When you’re pregnant, your heart works twice as hard. It is running a marathon every day to support you and your growing baby.
Even if you are young and feel healthy, pregnancy puts a lot of extra stress on your body. This stress can show hidden heart problems or cause a sudden jump in your blood pressure. From the time you become pregnant until your baby’s first birthday, heart problems are the top health risk you face.
It is incredibly important to learn about your family’s health history and listen to your body. Pregnancy comes with some aches and pains, but you need to know which signs are not normal. Paying attention can save your life.
79% of Pregnancy-Related Deaths Are Preventable
Early detection of heart problems in pregnancy could help health care providers prevent 79% of related deaths. If you notice any of the warning signs below while you are pregnant, or up to a year after giving birth, do not wait. Call your health care provider right away.
Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore
- Chest pain or a heavy, crushing feeling in your chest
- Trouble breathing or gasping for air, even when you are just sitting still
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded, or fainting.
How Your Heart Health Affects Your Baby
Your baby relies entirely on your heart to get oxygen and nutrients to grow. If you have severe heart problems, it can cause serious risks for your baby, such as:
- Preterm birth: Your baby being born too early (before 37 weeks)
- Poor growth: Your baby not growing as large as they should inside the womb
- Heart defects: Your baby being born with structural problems in their own heart
Serious Heart Conditions to Know About
A healthy, well-monitored heart is your best defense against major health problems. These dangerous conditions can appear suddenly during pregnancy, or even weeks after your baby is born:
- Preeclampsia: A dangerous spike in blood pressure after your 20th week of pregnancy. It strains your blood vessels and can damage your liver or kidneys.
- Stroke: Very high blood pressure can cause a blood vessel in the brain to burst or clog.
- Heart Failure and Changes in Heart Rhythm: When your heart works harder than it should, the muscle can get weak or lose its steady, natural beat.
Protecting Your Heart: Steps You Can Take Today
Taking care of your heart does not have to feel overwhelming. By making a few simple changes to your daily routine and talking with your doctor, you can lower your risks.
- Eat Heart-Healthy Foods: Fill your plate with healthy foods that keep your blood pressure and blood sugar at safe levels.
Download the Eating Healthy Guide (PDF)
- Keep Moving: Safe, gentle exercise keeps your heart strong and helps it handle the extra workload of pregnancy.
Get tips for safe exercise (PDF)
- Work closely with your doctor: If you already have a heart condition before getting pregnant, do not handle it alone. Tell your doctor about every weird flutter, pain or change in your energy.
- Speak Up: If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it and/or try to figure it out on your own. Call your doctor right away. Your life, your health and your future matter most.
Understanding Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a serious condition where your blood pressure suddenly spikes after your 20th week of pregnancy. It can also harm your liver or kidneys. This danger does not go away as soon as you give birth. It can still threaten your health for up to six weeks after your delivery.
Watch closely for these early warning signs:
- Swelling in your hands, face or around your eyes.
- Gaining weight very fast (more than 2 pounds in a week, or over just one or two days).
Signs of Severe Preeclampsia:
- Bad headaches that keep getting worse
- Severe pain on your right side, just under your ribs
- Feeling sick to your stomach or throwing up
- Peeing much less than usual
- Sudden changes in your eyesight, like seeing spots or having blurry vision
Understanding Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a temporary type of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. It causes too much sugar to build up in your blood. Having high blood sugar increases your risk for a miscarriage, preeclampsia or a dangerous delivery. It also raises your risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life. This condition usually has no obvious symptoms, so you will not know you have it unless you get tested.
- The Test: Make sure your doctor checks your blood sugar between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy.
- Who is Most at Risk? Anyone can get it. The risk is highest people who:
- Are older than 25
- Were overweight before becomig pregnant
- Have a family history of diabetes
- Are Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, or Pacific Islander.
- What can you do? If you have it, don't panic. Most people can manage it by changing what they eat and exercising. If needed, your doctor can give you medicine to keep your blood sugar safe. You can also ask your doctor to connect you with a nutrition expert or diabetes educator for help.