heart pounding/palpatations

[bighouse]

So for the past week I've been having heart palpitations. Just feels like my heart is thumping and beating hard. Happens a few times per day. Called my OB about it last week and they said it was not something their office would handle, it seemed like they didn't think it could have anything to do with the pregnancy. So I went to my family doctor who ran blood & urine tests & an EKG. EKG was normal, still waiting on other test results (but if something was abnormal they would probably have called by now).

It started when I was 11w and now I'm 12w. I was on progesterone 2x/day, and after doing some research I thought the extra progesterone might be the problem (since the placenta is now producing more progesterone too). So I weaned off that (I was going to stop soon anyway) and haven't taken any in the past 5 days, but I'm still having the symptoms.

Anyone else dealing or have dealt with this in past pregnancies?

 

[excellence]

I was just at my second appointment with my birth program and mentioned my heart palpitations. I'm 12 weeks today and she said they should stop around 14 weeks.

She told me my heart is working double time to pump more blood and sometimes it has to palmitate to get into its own rhythm and make sure it's getting your blood around properly.

 

[IchigoMewMew]

How fast are they? If they're a normal speed but harder its likely due to your heart having to pump the extra blood around. If they are exceptionally fast and/or make you feel dizzy then go back to the doctor and ask for a longer term ekg monitor

 

[bighouse]

I guess they are normal speed, maybe a little faster than normal but not super fast.

 

[justplay91]

You know, now that you mention it, I recall having palpitations in the first trimester with my pregnancy too. I would also startle really easily. My guess would be that it does have something to do with elevated levels of progesterone.

 

[icegurl470]

I agree with the other responses, your blood volume increases when you're pregnant and your heart has to work extra heard to pump blood to the baby, so that's probably all it is.

It not as common as an under active thyroid during pregnancy, but I've heard of an over active thyroid during pregnancy which is where your thyroid basically mistakes your pregnancy hormones for thyroid stimulating hormones and kicks into over-drive, which can cause heart palpitations. I would make sure your OB has checked or plans to check your thyroid function, I think most of them do now anyway.