Has your baby had an irregular hearbeat? What does it mean? Are they ok?

[TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied]

Went for my midwife appointment at 24 weeks and midwife picked up an irregular heartbeat. She sent me to the hospital and they did a fetal monitor and said they couldn't hear it.

At 28 weeks I went for another midwife appointment and there was that irregular heartbeat again so she sent me to the hospital and the midwife and doctor sort of panicked and said they'd never heard it like that before and I was to stay in overnight and have a scan 1st thing.

It stayed irregular all night and on the scan it was doing 3 beats and then a little hiccup beat instead of a proper one.

Since then I've had monitoring a few times and they say they can't comment on the actual heartbeat but at least there is one.

On Thursday I'm being sent to a better hospital to see what's what and I'm really nervous. Looked things up on the internet and don't think it looks too great.

When I say irregular I mean that it skips beats. Today it was doing anything from 1 beat and missing to 3 beats and then missing.

I'm 29 weeks on Wednesday.

I really need to know what's going on so please share your experiences and let me know the potential outcomes.

TIA

Oh and the registrar said had I been further on, they would have delivered.

Hi I'm sorry to hear you are having a hard time.
I had the experience of being sent up to the hospital with irregular heartbeat with my first pregnancy on a couple of occasions. I was a bit further on than you, about 30 weeks and 34 weeks, and the missed heartbeat came every 8 beats or so. They hooked me up to a monitor to check on the baby's movements and heartbeat and seemed to think he was fine - i.e. lots of movement and actual heartrate not dipping too low or high at any point. The consultant said this was quite common and after he was born I never heard another thing about it. He remains extremely healthy and active.
It was a very scary experience for me and I know you must be very worried. I'm surprised the midwife and doctor didn't seem to know what was going on and I hope that the other hospital can give you some more constructive advice and help. Is your baby moving around?
If you can, and I speak from bitter experience, stay off the internet, as that is one way of really freaking yourself out.

We had something sort of similar at 36 weeks, but it presented itself as a very very fast and irregular heartbeat. We had a fetal cardiograph at Great Ormond STreet hospital and I took a drug called Flecanide which passed over placenta to regulate heartbeat until DS was born. This worked straight away to regulate DS' heartbeat and he is a happy healthy 2 year old who hasn't needed any more treatment since birth.
There were a couple of reasons given. The classic 'one of those things' that can sometimes just right itself (like Roscat's baby), or an electrical signal blip leading to an extra beat, which was helped back to normal by the drug (like our baby). Either way all is fixable!
The team at GOSH were amazing and very knowledgeable, not sure if you are near enough for a referral or a second opinion? If not, don't worry, I am sure the next appointment will make things clearer. But I remember that when my consultant couldn't figure out why it was happening, he immediately rang the GOSH specialist who was able to help over the phone even before I went to see them. Do you want his name?
Good luck, and let us know how you get on
x

Yes, my mum had that experience, with me!Lots of checks, VERY irregular heartbeat, it improved after i was born, but i still have it now, NEVER caused me any trouble at all, very very occasionally (once every 2/3 years) the GP will just run a quick ECG to make sure alls well and nothings changed, theres no reason why it should, but they like to check apparently. I know a few people with it, its pretty common! I wouldnt worry, you'd be surprised how MANY people have it and dont even know! It just sounds scary and its abit of a shock isnt it? xx