
Pregnancy can be an exciting, happy time. It also can be an anxious time, especially if you have an underlying health problem, such as heart disease. February is American Heart Month, which makes this a good time to learn about heart conditions and pregnancy.
Pregnancy stresses your heart and circulatory system. During pregnancy, your blood volume increases by 30% to 50% to nourish your growing baby. This makes your heart pump more blood each minute and your heart rate increases.
Labor and delivery add to your heart's workload, too. During labor — particularly when you push — you'll have abrupt changes in blood flow and pressure. It will take several weeks after delivery for the stresses on the heart to return to the levels they were before you became pregnant.
The risks of pregnancy depend on the nature and severity of your heart condition. For example:
Certain heart conditions, especially narrowing of the mitral valve or aortic valve, can pose life-threatening risks for mother or baby. Depending on the circumstances, some heart conditions require major treatments — such as heart surgery — before you try to conceive.
Pregnancy isn't recommended for women who have the rare congenital condition Eisenmenger's syndrome or high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart, called pulmonary hypertension.
Before you try to conceive, schedule an appointment with your cardiologist and the health care professional who'll be handling your pregnancy. You'll likely be referred to an obstetrician who specializes in very high-risk pregnancies. You also might want to check in with other members of your health care team, such as your family clinician.
Your medical team will evaluate how well you're managing your heart condition and consider treatment changes you may need before you become pregnant.
Certain medications used to treat heart conditions aren't used during pregnancy. Depending on the circumstances, your health care professional may adjust the dosage or make a substitution and explain the risks involved.
Taking good care of yourself is the best way to take care of your baby. For example:
Connect with others talking about pregnancy and the heart in the Heart & Blood Health support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online patient community moderated by Mayo Clinic.
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