How does pregnancy affect your heart? What every expectant mother needs to know

Expecting a baby is one of the most joyous times in a woman’s life, but it’s one that comes with a lot of change. Pregnancy and parenthood change you on all levels—physically, emotionally and spiritually. But one change you might not be aware of is how pregnancy changes a woman’s heart.

Jessica Meyer, MD, a cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and Baylor University Medical Center, is on a mission to inform women about pregnancy’s impact on their heart health. She represents a rapidly emerging medical specialty called cardio-obstetrics.

“Being pregnant puts added stress on the heart because it works harder to support the increased blood the mom and her growing baby need,” Dr. Meyer said.

With heart disease as the leading cause of maternal mortality in the US, it’s important for women to know where their heart health stands—and what symptoms to keep an eye out for.

If you’re pregnant or pursuing pregnancy, here’s how to best care for your heart, so you can keep you and your baby healthy throughout your pregnancy and beyond.

Signs of heart problems in pregnancy

It’s helpful for women to understand that the physical changes their bodies undergo during pregnancy can affect their hearts. These changes can increase your risk for heart-related complications, especially if you’ve previously experienced or are currently experiencing other heart problems such as:

• Preeclampsia, high blood pressure during pregnancy
• Valvular disease, damage to the heart valves
• Arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats or rhythms
• Cardiomyopathies, where the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently

“Pregnant women who have pre-existing heart conditions are at significantly increased risk for heart-related complications during pregnancy,” Dr. Meyer said.

But even if you don’t have any pre-existing heart conditions, it’s important to know the signs of heart-related complications like heart failure, including:

• Swollen ankles
• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Orthopnea, the inability to lay flat

This is one reason why regular checkups with your OBGYN are essential throughout your pregnancy and after childbirth. While swelling and shortness of breath can be normal symptoms during a healthy pregnancy, they can also be a sign of something more serious.

Your OBGYN can keep an eye on your heart health so you can feel confident and healthy while you navigate pregnancy and postpartum.

The Pregnancy Heart Team at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas

To provide more comprehensive heart care for women during pregnancy and postpartum, the new field of cardio-obstetrics is rapidly growing. Cardio-obstetrics blends obstetrics with preventive cardiology, bringing more specialized care to women at high risk of heart complications during pregnancy.

While many hospitals are developing multi-disciplinary cardio-obstetrics teams, Dr. Meyer said the Pregnancy Heart Team at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas is unique.

As part of the Women’s Heart Center, the Pregnancy Heart Team brings all the disciplines together:

• Maternal-fetal medicine specialists
• Cardiologists, for non-invasive cardiology and advanced heart failure
• Obstetricians
• Anesthesiologists
• Critical care including ECMO, the advanced life support team
• Pharmacists
• Nursing specialists

This multidisciplinary approach focuses on an individual's pregnancy, her specific heart health and her personalized treatment plan.

What really sets the Pregnancy Heart Team apart from others in the country is the inclusion of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) team, which brings highly specialized care to critically ill or high-risk pregnant women.

If a woman needs additional specialized support for her heart issues during pregnancy, the Pregnancy Heart Team is supported by a large cardiac intensive care unit (ICU), a left ventricle assist device (LVAD) program and an advanced heart failure program.

Caring for your heart during pregnancy and beyond

With the many changes that pregnancy brings to your health and your life, it’s normal to have questions and worries along the way. Having the right experts by your side can make all the difference.

If you’re concerned about how pregnancy may impact your heart health, be sure and bring it up with your OBGYN. Working together, you can keep your heart healthy during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. If heart issues do arise, your OBGYN can also help connect you with more specialized heart care.

Find an OBGYN near you today.