Ambulatory Blood Pressure and the Normal Increase in Maternal Blood Pressure Postpartum
Ambulatory Blood Pressure and the Normal Increase in Maternal Blood Pressure Postpartum
Investigators plan to study blood pressure trends on days 3 to 6 of the postpartum period.
 Investigators will use a home blood pressure monitor that stays on the arm, and takes blood
 pressures hourly. Participants will record any symptoms that they feel are attributed to high
 blood pressure and pain medication use.
Participants will be screened postpartum for inclusion. Only women with cesarean deliveries
 will be included as they are kept for 3 days in the hospital as opposed to 2 days for vaginal
 deliveries. If they meet inclusion criteria they will be asked to participate in the study,
 and consented. Each patient will receive routine postpartum care. The ambulatory blood
 pressure cuff will be introduced and validated on the particpant prior to discharge.
 Particpants will then be given specific instructions on when to place the cuff on their am
 and when to remove it. The ambulatory cuff will take blood pressure measurements every hour.
 The Particpant will be asked to keep a log of actives, symptoms, and pain medication use for
 the 72 hour period that her blood pressures are being recorded. The BP device will be
 returned to the department of OB/GYN at St. Mary's after completion of her 72 hours of
 monitoring. This will occur at her first post op visit. Particpants will be asked to complete
 a survey about comfort of device and return with the device. Information pertaining to their
 pregnancy and delivery will be collected while the patient is in the hospital. Particpants
 are not responsible for damage or loss of equipment.

 All of these procedures are part of the study.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Normotensive postpartum women

 -  Singleton pregnancy

 -  Cesarean delivery

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Chronic medical conditions that would put the patient at increased risk for
 hypertension (diabetes, lupus, renal disease)

 -  Current diagnosis of hypertensive disease

 -  Skin rash in location of cuff placement

 -  Tobacco user

 -  Chronic narcotic user

 -  Vaginal delivery

 -  cognitively impaired persons