pregnancy worry

[bonniej]

This is probably nothing, but has anyone else suffered terrible heart palpitations when pregnant? I'm 20 weeks at the moment and for the last month or so have had these really bad. They are so bad that I have to try and catch my breath. They don't hurt or anything but I feel like my heart is beating very irregularly. I've never had any sort of heart problems in the past so just wondered if this was a normal pg symptom. I was due to see midwife today who I was going to ask but couldn't get an appointment. Feel it's too trivial to trouble the doctor with! (this is my third pregnancy btw, both others were fine)

BonnieJ - I have had this at various stages of my life. I had tests for it when I was 17, then again at 20. Each time I was told that it wasn't palpatations but 'awareness' of my heartbeat. Apparently it's quite common and can be very frightening.... but it is more or less pschological. It scared me so much I started taking half an aspirin a day coz I thought I was going to have a heart attack!!

My heart did beat quite fast sometimes too, which was probably to do with the amount of alcohol I consumed (was a student at the time).

Best to go to the GP, but it definitely sounds like 'awareness'.

thanks toothache, think i'll just mention it to the midwife next week, but you've made me feel better in the mean time. I'm also worrying about having a heart attack when dd's in bed and I'm on my own!

I had something like this in the last trimester of my first pg. Heart racing, gasping for breath. Thought I was going to pass out a few times. It would happen when I was just sitting down, so nothing to do with exertion. I was tested for anaemia and had an ECG but they found nothing unusual. It reached a peak just before I started maternity leave and did improve once I'd given up work so I thought maybe it was tiredness/stree. It didn't happen at all with my second pg.

Definitely worth getting it checked out though and in the meantime try to take it easy (if possible!).

Hi Bonniej,

I had a smilar thing when pregnant with DD.

The increase in blood supply was causing me to be aware of the heart and pulse and sometimes when I lay down in bed at night it would beat so hard I thought it was going to pop out of my chest.

The midwive said it was quite normal but I would mention it anyway when you go next.

On the upside you get the best medical care when pregnant and so I wouldn't worry too much about medical problems as they should be picked up early enough. A friend of mine for the first time found out she was born with only one kidney when she fell pregnant.

thanks so much for the replies. Horseshoe, i find it's worse at night so I suppose 'awareness' could well be the reason as toothache said. It's good to read others have had it as well.

Gosh I remember this from my last pg! I would lie in bed and my heart would just miss beats, had totally forgotton this until this thread. No probs this time yet, although only 16 weeks so far.

Mention to your mw next time you see her but i'm sure it's nothing to worry about

Message withdrawn

Hi bonniej,

There was a thread on this ages ago - sounds very similar. Only a few posts, but worth a look, maybe?

pregnancy palpitations thread

Sorry - should also have said that I don't know any details but do know that all was well with the original poster.

thank you so much for all the replies. I've had blood taken at 16 weeks, but no results as yet so therefore assumed all levels were ok. I'm not so worried about it now, but will mention it to my midwife on Thursday just to be on the safe side