Heart Palpitations at 30 Weeks

[Frasras11]

Does anyone else get regular heart palpitations? I'm talking sometimes every 10 minutes or so for a couple of hours at a time. I know you're more likely to get them in the third trimester but they're really starting to freak me out and I know I'm making them worse as I'm panicking.

Has anyone else had these/having these. Did you go to the GP or talk to your midwife. Have appt with midwife tomorrow but don't want to be dismissed as a neurotic.

Looking for a bit of handholding and reassurance that others have had similar and that all was actually okay.

No scare stories please!!

I mentioned it to the MW at a scheduled appointment and she told me off for not phoning straight away. It was fine, but definitely bring it up.

I'm only 16 weeks so have no personal experience, but work in healthcare. I guess it depends on what the palpitations are.

It's very common to have ectopic beats. Essentially any cell in the heart can produce a beat, so every now and again instead of the sino-atrial node starting a heart beat another bit of the heart does. The beat is not in rhythm, so there is often a short pause then the normal beats return. This feels like a thud in the chest & your heart rate isn't any quicker. These are normal, and don't do you any harm.

If you are having episodes of very fast heart rate that could be a different issue. If you are able to try and work out the speed of the palpitations, if they are regular or irregular and if they follow any patterns.

If its the skipped beat probably nothing to worry about. If you are having runs of fast heart rate which aren't provoked i.e.. you haven't just done some exercise) and you are worried then get checked out - something as simple as an ECG may be very reassuring to you

I'm having this exact same problem and I am 17 weeks. Really getting severe palpitations and making me really dizzy and out of breath.

I'm waiting for a 24 hour cardiac trace to they can see what is happening. Could be nothing but they want to check.

Defo talk to midwife

They feel more like a missed beat and my heart rate stays the same (about 80 beats a minute). They just feel so strong in my chest that they're freaking me out no end!

from your description it is probably an ectopic beat which wont do you any harm - however if this really freaks you out then check in with a doctor. It's easy to do an ECG and at least you will know.

Thanks guys. I'll talk to the midwife tomorrow and take it from there. Just finding it so hard not to panic!

I had 2 x episodes of palpitations yesterday with quite a bad one last night. I admit it's starting to really frighten me now.

I'm sure it is totally normal but when you are lying in bed and can barely breathe it's really frightening.

Spoke to ante-natal clinic this morning regarding my 24 h cardiac tape and as the appointment is "soon but not urgent" it still could be 3 - 4 weeks. She did say though if it happened again to not be scared to ring maternity triage as that is what they are there for.

It's just starting to scare me now

I had palpitations throughout the 2nd and 3rd trimesters if my pregnancy and although it freaked me out a bit, I was reassured by the midwife and my gp that it was nothing to worry about and is quite common.

They did an ECG just to check.

Mention it for sure as they will be able to put your mind at rest but try not to worry - it happens to lots of women apparently! Hope you feel better soon.