Irregular heartbeat!!!!

[insertwittynicknameHERE]

I am 31+1 today and all day on and off I have been feeling my heartbeat very irregularly.

I do have a congenital heart defect (mitral valve prolapse and just recently have been told that my aortic valve is slightly leaking also, and I have an enlarged heart) I have been under a lot of strain in this pregnancy and have really felt it in my chest IYSWIM.

But I have never felt these irregular heartbeats before. Sometimes it goes really fast like double the beats and other times it seems to slow down and feels like it will stop. I feel faint when both of them happen, I go dizzy and it is starting to scare me.

Is this normal in pregnancy, I never had it with DD, who was a very easy child to carry.

I had this. I googled and palpitations can happen in pregnancy, and can be linked to iron deficiency. I did talk to my consultant and I had an ECG and 24 hr monitor, which showed nothing. Eventually I concluded that it happened when really, really tired. My hospital wants me to have a cardio appt just to be on the safe side.

I'm sure it is nothing, but better to check with a doctor. My GP actually witnessed my irregular hb and wasn't concerned at all.

I have a VSD (a hole in the left hand side of my heart which allows blood to leak between sides) - it's quite a big one and I had a lot of this during pregnancy. My consultant just told me to slow down a bit and not worry about it. Your heart will cope with the additional pressure and it's not a problem post partum.

Oh and mine was worse with my second pregnancy as well - probably something to do with having to cope with an active toddler as well as a pregnancy!

llareggub, so I shouldn't worry then, good

My iron levels have only just been checked and they are fine, I had my last appointment with my cardiologist a few weeks ago and he said all looked okay. Whenever I see the cardio I have an ECG and they are always fine.

It doesn't happen constantly, just every so often, I don't feel any pain with it just uncomfortableness IYSWIM.

whomovedmychocolate, that sounds scary.

I am supposed to be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy, not gonna happen with an 18mo in the house lol. I do try to take it easy but the nesting bug has really hit me with this one. I never got the nesting thing with DD.

I keep wanting to wash and re wash everything and constantly vacuum and clean the carpets, it is so not me usually.

Look like I will just have to chill on the sofa and make DH do it all

Ah, you need to learn the power of glitter. Send your DH out for glitter glue and paper and you can spend at least an hour a day letting your DD liberally apply it to paper - I have no idea why this is so fascinating but it is. Of course your house ends up looking like Julian Clary's underpants but hey ho, you get a rest

And then you actually have something to clean up as well!

I actually laughed in the face of my consultant who suggested I had bedrest (my DD was jumping up and down on me at the time and yelling 'come on horsey, faster, faster ). They eventually admitted me for the last month.

lol, I was in the £1 shop today and saw massive tubs of glitter and thought about getting it for DD. She may eat it but I suppose it would only make nappy changes more exciting

DD is ace when we are out and about, she hates being stuck in the house, that is why I like to get out and do anything with her lol.

I think I get some of that glitter though and let her go wild, think of the carpet cleaning opportunities....hmmmm......

Oh yes they are good, we got tons of them. They don't last long but the silence is wonderful while they squeeze contentedly!

lol, sounds like good fun, I may even join in

I second the glitter thing - I have no idea what the fascination is but DS (2.5yrs) smears on the glue liberally and then shakes the glitter everywhere but the gluey spot. LOves it. Oh and chop up some tinfoil, old cards, argos catalogue photos - anything that they can stick. They just love it.

FWIW - I have just invested in a plastic table protector (£7.99 Dunelm) and it has been a godsend cos I can happily leave DS to his messy play whilst I rest my 36 pg lump of a body on the settee

Oh we use glitter glue to cut out the middle man. Also invest in a plastic ceramic hob cleaner (you know a scraper thing). And apply it from outside to centre of table - removes all traces of glitter and if you put a little oil on it, it captures all the little bits till you rinse it in soapy water).

Thanks for the tips, DD is gonna love it.