Maternal fast heart beat?

[Phoebe]

Is this a problem and if so what kind of problem is it?
I have noticed that as my pregnancy has progressed, my heart beat has become quite a bit more rapid. I take my blood pressure every time I go to a store that has a machine (about 2wice a week) and my blood pressure is always fine in those readings and the ones I do with my midwife. But, in the begining my heart rate was around 85-90 bpm and now it consistantly shows 115-120 bpm. I told my midwife during our last visit and she counted my pulse at 80 something bpm. That surprised me. I don't think that I'm just racing around Target getting my heartrate up that high! She said that she would be concerned if it was getting up around 125 (I think that's what she said anyway).

Anyone had this problem? (or is it even a problem?)

Amy

[jocelyndale]

Where are you measuring it? When measured at my extremities, it's often lower. When measured at my neck or via stethoscope at my chest, it's higher.

My doctors say that various factors play into this. Stress, pregnancy itself, anemia, you name it.

[crazydiamond]

Is it actually a rapid heartbeat or could it just be palpatations? I had terrible palpatations throughout my first pregnancy and I'm starting to get them again now. Basically if I even get up to walk across the room it feels like my heart is going really fast. I'm not sure if it is or not, but it does tend to slow down not long after. I talked to my OB and he said it was normal in a lot of pregnant women.

[lizabird]

I've been told that pregnancy often makes a woman's heartbeat faster while she's pregnant. I went to a dermatologist recently for a huge case of poison ivy and they did my pulse, etc. and my heartrate was really high. They didn't seem at all concerned and just blamed it on being pregnant. As long as your blood pressure is staying down, I think that's more important.

[Phoebe]

I have been useing one of those blood pressure checking machines at my Target and grocery store so it is being read from my upper arm.

As for palpatations...hmmm. I have been having some fluttering going on that began when I started getting BH contractions at about 19 weeks. The palpatations and the contractions seem to go hand in hand which kind of worries me a bit. I have had palpatations in the past when I'm not pregnant. I had it checked once and the Dr. never got back to me after wearing the heart monitor for 2 days and I never followed up.

I'll check with my midwife again...

[stacey0402]

I have noticed a more rapid heartbeat already, so I did a little search online and concluded it was just a normal part of pregnancy. Your heart has to compensate for the increased blood volume during pregnancy, and one way it does this is to increase the rate. Don't worry about it too much, worrying will just increase your anxiety and, in turn your heart rate.