Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful experience for women. Both of the parents eagerly wait to welcome their bundle of happiness. For the whole family, the new family member becomes the main source of all kinds of entertainment even before the birth, but the joy can be demolished if any type of complicacy occurs in the mother’s body during the pregnancy. One of the most feared complicacy is heart disease of the mom to be. It has been observed that cardiovascular disease is one of the most encountered reasons for maternal death during pregnancy. Hence it is extremely important to examine the heart condition of the pregnant lady and manage the required heart medication pregnancy accordingly during that phase to avoid any kind of difficult situation.
At first, one fact should be clearly stated that if any woman is suffering from some type of heart disease that does not mean that she is not capable of giving birth to a healthy baby. She simply needs to consult her doctor more often to get a clear idea about the risks she might face due to her cardiovascular disease. Having the proper guidance from the doctor she will know the symptoms if any complexity occurs and she will be able to take proper heart medication to avoid those risks. Hence preparation before the pregnancy is necessary for a healthy and hassle-free pregnancy. cardiac MRI, echocardiogram etc tests are recommended by the doctors to determine the heart condition and suggest effective heart medication during pregnancy. The way for the best result is if the obstetrician and cardiologist who are handling the case of the lady work together and share information.
Each pregnancy has its own unique traits and hence problems differ from one lady to another during this phase. Even for a fully healthy person, pregnancy is supposed to put extra pressure on the heart. Some of the most common symptoms for this are as follows:
- The blood volume can be increased up to 40%.
- Blood might get thickened, which increases the chances of blood clot generation.
- Cardiac outputs can be boosted up to 50%.
- The patient might suffer from low blood pressure.
- Per minute, heart rates can be accelerated between 10-20 beats.
If a lady is suffering from cardiopathy, her heart muscles can become extremely weak. Hence it is advised that she should evaluate her heart condition before getting pregnant because some medicines, such as ACE Inhibitors, are not recommended to take during pregnancy for their side-effects. However, the women having congenital heart disease already know their problem and hence they can plan accordingly before getting pregnant. The issues with pregnancy and heart medication is that there is no scope to pre-plan to avoid the situation. Hence her treatment can only start after the symptoms are observed.
According to the doctors, some drugs can be seriously harmful to the baby, especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy. However, medicines like beta-blockers, diuretics etc. are considered to be safe to take up to a certain dosage. Hence the doctor’s advice is important to have a healthy pregnancy.