Anyone have arrhythmia (skipped heart beat) during pregnancy? UPDATE

[Samandy]

I was diagnosed with atrial tachycardia 3 years ago. My heart would just start beating really fast like I was nervous then a few minutes later it would stop for a second then go back to normal. The Dr. told me it wasn't a big deal but he wanted to do surgery. I didn't do the surgery because we were TTC, and he diagnosed by ruling out other things and I wasn't comfortable with that. I don't really feel it anymore so I probably won't go back to the doc unless it starts up again, if it does I'll go to a different Dr.

[earena]

I have had this with all three of my pregnancies, it is normal, just scary. I finally asked my NP about it this time and she was not concerned at all. Your body is producing so much more blood that this could be your bodies way of dealing with it, it can also be hormones. Mine have always stopped in the second trimester. Another thought too is your iron levels, low iron can cause heart palpitations.

[ktmelody]

Originally Posted by starbuckmom I have whats called SVT. Supraventricular tachycardia. Basically, my heart beat can get up to 180 beats per minute. My first episode was back in May and I was in the ER because of it not knowing what it was. I had 3 more episodes after that in June and I thought it was from caffeine. Since I cut out caffeine, I haven't had anything. Fast forward to last Wed a week ago, I woke up with my heart racing. Come to find out it my back was out. Here is the link to the story: http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531186 I also was having palpitations but they pretty much stopped since my chiropractor adjusted my back. I have gone back to see her 2 times since then. This morning being one of those times. My pinched nerve keeps coming back and she wants to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I will see her again on Monday. I see my heart dr on Tuesday and will be filling him in on all this. I know that after the babies are born, I will have to have a surgery where they go in thru and artery in my leg up to my heart and clip something in my heart. My problem is electrical. I have something that is misfiring. Not fun! You might want to see your chiropractor and see if your back is out.

I have the same thing mama. Last time I had a bad attack my HR at the hospital was 210. It really stinks. Usually I can stop them by rubbing my carotid artery or holding my breath and bearing down. I am going to have the surgery next year. They basically burn the extra pathway that your heart has created and they shock the atrial node in your heart. That way the node wont send the electrical signals in circles, that create the fast heart rate. I guess they call it AV node ablation and it is pretty quick and done under xray--while awake.

For the OP, i would def. get to a doctor though to rule out anything serious. You just never know. Some arrhythmia's are harmless and some can be pretty darn serious, leading to stroke etc.

[meganne79]

Originally Posted by Roseplummer I had it, well I always have it but it was worse during pregnancy. My ob told me to hold my breath and bear down (think bear down like trying to push a baby out) for a few seconds. He said it makes the heart sorta restart.

Yep, the bearing down stimulates your vagus nerve when should help even out the beating. Mine does this too when I'm pregnant.

[frogandtoad]

Originally Posted by thefragile7393 Yes. Even had it at times before pregnancy. Sent to a cardio, great waste of $20 bucks. Had the first time as well. I was told to lay on my left side and no caffeine, little sugar. Worked so far for me, but that's just my experience.

I noticed it more with my first pregnancy than subsequent pregnancies ... also, if I look at my caffeine intake for the day -- that's usually what triggers it for me. I *love* coffee so it kills me, but I don't like feeling winded - so for me, caffeine is out/limited during PG.

[Ruth]

Could you be anemic? I had something similiar with this pregnancy, feeling breathless and heart palpitations. Everyone said it was either panic attacks or 'just being pg'. I would get very dizzy, sweaty, breathless, heart palpitations. I would lay down for as long as possible with 3 kids running around but it never really helped. It was sooo frustrating as the dr and nurses kept blowing me off. My 28 wk bloodwork came back as anemic, so now I'm taking an iron supplement and it has really helped. No more feeling breathless, dizzy or heart palpitations and I've only been taking them a wk! Could you go to somewhere like WIC or the health dept and get your iron checked? I really wish they would have checked mine earlier, I spent 5 mos being miserable, stuck 3x for glucose checks but they never thought to check my iron

[sdcdguitar]

Having transient palpitations is fairly common among pregnant women. Usually they come and go as the body adjusts to the increased circulating blood volume and physiological changes that accompany pregnancy. During pregnancy, with the normal light-headedness and fatigue, it can be hard to determine from a list of symptoms of this is minor or not. For most women (and this was the case with me) by the end of the second trimester, the palpitations had resolved.
What a few Mommas on here mentioned are sustained tachycardias (high heart rates). Generally, this is a run of a heart rate ranging from 120 beats per minute up into the 200 beats that is SUSTAINED for a period of time. These high heart rates can be dangerous because the heart can't appropriately fill its chambers. During pregnancy, the vagal manuever (baring down as if to have a bowel movement) is the first line of action. If that doesn't work, their are medications that can be administered while you are hooked up to a cardiac monitor to break the rhythm. Then after you have delivered, a cardiologist would determine if your rhythm can be controlled by medication alone or if an EP study is warranted. I am a nurse in an Electrophysiology Lab, and have never personally seen an ablation done on a pregnant woman as there is so much fluoroscopy involved (X-Ray) in burning the appropriate area of the heart that is misfiring.
Hope this helps.

[pantufla]

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that it can also be caused by thyroid issues. At your first prenatal visit when they do the labwork have them test your thyroid to make sure.

[earena]

Originally Posted by sdcdguitar Having transient palpitations is fairly common among pregnant women. Usually they come and go as the body adjusts to the increased circulating blood volume and physiological changes that accompany pregnancy. During pregnancy, with the normal light-headedness and fatigue, it can be hard to determine from a list of symptoms of this is minor or not. For most women (and this was the case with me) by the end of the second trimester, the palpitations had resolved. What a few Mommas on here mentioned are sustained tachycardias (high heart rates). Generally, this is a run of a heart rate ranging from 120 beats per minute up into the 200 beats that is SUSTAINED for a period of time. These high heart rates can be dangerous because the heart can't appropriately fill its chambers. During pregnancy, the vagal manuever (baring down as if to have a bowel movement) is the first line of action. If that doesn't work, their are medications that can be administered while you are hooked up to a cardiac monitor to break the rhythm. Then after you have delivered, a cardiologist would determine if your rhythm can be controlled by medication alone or if an EP study is warranted. I am a nurse in an Electrophysiology Lab, and have never personally seen an ablation done on a pregnant woman as there is so much fluoroscopy involved (X-Ray) in burning the appropriate area of the heart that is misfiring. Hope this helps.

This is a great answer, I wish I had this info when I was first freaking out about it