Pulse Rate During Pregnancy

What Is A Pulse Rate?

For those of you to whom this word is new, a pulse rate refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute. A high pulse rate indicates that your body is working hard to pump blood all throughout your body.

What Does A Low Pulse Rate Indicate?

Medically referred to as Bradycardia, this is a condition in which one's heart beat is slower than usual. Why does this happen? Apart from an injury to the heart, inflammation of the heart muscles, and low thyroid function, low pulse rate can have causes that do not indicate underlying disease too. These include high fitness levels, a family history of slow heart rate, and meditative breathing.

What Is A Normal Heart Rate?

The normal resting adult’s heart rate is about 60-100 times a minute.

What Is A Normal Pulse Rate For Pregnant Women?

Having a stable pulse rate for pregnant women is crucial. Why? When the fetus is developing inside a mother’s womb, it requires adequate blood flow in order to gain essential nutrients for its growth and development.

In fact, by the time women reach the third trimester, a heart rate increase from the baseline of about 20-25% is observed. Hence, the normal heart rate for pregnant women is about 70 to as high as 90 beats per minute. As for the upper limit, pregnant women are told that their heart beat must not exceed 140 beats per minute as this could be detrimental to the baby.

Ways To Regularise Pulse Rate During Pregnancy

Exercise to regularise pulse rate

For obvious reasons, pregnant women cannot have a strict, rigorous exercise regimen. However, light aerobic exercise lasting about 150 minutes per week is an excellent way to make a pregnant woman’s pulse rate stable. Even walking and swimming movements that are therapeutic as well as good for your body will help.

A healthy diet to regularise pulse rate

On an average, pregnant women are recommended to consume about 2,200 - 2,900 calories daily. Of course, this figure varies as per a woman’s body shape, weight, size, and dietary preferences. Hence, make sure to consult your gynaecologist regarding the perfect diet for you. Eating protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables is always a good idea.

Managing stress and anxiety to regularise pulse rate

A mind full of stress and anxiety can increase a woman’s pulse rate considerably, making pregnancy challenging. Practicing slow, deep breathing and emptying your mind through meditation is the right course of action for this issue.