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I am 7 months pregant. What does it mean when sitting, and your heart rate speeds up, you suddenly become extremely hot to the point that you feel as though you will black out/pass out(I never have but this is the only way to describe the feeling). This feeling lasted for approx 5 minutes. Enroute to my doctors visit last week, I experinced these same symptoms and told my doctor and was told that it was normale for the increase of heart rate during this time...
Cynthia,
I know the exact feeling you're describing.
This typically is normal. It can occur when the baby puts pressure against a nerve and will typically stop within a few minutes after the baby shifts position. You can also try lying on either side to help shift the baby yourself a bit sooner.
It can also be caused by normal blood pressure fluctuations in late pregnancy as your blood volume and the stress on your body increases or it can be a sign of anemia.
So, unless you experience this multiple times per day so that it interferes with your daily activities, it should be within the normal range of pregnancy symptoms. If it worsens, become much more frequent, and/or lasts longer than this, you may want to bring it to your doctor's attention again to rule out severe anemia or blood pressure problems.
Best,
Catherine
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Dr. Beier, Thank you so very much for your early/timely response to this question. This is our first family baby(blessing)in nine years. The initial response was that we would receive an answer in 3/4 days. I happened to be online when my daughter called to tell me about her second experience of this feeling since Monday when we were enroute to her scheduled visit. First, I advised to contact her doctor, but there was no answer. We of course, then thought, go to the emergency room (because we don't want to take any chances for the sake of mother/baby)and then remembered what the doctor had said on Monday. I didn't think of Anemia. I completely forgot. I had to take iron pills myself from time to time. Now, of course, since you shared this excellent advice with us, her description sounds just as I would feel. I will certainly have my daughter pass this information on to her physician. This is the second time this week that this has occurred. We will monitor the frequency of the episodes as you suggested. My shared thoughts were my grandaughter is growing and also possibly due to the humidity, I advised that she make sure she remained hydrated. Again..."Thanks Dr. Beier!" | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Catherine Beier MS CBE
Expertise
I can provide evidence-based information and current research findings concerning childbirth and pregnancy. My specializations include natural childbirth, pregnancy and birth interventions, fetal positioning, labor induction, choosing a care provider, midwives, homebirth, unassisted birth, natural pain relief, medications in pregnancy and birth, informed consent, understanding the risks and benefits of childbirth choices, doulas, waterbirth, childbirth methods, childbirth education classes, cesarean section, and VBAC.
Experience
I have been a childbirth educator, mother, author, public speaker, researcher, and birth advocate for the past 9 years. I am also the author of Giving Birth Naturally, a site dedicated to natural childbirth and pregnancy information. I publish evidence-based articles on pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, and post-partum care. I'm also a mother of three children, two daughters and one son all born naturally. To learn more about what normal birth looks like, view the natural childbirth video of my son being born at home unassisted.
Publications
My book, Birth Outside the Box, was published in 2007.
Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in communication disorders with an emphasis in child development. I am also an independent childbirth educator.
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