Resting heart rate at 16 weeks pregnant

[dreamerkr]

Hey guys, I had my 16 week midwife appointment yesterday and first my resting heart rate was 107, and at the end of the appointment it was 100. I’ve been having heart palpitations and even now when I’m just lying in bed doing nothing, my resting heart rate is between 100-105. Is this normal? I’m feeling quite anxious about this even though the midwife didn’t seem too concerned yesterday?

Do you know what your resting heart rate is normally when you're not pregnant?

No, I don’t know what it normally is 🥺 @Weathergirl1

I'm not a doctor - but I noticed mine was higher than normal early on. You're on your way to having much more blood than normal so your heart does more work to reflect that.

However, your midwife should have given you her number to call if you're ever worried, so why not just drop her a text or call?

The other thing that can cause a rise in heart rate is anxiety! So try to keep calm, though I know that can be hard

In that case you can't be sure there is or isn't something wrong, but if you're concerned at all about it, I'd contact either midwife or GP. Palpitations aren't normal, but if you're stressed then that can cause palpitations (from personal experience!). Good luck OP.

I am stressed and tbh I’ve been so anxious throughout the pregnancy so far because of previous miscarriages. It probably is linked to stress in my case because honestly, mostly I notice a fast pulse when I’m resting and not busy doing anything else. I have my midwife’s number, I’ll give her a text thanks so much guys. ❤️

For comparison....I'm 26 weeks pregnant and my resting HR is 75 so slightly raised, as pre-pregnancy it's 62-65. I've also been experiencing heart palpitations- got my bloods done and my iron was on the low side. Had an ECG done too and all was fine. Maybe introduce some iron supplements into your diet and request bloods from Drs ♥️

@WhatTheEll thank you so much, I will do that. Low iron causes high heart rate? I probably do have low iron because I always keep forgetting to take my iron supplements, I know it’s so bad. I will take them regularly from now for sure and I’m also gonna ask my GP for bloods. Thank you so much

@dreamerkr I've had higher than normal heart rate
Mine will go above 100 at times but not resting but it has been between 80-90 which is high for me

But it's been pretty consistent throughout and I get out of breath a lot

Best to get bloods though x

I too get out of breath at times 🥺 now thinking it might be because of low iron. I asked for a blood test but I have to first make an appointment with GP on Monday and then he will give me an appointment for idk when. Stressed 😩

How can I naturally get my iron levels up fast? I do have symptoms of low iron so I’m thinking it’s this.

@dreamerkr Low iron causes palpitations....or at least it can be one of the causes. X

My heart rate has gone up massively since being pregnant, I’ll be 16 weeks this Thurs. I think it is partly due to the increased blood volume and like you, massive anxiety-have had 4 miscarriages. Also, don’t forget that you are probably even more nervous at appointments so pushing it up further (this happens with my bp too)
Congrats and good luck and as always, speak to midwife if worried 😊

Try not to worry too much as that can make them happen more frequently. I suffer anxiety and have had heart palpitations all my life so know first hand! They can be caused by a number of things, some common like dehydration, electrolyte imbalance (sodium, potassium etc), hormones, anxiety. Most are completely normal causes and will be occasional and go away after a few irregular thuds. You should always let your healthcare provider know and let them rule out any causes of worry as well as provide comfort as they see these things regularly. Routine pregnancy blood-work can help confirm no imbalances like thyroid etc, and a ECG can be done if needed to check structural things if needed. Usually you would know by now if you had something structural. Remember pregnancy pulse rate is higher than normal rates and especially as you get later in your pregnancy. My resting was 110 and the dr didn’t bat and eye at my 15 week check in. She said up to 120. I think that’s crazy and a little high due to my resting normally being in the 70s and it being early pregnancy so I got a little pulse oxidiser reader that measures pulse rate when I was home and it was much lower. They also checked blood and all fine! I’m fairly sure I was nervous at the appointment which made it go faster! Remember nerves and also things like being too warm can make your heart rate a higher too! When you get sick for example most people with fever will have a higher heart rate. All things considered it sounds like anxiety could be a contributor and you can help put yourself at ease by speaking to a health professional who can do basic checks too. Remember your body was built for this and you got this! Try writing down your systems when they come and sharing them when you next see your midwife. That way you aren’t thinking too much about them constantly. If you have more concerning symptoms (get sick or faint, etc) then see someone straight away. Remember worry does nothing good but simple actions can make you feel more at ease and those you can control! Focus on that and feel reassured that palpitations and fast beats are also common in pregnancy although can be a little unsettling!

x