Spent the day in hospital and now panicking about baby's heart rate

[designerbaby]

Hi all,
Just hoping to draw on the wealth of knowledge/experience around here - hopefully for some peace of mind...

Spent all of Saturday and half of sunday in the delivery suite... went in on Saturday morning having had diarrhea and vomiting since the wee hours. As I was having cramps, we thought it best to go get checked out, as had been warned at antenatal calsses that S&D can be a sign of early labour, or can bring it about - and the cramps were a bit worrying.

I really thought they'd just send us home and tell us not to worry, but in the event, the found I was running a really high temperature, had protein in my urine and the baby's heart rate was running very fast (160-180+BPM). They did some bloods and found I had some kind of infection (but they didn't know what). Hooked me up to a saline drip and fetal heart monitor.

After that they saw the baby's heart rate still hadn't gone down enough, so decided to keep me in. I had 2 more saline drips and was finally discarged early Sunday morning after I pleaded to go home. I was feeling much better apart from being really hot (ward was like an oven) extremely tired (nearly 48 hours without sleep) and massively uncomfortable (it was a delivery bed, very little padding and because I was all hooked up to various things I couldn't move much).

However, the baby's heart rate had remained a pretty constant 160+ BPM throughout, wand was still running at that when I was discharged.

And now I'm worried because this seems to be too high (I'm 34 weeks)... Plus they wrote 'suspicious' on my notes next to these readings.

Does anyone know the reasons for/causes of a high heart rate in baby? Or what effect they might have?

I'm trying to tell myself that it's probably nothing, but underneath I'm worried sick...

Any advice/experinces welcome ? I'm the kind of person who likes as much info as possible in situations like this...

Mnay thanks,

DB
xx

Sorry, I don't have much advice, but DS's bpm was always around 160 (even late in pregnancy). I own a doppler, so was checking fairly frequently.

Sorry the docs don't seem to have reassured you much (do they not know how stressful the word 'suspicious' is??!! )

I would also guess that the bpm is likely to be higher if you're running a fever and unwell.

I would pester the docs for more info, just to set your mind at rest.

Thanks so much spawn - I am TRYING not to worry (and mostly failing...) and telling myself that they wouldn't have discharged me if they were THAT concerned...

And yes - seeing 'suspicious' on notes with no further explanation REALLY doesn't help, does it!

By the sounds of things your little boy's absolutley fine - and if that's his pic on your profile, adorable to boot

Just was concenrwed that heart rate was so high even once they'd pumped me full of IV fluids/paracetamol and ice chips and fever was back to normal levels... although I guess by that point I'd been up for nearly 48 hours, and strapped to a hospital bed for 16 of them, so I guess I wasn't at my best and so bubs probably not either...

Thanks for replying... it does give me some hope that 160BPM isn't completely outside the realms of normal experience...

DB
xx

Hi Designer

I have the same thing. They have come to the reason that LO has a high base line. LO'd heart rates should be between 110-160, so still within normal range. As long as your LO heart rate is only going up when shes moving they say its ok. My LO hits 210bpm regurally which can be scarcy.
I have asked if this is ok, they have ressuranced me that as long as it comes down, and she is still moving its ok. They do keep an extra eye on me though. Do you have an appointment soon? Maybe ask for twice weekly monitoring to set your mind at ease.

How fast is your HR? This can cause LO rate to raise aswell. They should take this before every monitoring, so will be on print outs.
My DD was born by E C section last time as hers refused to come down in the end, so have been told this LO will need monitoring the whole of my labour. They may insist on this for you too.
Keep an eye on movements of LO and if they arent as normal please go in and be checked.
I hope this has helped.

Lisa

Hi designerbaby

Baby's heart rate can be slightly elevated if mum's heart rate is, if you were not feeling well and also understandably anxious, then that is the most likely cause of the fetal tachycardia.

Pre term, it is not unusual for the baby's heart rate to be towards the upper limit of normal range.

If there is any deviation from the normal, no matter how slight, it may be termed suspiscious purley as a description that it does not meet the 'normal' criteria at that time.

Please try and relax and recover from the infection.

You would not have been discharged if there were concerns for the baby.

Thanks Lisa...

