Pregnant Women's Heart Rate: 6 Effects to Watch Out For

In pregnant women, the heart rate can increase to 70-80 beats/minute, which is a normal sign and a positive manifestation of pregnancy development. This ensures that both mother and fetus receive enough oxygen and nutrients. However, contact your doctor for advice and support if you experience an uncommon heart rhythm disorder.

What Is The Normal Heart Rate Of A Pregnant Woman?

Pregnant women have a normal heart rate of 70 to 90 beats per minute. However, a woman's heart rate can vary depending on the stage of pregnancy and her body. Checking a pregnant woman's heart rate can be done by following these steps:

Step 1: Implement the plan

• Make sure you are in a quiet atmosphere.
• Find a comfortable sitting position and elevate your legs if necessary to increase blood flow to the heart.

Step 2: Locate the heart

• Feel the location of the heart on the left side of the chest with your fingers.
• For many women, the nipple is where the heart is.

Step 3: Count the number of heart beats in one minute

• Count the number of heartbeats in one minute using a timer or stopwatch.
• If you don't have a watch, you can count your heart beats for 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4 to get your heart rate in 1 minute.

Step 4: Conduct results evaluation

• The normal heart rate reference for pregnant women is 70–90 beats per minute.
• Results are considered normal if the heart rate falls within this range.

Is the Heart Rate of a Pregnant Woman Different from the Heart Rate of a Woman Before Pregnancy?

Here are the most important differences:

• Increased heart rate : Pregnant women may have a higher heart rate. This is because the body needs nutrients for the mother and fetus. Normally, your heart rate will increase by about 10–20 beats per minute compared to before pregnancy.
• Heart rate changes during pregnancy : A woman's heart rate can change during each stage of pregnancy. Due to the rapid growth of the fetus, the heart rate initially increases gradually. The heart rate may remain stable or decrease compared to early, mid, and late pregnancy.
• Changes in heart rate during activity: Pregnant women may have a faster heart rate than before pregnancy. Vigorous exercise is similar for adults.

Why Can a Pregnant Woman's Heart Rate Increase?

Pregnant women may have a higher heart rate for several reasons:

• Increased blood volume : When a woman is pregnant, her body begins to produce more blood to supply the fetus with nutrients and oxygen. As a result, the heart rate increases as the heart has to pump more blood to meet this demand.
• Purpose of increasing heart muscle mass : A woman's heart must work harder to supply blood and nutrients to the fetus during pregnancy. This increases the mass and size of the heart muscle, increasing the heart rate and pumping ability.
• Hormonal changes: The body produces more hormones such as estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy. These hormones can affect the nervous system, causing the heart to beat faster.
• Changes in heart rate-influencing factors : During pregnancy, more of certain heart-regulating factors are produced. This affects the heart and causes the heart rate to increase.

Therefore, a pregnant woman's heart rate may increase due to increased blood volume, increased heart muscle mass, hormonal changes, and changes in heart rate regulation during pregnancy. It is natural for a woman's body to undergo these changes during pregnancy.

Arrhythmias in Pregnant Women:

Pregnant women have a higher blood volume than normal people because the heart must work at a higher speed to transport blood throughout the body. In addition, the size of the uterus increases the pressure on the heart and lungs. Therefore, the fetus's heart beats faster than normal.

The growing uterus presses on the diaphragm as the pregnancy progresses, causing the heart's axis to shift from normal, making it appear horizontal. However, when the fetus is delivered, the uterus contracts rapidly, causing the heart to suddenly return to its normal position. This is like the heart dropping. The heart may have a stroke or arrhythmia due to this sudden change.

Additionally, dizziness accompanied by swelling can be due to heart disease, high blood pressure, or anemia. During this time, the heart beats faster and breathing becomes more rapid due to activity.

Women with a history of heart disease during pregnancy may develop heart rhythm disturbances, such as:

• High blood pressure or blood fat.
• History of aortic disease, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, Marfan syndrome, and rheumatic heart disease.
• History of cardiovascular disease such as stroke or transient ischemic attack.
• Decreased exercise capacity.
• Echocardiography can identify stenosis of the heart valve, aortic valve, or aortic outflow tract.
• Thyroid related disease.
• In addition, other factors that can cause arrhythmia in pregnant women include unhealthy lifestyles (drinking alcohol, beer, smoking...) and drug use during pregnancy.

