Heart palpitations, which can feel like the heart is beating faster or harder than usual, fluttering, or “skipping beats,” are fairly common during pregnancy, and usually aren’t a sign of any trouble. However, it’s always a good idea to report new pregnancy symptoms to a healthcare provider. The exception to this rule is if you have a history of a heart condition — in this case, palpitations can be a sign of a serious illness, and should be closely monitored.
What causes them?
In pregnancy, the body’s blood volume increases to support the growing fetus, and this increase in blood means that the cardiac output, or the amount of blood the heart pumps per minute, increases 30 to 50% to keep up. For the cardiac output to increase, either the heart rate (the speed at which the heart beats) or the stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped with each beat), or both, need to increase. This means the heart ends up working harder to keep up, especially in the second and third trimesters.
Arrhythmia, where the heart beats irregularly, and which you feel as palpitations, is the most common heart complication during pregnancy. Still, palpitations aren’t always a sign of a problem, and can be a normal, non-harmful pregnancy symptom. Even so, it’s always a good idea to let your healthcare provider know about any new symptoms when they appear.
Women who have had heart conditions in the past should get in touch with a healthcare provider right away after experiencing palpitations.
Tips!
Treatments for arrhythmia are similar to treatments given to non-pregnant patients, but since there is little research that has been done on the effects of most medications during pregnancy, healthcare providers may choose to monitor closely instead of prescribing medication right away for less clinically significant symptoms. This is a risk and benefit conversation that’s essential to have between you and your medical team about what’s safest for you.
Even if you and your doctor have decided that your palpitations aren’t a sign of a problem, they can still be scary. Avoiding physically and mentally stressful situations and taking plenty of time to regularly relax can help limit palpitations in the future. Making sure to keep all prenatal appointments so that your symptoms are well-monitored, staying hydrated, getting plenty of sleep, and sticking to any medication you’ve been prescribed are all important parts of heart health during pregnancy.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
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Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Heart conditions and pregnancy: Know the risks.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, Aug. 10, 2023. Web.
- Dawn L. Adamson, Catherine Nelson-Piercey. “Managing palpitations and arrhythmias during pregnancy.” Heart. 93(12): 1630-1636. Web. December 2007.
- Michael R. Foley. “Maternal cardiovascular and hemodynamic adaptations to pregnancy.” UpToDate. Wolters Kluwer, February 2017. Web.
- Candice Silversides. “Supraventricular arrhythmias during pregnancy.” UpToDate. Wolters Kluwer, February 2017. Web.
- Jean-Louis Vincent. “Understanding cardiac output.” Critical Care. 12(4): 174. Web. 2008.
- Peter J. Zimetbaum. “Overview of palpitations in adults.” “Supraventricular arrhythmias during pregnancy.” UpToDate. Wolters Kluwer, October 16 2016. Web.
