Causes of palpitations during pregnancy and how to overcome them

When pregnant, you have many changes. One of them is a faster heart rate than usual. Heart palpitations during pregnancy are considered normal and generally not dangerous. Usually, palpitations during pregnancy will disappear after Mother of childbirth. The body will return to its state before pregnancy. In other words, as long as the palpitations during pregnancy are not accompanied by severe symptoms and are not a result of a serious condition, the doctor will probably not recommend any treatment.

Heartbeat During Pregnancy

When pregnant, your blood volume will increase by around 40 percent. This happens so that the fetus in the stomach gets the blood supply needed to help them grow, develop, and get oxygen. In the second trimester of pregnancy, the blood vessels in your body begin to widen or become larger. This causes Mother's blood pressure to drop slightly. Whereas in the third trimester of pregnancy, about 20 percent of blood in the body of the mother will be flowed into the uterus. Mother's body has extra blood, so the heart must work harder by pumping faster to drain the blood. As a result, the heart rate rises about 25 percent faster than usual, or increases 10 to 20 beats per minute. This is what makes the heart rhythm unusual and results in palpitations during pregnancy. In addition to increasing blood volume, palpitations during pregnancy can also be caused by stress, anxiety, eating food or drinks containing caffeine, taking colds and allergies containing pseudoephedrine, having had heart problems during a previous pregnancy, having a history of heart problems, or is a sign of anemia. Sometimes, palpitations during pregnancy can be a symptom of an overactive thyroid, especially if you have other symptoms of thyroid abnormalities. In very rare cases, palpitations during pregnancy accompanied by shortness of breath can be a sign of cardiac arrhythmia, a disorder of the heart rhythm.

The Right Action for palpitations during pregnancy

Do not panic if you experience heart palpitations during pregnancy, here are some steps you can take:

• Routine to the obstetrician during pregnancy to carry out antenatal checks.
• Get plenty of rest and avoid strenuous physical activity.
• Monitor weight gain during pregnancy. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy puts additional stress or pressure on the heart.
• Manage stress well.
• Avoid cigarettes and consumption of alcohol, caffeine and illegal drugs.
• Take medication as prescribed by the doctor, if needed.

However, if your heart beats during pregnancy, you are accompanied by shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat or irregular pulse, chest pain, dizziness, weakness, bloody coughing or coughing at night, consult a doctor or emergency department immediately at the nearest hospital.