Palpitations in third trimester

[Missingcaffeine]

I'm 34 weeks and had palpitations over the last week. Pulse goes up to about 110-120 (recently my baseline has been 80-90, but pre-pregnancy pulse was around 60). Lasts anything from 30secs to a few hours. Sometimes it happens when I'm at rest, sometimes on exertion.
I've been checked out, ECG and most bloods normal. Thyroid blood tests still pending. Am booked for a 24 hour ECG and consultant follow up next week. Just wondered how common this is, as I've been told by lots of people this feeling can be normal in 3rd trimester. It doesn't feel normal when it happens though - it makes me feel really anxious and like I can't breathe.

I get palpitations just in general, but they are made worse by stress and anxiety. Do you feel more stressed at the moment because of pregnancy etc.

I had palpitations and skipped beat and resting heart rate of up to 140bpm. Many ECGs and moniterings and I got told Norma normal normal, until I finally saw a consultant who said it's normal, and last min checked my latest bloods and said "oh, your haemoglobin are a bit small", and told me to take iron every other day, and the palpitations have been much much less since then. So keep pushing, they might find a cause, otherwise I'd suggest stacking up on red meat, drinking lots of water, and making sure you don't get too hot.

Do you get it any time or more when you stand up/are active?

I've had them since the middle of the second trimester. My midwife said it is just the extra work being done by my heart to push the extra blood around and also impact of hormones and nothIng To worry about .
I did get them pre pregnancy due to stress but these ones don't seem to have any correlation with my stress levels. The worst is when you have a baby hicupping in your pelvis and palpitations at the same time!

Thanks. I've never had them before pregnancy apart from as a teenager when I was very anaemic due to being vegetarian and not eating well. They don't seem to correlate with stress or activity - they come very randomly and often when I'm very relaxed. My Hb was 11.5 last week, which is pretty good for third trimester.

Are you still veggie? If so it might be worth eating some iron rich foods just to be on the safe side :)

Sinus tachycardia (ie a fast but regular and otherwise normal heart rate) is a common thing in pregnancy. Your body currently has higher oxygen requirements and this can be one way it deals with it.

It's good that they are checking it is not due to anything else eg thyroid or anaemia but if all is clear you can put it down to a physiological response to pregnancy. It won't harm you or your baby.

Some people are aware when their heart goes fast; some aren't. Feelings of panic are common too. If you get panicky, your heart rate goes up- it can happen the other way round too.

Basically it sounds like they're being thorough which is good, but yes, this can be normal and harmless. I had something similar a couple of times in last pregnancy incidentally though I was naughty and didn't get it checked out. Usually on days when I was stressed and rushing around. Have also had ecgs in the past for palpitations and fast heart rate but again usually around times of berevement or stress- all were normal.

coolcat I'm no longer veggie, it was a (very long) teenage phase I went through and I think I was the most unhealthy veggie as I didn't eat anything containing iron or B vitamins. Now my OH insists on cooking loads of meat so my diet is very high in iron these days and much healthier all round.

Thanks weebairn. That's reassuring. Maybe it's just a sign I need to slow down. I just haven't felt great over the last week since they started and when they come, I feel really awful and it's terrifying. I think it is just sinus tachycardia as it's never gone above 120 and it feels regular. I'm just surprised it makes me feel so awful when it comes. I'm pretty sure it's the heart rate making me feel panicky, as I'm generally quite chilled out. Having said that, I only have 7 working days left and there's so much to sort out to handover, maybe I am subconsciously stressed. Yesterday I had a day off relaxing and I had them intermittently in the morning. I felt fine the rest of the day, just with moments I couldn't get my breath - but they were on exertion. Today I have woken up feeling fine.

I'm going to get thyroid test results today hopefully. Thyroid problems run in family and I haven't been checked before for these.

I don't think you realise how stressful work in late pregnancy is until you stop! That was certainly my experience last pregnancy, I stopped at 32 weeks because I felt like I was about to collapse and was wondering how on earth I was going to go another 8-10 weeks, but after a week in bed and knowing I didn't have to go back I was right as rain and did loads of yoga, swimming, walking and hiking right up to my due date and beyond. Went on a little holiday, travelled round a bit to see my mates - it was fab.

Working later this time and currently reassessing if it is wise! Feeling exhausted wiped out and stressed again.

Definitely good to check for thyroid but typically you would have other symptoms too, I expect it will be clear.

Good luck for your last few days at work and hope you get some lovely rest before baby! Not too long now. If you don't feel like you can work right up until your original end date no shame at all in taking mat leave a little early - you've worked almost an entire pregnancy!

Don't panic about the panicking if you see what I mean - it's just your sympathetic nervous system playing tricks on you. Feels shit but won't harm you.

Thank you for your kind words weebairn!
I certainly feel ready to stop work now. 35 weeks tomorrow. As it's my first, I just took a guess and thought I could work until 37 weeks as that seems to be what the majority do - just from asking around and MN, but I guess we are all different and it depends a bit on the nature of the job. I work 10-12 hour days with long commute. I guess to get to 35 weeks with only no days off sick is not bad going - considering I've only felt 'good' for around 10 weeks of this pregnancy! I like the sound of lots of rest and yoga now.
If you're feeling exhausted and stressed, you should definitely review your finish date too. Good luck :)

MN (and hospitals) are a bit competitive I think and not a very good gauge of these things.

Also jobs and pregnancies are really different! The long commute must be a killer, mine is only about 20 minutes in the car.

You have done very very well to have no sick days. I've had about four, I think (none of which I was sick really - just shattered. oh well).

I kind of did the same this time round, felt bad about stopping "so early" last time, said I'd work till 36/37 weeks because "everyone else did", etc. Stupid really. I have several friends who didn't work at all in pregnancy, or very nice supportive nonphysical jobs.

I am working on a one-day-at-a-time policy now. So if anyone really pisses me off at work now, I'm just leaving. Hah. But currently planning to work the next shift - and not thinking beyond that one.

It will all be worth it when we have our lovely teeny babies :)