Is feeling the heart racing a common occurrence during pregnancy?
A significant number of cardiovascular changes occur during pregnancy, which may be accompanied by dyspnea and a reduced tolerance for endurance exercise. Women expand their blood volume by approximately 35-40%. This is accompanied by an increase in cardiac output. The heart rate also may increase by 10-15 beats per minute. The blood pressure in the upper extremities should change very little during pregnancy, but an increase occurs in lower extremity pressure. This is accompanied by pedal edema. Because of extra blood flow, variances in the auscultated heart sounds may occur, such as a wider split between the first and second heart sounds, murmurs, or an S3 gallop. Some nonspecific ST segment changes may occur, and some changes to the cardiac outline may appear on chest radiographs. The following is a summary of cardiovascular changes: • Systolic blood pressure decreases 4-6 mm Hg. • Diastolic blood pressure decreases 8-15 mm Hg. • Mean blood pressure decreases 6-10 mm Hg. • Heart rat
