My Beating Heart

[ShanghaiMama]

I have had a rather strange sensation lately and I’m wondering if it’s normal. I would love to ask my midwife, but she is traveling and I get the vibe that her back-up does not want to be pestered unless it’s an emergency. Perhaps some other mamas know what it could be...???

In the last few days, during the late afternoons and evenings, I can sit perfectly still and feel as though my heart is going to beat out of my chest. My heartbeat is so loud and intense that I can feel it pulsing all over my body. My dh can put his fingers lightly on the inside of my arm or behind my knee and feel my super strong heartbeat. I’m also feeling really exhausted during these times and have zero energy to move.

The only other time I’ve had this sensation is a few hours after giving blood (especially in Chinese blood banks where they use a thicker gauge needle so you bleed much faster). Could this be a blood pressure thing? Is it normal?

[smokeylo]

I think that with the increase in blood volume, this is a normal thing. I can lie in bed at night and feel my pulse all down my abdomen, very strong. I think as long as it isn't accompanied by light-headedness or pain or anything, it's probably a normal symptom of our bodies working harder to process more blood.

[Angierae]

It happens to me, too. Its feels really weird, but doesn't last all that long. I've never asked about it...but it happened with all three normal pregnancies and I've never had high blood pressure.

[mosesface]

yup, happens to me too. and i actually have LOW blood pressure.

[mama_nym]

If you have access to a blood pressure cuff you could use at home, you might want to take your bp during these times. Something similar was happening to me, accompanied by sudden exhaustion and severe headache, and one of the theories was my bp tanking. So I borrowed a friend's cuff and took my "baseline" bp a few times throughout the day and then on a day that happened, took it while I was feeling horrible and sure enough my bp was pretty darn low. Not low enough to be medically concerned, but low.

[steph117]

I'm sorry you're feeling worried, mama. Hopefully you can check out your bp to reassure yourself.

I haven't experienced anything quite like what you describe, but from the very get-go I've told DH that it feels like my heart is now in my abdomen, because I feel my pulse so strongly there. My pulse definitely feels much stronger overall. In fact, the other night I was lying on the couch & looking at my stomach - amazed at how much I could see it pulsing with every heartbeat. I placed the remote on my belly & watched it move around just from that! Powerful thing, this extra blood flow!

[Gracecody]

Same here as with a pp, I have it too (esp in the past few weeks) and have low bp generally. I notice it more after I have sugar as my heart beats faster then.

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by mosesface

yup, happens to me too. and i actually have LOW blood pressure.

me too. though it is kind of weird!