Does Arrhythmia Affect the Fetus?

Because pregnancy places significant stress on the heart and circulatory system, many women with heart disease choose not to become pregnant because they fear that their arrhythmias may affect the fetus. Women with heart disease can still have healthy babies if they know how to avoid and treat risks during pregnancy.

Risk of arrhythmia in pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth:

• Stroke : As the uterus contracts rapidly after birth, the heart suddenly changes from a horizontal position to a normal position. The heart malfunctions due to this sudden change, causing arrhythmia and the risk of stroke.
• Increased risk of premature birth: Pregnant women with cardiovascular disease are at higher risk of premature birth because the larger the pregnancy, the more serious the damage to the mother's health and the increased burden on the heart. Therefore, the doctor can predict the mother's health and need to make a decision to deliver earlier than expected to save her life or cause premature birth.
• If babies are born too early , their lungs are not fully developed and they are susceptible to hyaline membrane disease, a disease that causes difficulty breathing and can lead to death.
• Poor fetal growth: Cardiovascular disease can cause the fetus to grow slowly in the womb because the fetus absorbs less nutrients from the mother's blood due to poor heart function, moves a lot and has difficulty developing normally.
• Some types of heart disease , such as heart failure, mitral valve stenosis, and mitral valve regurgitation, affect the health of the mother and fetus and can be fatal. Therefore, women with heart disease should think carefully before becoming pregnant. A doctor is a woman who should see her doctor during pregnancy to determine whether she can tolerate pregnancy and childbirth. Then, a decision can be made to continue the pregnancy or terminate the pregnancy.
• If pregnant , pregnant women need to pay attention to their health and maintain a reasonable diet, especially in a comfortable place. Abnormal changes must be treated immediately to avoid risks.

Treatment of Arrhythmia in Pregnant Women:

Limit complications of arrhythmia, shortness of breath, which have many negative impacts on the health of mother and fetus. Pregnant mothers should know the following when having arrhythmia:

People with a history of cardiovascular disease should have regular cardiovascular check-ups and be monitored promptly.

Walk up and down stairs slowly, avoiding overexertion. If you feel your heart racing and short of breath while walking, stop and rest.

Always stay happy and optimistic and avoid worrying and thinking too much.

Pregnant women need to pay attention to rest, do not work too much and do not exert themselves in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. It not only protects the heart and lungs, but also reduces shortness of breath and heart rate.

Pregnant women should regularly participate in yoga or gentle exercise.

During the first three months, the mother and fetus's nutrition is very important. Due to the cardiovascular changes in the mother's body during the first three months and the high possibility of heart rhythm disturbances, the mother's nutritional menu also needs to take into account the following:

In addition to providing nutrition for the mother, the mother's nutritional menu also needs to take into account the following:

• Limit the amount of foods high in fat.
• Limit salt intake.
• Supplement fiber, minerals and vitamins.
• Do not use alcoholic, caffeinated or other dangerous beverages.

When Should Pregnant Women See a Doctor?

Pregnant women should see their doctor about their heart rhythm if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Irregular heartbeat: Pregnant women should see a doctor if they experience an irregular heartbeat, rapid heartbeat, slow heartbeat, or an irregular heart rate.
• Heart attack: Pregnant women should seek immediate medical attention if they experience heart pain, chest pain or shortness of breath to avoid a heart attack or other serious heart problems.
• Sudden changes in heart rate: Pregnant women should see a doctor to check their heart condition and seek treatment if necessary if their heart rate changes suddenly or is not normal compared to before.
• Other symptoms : Pregnant women should see a doctor to determine the cause of other symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting.

To ensure the health of both mother and fetus, pregnant women should see a doctor if they have any pregnancy symptoms or are concerned about their heart rate.

Conclude:

This article Wilimedia  mentions the Heart Rate of Pregnant Women and the factors that affect it. An important indicator to assess the health of the fetus is the heart rate, which needs to be monitored regularly. To receive timely advice and support, talk to your doctor immediately if you are concerned about your fetal heart rate.

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