. The pain is less in the morning, and during the day, it doesn't hurt as long as I don't overexert myself.Doctor's answer:
You have never had high blood pressure before, but your current blood pressure is 160/100, which falls under the category of gestational hypertension, specifically the blood pressure readings associated with preeclampsia. The safest mode of delivery for you is a cesarean section. If you insist on a vaginal delivery, the effort during labor may stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, causing blood vessels to constrict and potentially raising your blood pressure further. This could lead to fetal hypoxia or stillbirth, and it could also increase the risk of heart failure or severe bleeding for you. This poses extreme danger to both you and the baby. Additionally, your pain in the pubic area will make vaginal delivery more difficult, further increasing the risk.Recommendation: Vitamin E has a role in fetal preservation, while vitamin C can prevent bleeding and act as an antioxidant. For the safety of the baby and yourself, choosing a cesarean section is the safer option. Although doctors will discuss the potential surgical complications or risks associated with a cesarean section, with highly skilled and responsible medical professionals, such risks are generally rare and should not be a cause for concern.