Yes, bub's heart rate was a baseline of 165-180 when I first went in, rocketing to 210+ from time to time (usually at the same time as they were sticking cannulas in me or I was feeling particularly stressed or rough). No decelerations though, and plenty of movement throughout (seemed like protesting at the interference!? Kept booting the uterine monitor...)

By the time I left it was at a pretty constant baseline of 160 (monitored constantly for about 4 hours).

My heart rate has always been fast (doctors always ask if I've just been running to get there - ha bloody ha...) it might be noted on the traces, but handwriting is pretty indecipherable to all but the medical profession...

I had another routine Antenatal check up this pm... didn't seem too concerned and another in 2 weeks anyway, so I guess they'll keep an eye on it...

Scary about your emergency C though... but T is a real cutie, and all's well that ends well (hey you've got new pics! Lovely ones too... ) and I guess it means they'll just keep an extra sharp eye on her rates...

Thanks for the advice... hopefully will get back on the October board a bit more now - have just started maternity leave... although today's been busier than a usual work day - typical!

Anyway, really appreciate it. Ta...

DB
xx

Thanks so much NoName...

I am feeling heaps better (they did really look after me at the hospital, the IV drip worked wonders on the sickness and cramping) - I don't want to appear like I don't appreciate all they did, and would far rather they err on the side of caution. The whole heart rate thing did scare me a bit, and I was so tired and stressed and hot and uncomfortable I wasn't in a fit state to ask the questions which probably would have given me peace of mind...

I'm a lot calmer than I was then, so I'm hoping bubs is less over-excited too. It's good to hear that it's not so abnormal though to be at the upper end...

We had an early scare in this pregnancy, and it's my first, so I guess I'm just jumpy

Thank heaven's you're all here though...

DB
xx

Suspicious because they were querying the machine print out??

Don't think so NAB... it was on the section of my notes where they put these readouts - where it says 'reassuring or non-reassuring' or something - and they put 'suspicious'.

No-one suggested at any point that there was any problem with the machine - plus you could hear the speed of it - faster than others in the ward.

Wish it was that easy!

DB
xx

Is your baby bradi-cardiac or taci (sp) cardiac?

if you are still concerned, and , frankly, the word suspicious is not one oyu wnat to read.. i would call the MW

it might well be nothing..

but you also need to know what it might indicate

interesting the heartrate rocketed when you were stressed and being fiddled with...

also that this seemed to be triggered by you being ill

D&V can stimulate the uterus, as can being dehydrated which might have unsettled your LO somewhat

as you have been discharged, you should be ok, as i would hope you would be kept in if things were more serious

but i would definitely query 'suspicious'

I don't know if this is of any help but DS's natural heartbeat in utero was 160 .. at least that was what it was measured at the few times I was in for monitoring for my own hypertension from 32 weeks

I hope that goes some way to calm you down a little

Hi people,
Thanks for all your help...

NAB - Doctor at the time said both I and the baby were tacycardic (sp!?) - so faster than usual heart rate. There were no obvious decelerations (bradycardias) which they said was encouraging.

I'm really much better - still got a bit of a temperature, and feeling a bit run down generally, but I expect that's normal after all that. Still quite dehydrated, despite drinking pints of water...

But bubs is wriggling away like a good'un and frequently getting herself wedged under my right rib, so she seems fine.

MW didn't seem overly concerned on Monday, so I'm just resting up a bit (which tbh, I haven't really done at all during the pregnancy) and try and get myself back on par, and trying not to worry.

Gosh, it's heaps of fun, this pregnancy lark. I was NEVER ill before this - 2 days of sick in this job, over 5 years - and one of those was a hangover...

Ah well, five weeks and counting...

DB
xx

Both my son's had bradi and my daughter was tachi. All are fine. Now.

I wouldn't worry, my DS's heart rate was so high when i was due to be induced that they wouldn't give me the pessary thing until the next day. I'm sure it was because I was stressed. I had a doppler and he was often up around 170bpm when I wasn't stressed.

He was absolutely fine, by the way. Came out bawling and wriggling.

Sorry to gatecrash this but I have spent this afternoon at hospital (36 wks today) with a baby hr or 210+. I had gone to the GP with some stomach cramps and she spotted how high it was. We need to go to GO street tomorrow to see specialists and I am now on tablets to try to get his HR regular and down.
Bloody hell, what a day....
And if it doesn't come down, he's coming out!