How Pregnancy Affects a Mother’s Heart

Pregnant woman

When pregnant, a woman’s body undergoes dramatic changes. While all normal, these changes put additional stress on the body and want the heart work harder. They’ll also cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and light-headedness.

Heart of the Matter

Typically, gestational stress in the middle clears up with the baby’s birth. By three months postpartum, a replacement mother’s system generally has snapped back to pre-pregnancy status.

During pregnancy, women are more vulnerable to blood clots due to hormonal changes. Spontaneous tears within the aorta, high vital signs, preeclampsia, cardiomyopathy, cardiopathy, gestational diabetes, heart murmurs, preterm labor, and valve problems may also occur. Cardiac disease during pregnancy can present challenges and potentially increase the possibility of complications. Only 6 percent of women that suffer a pregnancy-related death because of cardiopathy, says Dr. Koneru, were diagnosed with a previous heart condition.

What’s a Mother To Do?

“Women that suffer these conditions during pregnancy are more at risk of developing stroke, high force per unit area, and heart attacks within the long run,” says Dr. Koneru. “The condition goes away after delivery, and also the new mothers return with their babies. Rarely does anyone see them about heart disease?”

Preeclampsia, or high sign, during pregnancy, doubles a woman’s chance of developing cardiopathy five to fifteen years postpartum. Women with an underlying or known cardiac condition should take special precautions before and thru pregnancy. Not all heart medications are safe to need during pregnancy. If new symptoms surface during pregnancy, a doctor must know.

New disorder and Pregnancy Program

To address cardiac conditions in mothers-to-be, Orlando Health has created the middle for Disease and Pregnancy Program. Designed to supply specialized, appropriate be sure of pregnant women with cardiopathy, the innovative program takes a multidisciplinary approach to maternal heart health.