prone to palpitations - can anyone reassure?

[spots]

just wanted to know if anyone had any experience of childbirth with minor heart complaint... this has never caused me great probs or been thought of as a great problem by medics and midwives, but I sometimes get palpitations when under stress and am due 1st babe in may... presuming childbirth puts great strain on the heart, but I'm quite keen to avoid obstetric unit in favour of midwife led and not sure if this will be a problem. Generally have been quite fit till pregnancy, big runs and such, but the sort of exercise that labour offers will be new to my poor ticker. thanks in advance...

If you make a fuss about your palpitations, they'll whip you off for an echo of your heart. Tons of women have a minor prolapse of the mitral valve that causes ectopic beats (feels like you miss a beat) that are not in any way harmful, even during pregnancy. However, the rules are that you have to be under the care of a hospital obstetrician.

This has happened to me. It's a complete pisser, as I hate hospitals.

spots, I was worried about the same 4.5 yrs ago when due to give birth to ds1. Wish I'd had mumsnet then. I worried tremendously--and then nothing happened. Do you tend to get palpitations during exercise, or just stress? I was reassured by my obstetrician that palpitations were unlikely. . .and she turned out to be right. But like highlander says, make a fuss if you want further reassurance.

hum, that's helpful for starters... when I first started getting them about 6 years ago they have me ECG etc. and told me not to worry... and I don't... they only come very infrequently and normally brought on by tiredness but when they come they can last for an hour or so and are very distracting. I have a chance to discuss with obstetrician next month and just want to make sure the subject is aired, tho' if that means I immediately miss out on the kind of birth I hope for then obviously not so keen! Hummmm....

Childbirth does not - to my knowedge -put a particular strain on your heart.... it usually stays quite "normal" - unlike what some people say it is NOT like running a marathon as only your uetrus is the muscle that works overtime..... not the others.

However some of the analgeasia might though.... hence they take your vitals much more frequently oncve you get hooked up to drugs.

Hi Spots - I've been worrying 'cos I've got an irregular heartbeat - get atrial and ventricular ectopics - so my heart misses beats. But I spoke to my obs consultant a while back and she said it was no problem at all (at the time I was hoping she might book me for a c-section - v. scared of giving birth!). Now I'm 36 weeks and just want it out, so am happy to push!!

Isn't it funny, all I want is to continue the dream of a 'normal' birth and in my mind the slightest thing that's irregular makes you liable to all sorts of interventions most of which sound foul. But a 'normal' birth must be... the norm... and presumably lots of minor variations on the normal body theme come within that frame?? Interesting and makes sense, Pupuce, that most work is done by uterus not heart... never thought of it that way... thanks.

Spots I have palpitations too. I found that childbirth was fine but when the doctors decided to put me on a drip to try and stop my labour with DD2 as she was prem. my heartbeat was 130bpm and my head felt like it was going to explode. They had to stop the drip as I could have had heart failure at any point. So if you go into premature labour. let them know about your heart and make sure that if your heart feels odd tell them