How do you know if you're having a heart palpitation during pregnancy? It will often feel like a fluttering in your chest or some light or heavy pounding in the same area. Some could feel their heartbeat going faster.
Other times women feel that their hearts are not beating in a regular rhythm. And a few have described heart palpitation symptoms as having another heartbeat.
In this article, we will tackle all the information you'll need in order to deal with heart palpitation during pregnancy. So, read on if you want to be in the know and prepared should this case happen to you.
Heart Palpitation During Pregnancy
While the sensation can be concerning if not alarming, heart palpitations during pregnancy is pretty common. This happens because your body is trying to produce more blood than it normally does. And, when you're pumping out more blood than usual - palpitations can occur.
However, there are some cases when experiences of palpitations coincide with other symptoms that could be indicators of another condition. So, even if heart palpitations are pretty common, it's still smart to consult your doctor to be sure.
Why Your Pregnancy is Mostly to Blame for your Palpitations
If you have not read enough articles about pregnancy yet, you ought to know that pregnancy changes your body. And, no it's not just the shape, size, and weight of your belly. It's quite literally everything. If you are, for instance, not a very sensitive person pre-pregnancy, you'll be surprised at how easily you can break into a sob while pregnant. That's how life-changing pregnancy can be.
It's the same with the changes that occur in your body. You might think that producing more blood in your body is going to be a piece of cake. Well, it's not that easy, as your unborn child is hogging as much blood as he or she can. So, you'd have to consistently pump out blood, which is not at all easy.
And, when your body goes through so many changes, you shouldn't be surprised at the outcomes of these changes. For instance, by your second trimester, your blood vessels start to dilate, which causes your blood pressure to go down. That's one of the reasons why you might get heart palpitations.
Causes of Heart Palpitation During Pregnancy
So, why do they occur? What if you are pumping out enough blood? Why would you still get heart palpitations? There are other causes of heart palpitations, and they are:
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Anxiety or Stress
Your OB-GYN prescribes bed rest for a reason. It's not just an extra precaution. Regardless if it's physical or mental stress, you ought to do your best to relieve yourself from such as they can also cause heart palpitation during pregnancy.
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Effects of Increased Blood Volume
We were not exaggerating when we said your body produces extra blood for your baby. And, by extra, we mean almost the same amount of blood your body needs. With that much volume of blood, your heart will need to pump faster to get that blood to your baby or the different parts of your body.
Now, when your heart has to pump out blood faster than usual, it can take a toll on your body and cause unusual things like heart palpitations.
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Caffeinated foods
You know caffeinated food and drinks already cause palpitations before getting pregnant. It's worse when you get pregnant. So, if you want to avoid them, stop consuming caffeinated foods and drinks in the meantime.
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Weight Gain or Obesity
Because you are carrying extra weight, producing more blood can become more challenging or a struggle. So, if you notice that you are going beyond the allowable amount of calories per trimester, you ought to slow down. Otherwise, you can experience sudden heart palpitations.
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Low Blood Sugar
This usually occurs during your first trimester. So, if you have low blood sugar, you might experience some heart palpitation during pregnancy as well.
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Low Blood Pressure
As said earlier, your blood vessels tend to grow as you go through your pregnancy journey. And, when they grow in size, they can cause low blood pressure.
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Heart Rhythm Problems (Arrhythmias)
Sometimes heart palpitations are inconveniences that come with pregnancy, and sometimes, they are clues to finding out if you have a condition you didn't know about. If you've already had arrhythmia and didn't know, you'll know then when you get heart palpitations during pregancy.
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Myocarditis
In plain terms, myocarditis is the inflammation of your heart muscle, which can happen when you have a viral infection.
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Thyroid problems
One of the most common symptoms of thyroid problems is having a rapid heartbeat. So, if you experience sudden heart palpitations during pregnancy, it could be a sign that you have thyroid problems.
How to Relieve Heart Palpitations
Apart from medication that your health provider will surely provide if and when you report the palpitations to them, following these healthy habits can help reduce heart palpitation during pregnancy.
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Drink plenty of water
When your body is going through a lot, you need to stay hydrated. That extra fluid is going to help keep you and your baby healthy. So, drink up when you can.
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Avoid caffeinated and sugary food
As stated above, caffeine and sugar can cause heart palpitations. So, if you cannot avoid them (please do if you can), lessen your portions. For caffeine, drink only one cup of coffee a day. And if you can, drink coffee only every other day. Eat your sweets in moderation. You might want to stay away from food high in sodium too.
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Try to relax
When you cannot avoid heart palpitations anymore, the best way to respond is to try to relax. Nothing worsens a heart palpitation more than worries.
So, the first thing to do is to sit down and try to relax your mind. Some breathing techniques and meditation could help. Some experts even recommend pregnancy yoga as a way to ease heart palpitations, so don't be hesitant to try that too.
Other Concerns about Heart Palpitations
As mentioned earlier, heart palpitations are pretty common during pregnancy. But, if they are getting frequent or taking longer to go away, you should proceed to get medical attention. Do so as well if you experience them with other symptoms. Call your OB-GYN when you experience the following along with the heart palpitations:
- Chest pain or chest discomfort
- Breathing problems (difficulty breathing or shortness of breath)
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Severe swelling on your legs, ankles, and/or feet
- Unusual or sudden fatigue
- Coughing up blood
There you have it, mums. Heart palpitations can get concerning sometimes, but if you know what to do or you know who to call, you will be fine.
Just as well, avoid getting heart palpitations by also avoiding things that can trigger them like stress and caffeinated or sugary food, and vices (if you have any). Continue eating a healthy and balanced diet and drinking plenty of water, as those can surely help lessen the risks of heart palpitations.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it's important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn't serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. The Asianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.