Fetal arrhythmia at prenatal detected today. « Back to Group Discussions

[hoping4just1more]

Man I feel like crap. I never want to go into my appointments. I always feel the baby move and from time to time I will check her heartbeat on my doppler at home. I have heard the strange heartbeat several times at home and never really thought much of it not experiencing it before but then today I finally go in and let the nurse listen to the heartbeat and when she hears it she starts looking at the other nurse in that "Uh oh" sort of way and grabs the sonogram machine, then tells me I have got to have a real sono done right then and there and to call my husband in to watch the kids since they aren't aloud back there. 

So I do, he comes, we look, and the doctor just sits there struggling with the decision to monitor or induce. I guess the arrhythmia is pretty bad. I feel like crap that I have been hearing this all along and for whatever reason convinced myself it may not sound normal but it was still ok. 

Ultimately the doc decided to do NST's 3 x's a week to monitor and said he feared an induction right now is to risky for c-section.

This is my fifth child, but the first to have any sort of issues like this. I am so worried and my doc and midwife seemed a lot more worried than they wanted to say by their facial expressions, I didn't really get an answer as to what this may be or why it has happened.

Does anyone have any experience in this arena? There was a lot of talking and hubby and I were both sort of in a daze from the whole thing and I don't even know that they had our full attention. But they mentioned a heart attack due to the arrhythmia and that this would be the reason for induction. Does this sound right? Did we hear this right? I am trying to stay calm and write all questions down to take with me to my next appointment so that I can be focused and not blind sided.  

[Faliciagayle]

no experience but so sorry you are dealing with this.  Hopefully someone else can provide more information for you!  

[Carlin]

I don't have any advice either, but wanted to send hugs and good thoughts your way. I know I've read that most fetal arrhythmias are benign, and I'd think it would be a good sign that you've been hearing it for awhile and baby is still thriving, right?

I hope you can get some more concrete answers from your doc next appointment, and that it eases some of your stress!

[Worldshakerz]

Well we never heard any type of arrhythmia prenatally, but on my DS1's appointment to see the pediatrician when he was just a few days old a murmur was heard with the stethoscope. Of course it definitely caused me some worry to hear the news but the pediatrician did reassure me, saying that in most cases it resolves itself. From what I understand, if there is no abnormality with the structure of the heart - then the arrhythmia will most likely correct itself. My DS1's disappeared shortly after birth - probably within the first month or two after he was born. 

Perhaps before your next visit you can think of some questions to ask that might help put your mind at ease somewhat. Did you have a 20 week anatomy scan? If so, the heart structure was probably normal otherwise you would have been told it wasn't. If the heart is normal structurally ask the Dr./Midwife to explain the possible causes, and what if any treatment is necessary in each case. Hang in there and let us know how everything goes!

[help007]

Be kind to yourself! You are not a medical professional, and this is exactly why we have them involved with our pregnancies. You did not make any mistakes- this is just proof that you trust things to go smoothly most of the time. I hope you are able to get more answers quickly!

[hoping4just1more]

Carlin-Yes baby is perfect otherwise. At her 20 week anatomy scan she was just fine and today as well. They did another anatomy scan to double check and of course paid special attention to her heart. Nothing was wrong.

Worldshakerz-The way the doctor explained it was that when on chamber (or maybe he said ventricle ???) pumps blood in, another will will pump blood out. I guess the one pumping blood out was only pumping out every so often instead of them alternating equally. But he never said anything was formed incorrectly. And I do specifically recall him saying 99% of fetal arrhythmias work themselves out. I guess it is only an issue while they are in the uterus. He said birth usually irons out the problem. 

The stuff that is putting me so much on edge is the mention of a heart attack while she is in there, and then also I found some info on google that said there may be a link between fetal arrhythmias and SIDS. That right there is probably the scariest part. I don't want to really read anything on google anymore. I know I am going to have to add that to my list of questions. And I am kind of mad because around 6 months along I had dental work done that was excruciating and I think I lived on tylenol about 2 weeks. I am starting to wonder if it was something I did to her with the tylenol. 

[nukuspot]

Tylenol is category A in pregnancy, you did not cause this! Don't beat yourself up. I saw a pretty bad fetal arrhythmia when I was in MW school. It showed up on an NST right before the woman's due date, it had not been present before. We transferred her from the birth center to the hospital and she was induced....But the arrhythmia was not present after the birth! It totally resolved.

[hyde]

Mama, I'm sure this isn't about anything you've done or haven't done. I don't have any experience here, but I have one (two-part) suggestion: ban yourself from googling *right now*, and see if you can get the doc or your midwife on the phone before your next appointment, tomorrow if possible. If it's easier to get a hold of your mw vs. the doc, she should at least be able to help you clarify what was said at the appointment even if she can't answer additional questions you may have, and at least that level of understanding is far and away better than feeling in the dark about it all and having your mind race through a million questions and possibilities. I agree with Carlin that it's a good sign that your babe has been thriving all this time even with the strange heartbeat, but even knowing that it has to be incredibly difficult to have this information and not know what it means. Sending a huge hug.

[Worldshakerz]

Yes, I think the idea of avoiding google searches is a good one! Tylenol would not cause it. I believe Ibuprofen is the drug that can cause heart issues but only when taken in the 3rd trimester. This is  nothing you did wrong, and I'm glad to hear that even the doctor said it will most likely be resolved at/shortly after birth. Big hugs though, its no fun to have this sort of unknown thrown at you!

[activealli]

There is nothing you did to cause this. My son was diagnosed with down syndrome when I was 32 weeks pregnant and only 29 years old at the time. He also had a complete instestinal blockage that had to be surgically repaired immediately after birth. I actually had some idiot ask me if it was something I ate that caused it. I told them 'peas'. Im pretty sure that shut them up. I spent a lot of time blaming myself for not always eating 100% organic, or maybe that warm bath I took and it took a while for me to realize that there is nothing I could have done to cause it. Thinking back on my college psych classes, Im pretty sure its one of the stages of grief (not that you lost your baby but you lost your idea of a perfectly healthy baby that everyone has). Stuff like this just happens and its usually because of genetics, not environment. We have gone through a lot with our son, from the intestinal surgery right after he was born, to a bout of transient leukemia, hypothyroidism, acid reflux and on and on, but he is soooo worth it. Hang in there! Make sure you get to talk to specialists and get informed on the real deal. Our pediatrician acted as if our sons leukemia was fatal, until we talked to a pediatric hematologist, who came in with a smile and said that the form of leukemia he has is transient (comes and goes) and in 75% of kids it resolves on its own. Worse case scenario, it is highly treatable and rarely fatal. But it took 6 agonizing weeks before we got in with the hematologist where we were not sure if he would make it to his first b-day. My just just turned 1 and he is amazing!

My little miracle boy and his daddy on his first birthday (just a little over a week ago!)

[katt]

Hugs!  

[SilverMoonMama]

I think the universe didnt want you to find out until now because it would have only caused you unnessacary stress which would have been alot worse for baby! now your aware of it in time for your labor and delivery but LO hasn't had to go the whole pregnancy picking up on stress and fear ^_^ i definiatly think you should take it easy on yourself for hearing it and not thinking all that much, you probably just had on of those mommy connections with her and she told you she's just fine! anyway there is little to nothing they could have done if it was caught earlier except monitor you more closely and make you worry more. I will be sending you and your LO reiki and thinking about you guys! i hope your feeling better about everything