Supporting Your Heart During Pregnancy
A Snapshot of Your Heart’s Activities While Pregnant
During pregnancy the heart works a little harder to circulate blood to the mother and baby. There are a few things that are different during pregnancy that can have effects on the functions of the heart:
1. The blood volume increases by 30 to 50% to provide adequate oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby. The increase also helps to support the healthy function of the placenta and the increased metabolic needs of the mother’s body.
2. The heart will beat 10-12 more times per minute during pregnancy meaning that your heart rate will increase, reaching its highest beats per minute in the third trimester.
3. Hormonal changes can cause changes to your heart’s activities. Specifically, the hormone estrogen. Estrogen causes fluid retention which leads to the blood volume increase. It also causes vasodilation which is the relaxation of the blood vessels. This can cause a lower blood pressure during the first trimester.
Your heart works tirelessly to ensure a healthy pregnancy, supporting the needs of both you and your baby.
How to Care for Your Heart During Pregnancy
To keep your heart healthy while it’s working harder during pregnancy, consider these tips:
1. Attend your prenatal appointments. This gives you the chance to get a baseline of your heart rate and blood pressure. This is beneficial because if you feel that anything is not feeling right in your body or these numbers are elevated you can talk to your doctor about a solution and any issues can be resolved before they get worse during the pregnancy.
2. Managing your stress level is very beneficial to caring for your heart. Some ways you can manage stress is by practicing deep breathing techniques, Meditation and mindful moments.
3. Exercising for at least 150 minutes a week is helpful. Walking, dancing, biking are all considered as exercise.
4. Getting a good night rest. Sleeping 7 to 9 hours a night is what is recommended.
5. Eating healthy, adding fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
6. Limit caffeine, avoid smoking, alcohol and illegal drugs, this will help to prevent harm to your baby and your health
For more detailed information, visit the Heart Health and Pregnancy | NHLBI, NIH