Did you know that during pregnancy you have 40% more blood circulating around your body? This is to support your growing baby’s need for nutrients and oxygen. Your heart will be pumping harder and faster to keep up with this increased blood volume. In fact your heart rate will increase progressively throughout your pregnancy, reaching a maximum in your third trimester.
Sometimes, this extra stress on your heart exposes risks to your heart health that were there before you got pregnant. And it can also cause new problems to emerge during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or preeclampsia.
Other risks to your heart health during pregnancy include heart value issues (scarring, defects or artificial heart valves can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy) and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (known as SCAD, this condition can be life-threatening and occurs when the inner layers of a coronary artery tear away from the outer layer).
If you have a heart condition, you should get specialist advice before trying to conceive. And if you don’t then we recommend you take the following steps to look after your heart health during pregnancy.
There are several ways to keep your heart healthy during pregnancy, including:
EAT WELL:
Eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. Choose wholemeal foods over refined, starchy foods.
And making sure you get the right amount of vitamins and minerals is essential in pregnancy. Here’s a list of what you need:
- Choline: RDA (recommended dietary allowance) is 930mg
Choline helps to prevent developmental abnormalities in the brain and the spine.
You can find it in foods such as eggs (two yolks provides almost 300mg), mushrooms, soybeans and kidney beans. But you may also want to talk to your doctor about taking a supplement of Choline because it isn't included in most pre-natal supplements.
- Folic Acid: RDA is 600 micrograms
Folic Acid is a vitamin that stimulates red blood cell formation and the production of chemical signals in the nervous system, as well as being an important part of the DNA making process. It also helps to prevent neural tube defects in your baby.
Some good sources for this vitamin are cooked leafy greens, cooked beef liver, fortified cereal, avocados, asparagus and citrus fruits or juices.
- Pantothenic Acid (B-5): RDA is 4-7mg
This B-5 vitamin is involved in loads of the bodies regulatory and metabolic activities. Foods you can eat to make sure you get enough B-5 include chicken, beef, potatoes, broccoli & eggs.
- Riboflavin (B-2): RDA is 1.4mg
Another B vitamin, Riboflavin is important for your baby’s growth and development. B-2 can be found in dairy products, soybeans, grains and pork - but this is another nutrient you may consider taking supplements for during pregnancy, with your doctor’s guidance.
- Thiamine (B-1): RDA is 1.4 mg
This vitamin is important for the development of the brain, nervous system and heart. It can be found naturally in whole grains, cereals, oranges and peas, but you’ll find many foods are fortified with Vitamin B1 – such as flour, rice, pasta and bread.
- Vitamin B-12 RDA is
Vitamin B-12 is a vitamin that is found mainly in meat and dairy products, so for vegans or vegetarians it can be a problem. If you are on a diet that restricts meat or dairy products you may want to consider a B-12 supplement during pregnancy.
- Phosphorus: RDA is 700mg
Phosphorus works to develop the musculature, circulatory and skeletal systems properly. You can find this nutrient in milk, yoghurt, beans, seafood and nuts.
- Potassium: RDA is 4,000 mg
Potassium is a mineral that helps with muscle function, cellular function, nerve function and blood pressure regulation.
You can find this important mineral in lots of prenatal vitamins, but you can also get it from including healthy fruit and vegetables such as banana, avocados, oranges, melons, dark leafy greens and legumes in your pregnancy diet.
- Magnesium RDA is 300mg
Magnesium is important for regulation of blood sugar levels, maintaining proper functioning of the proteins in your body and for teeth and bones. It is also very useful for tissue growth and repair and you can consume it through eating seeds, wheat germ, tofu, almonds or yoghurt.
- Iron: RDA is 14.7mg
Many people do not naturally get enough Iron through their diets, especially women, or those on a plant-based diet. A lot of people actually suffer from iron deficiency or anaemia because they don’t get enough of this mineral. Your doctor will be able to recommend a supplement if you need, but you can also try to consume more through iron rich foods like spinach, lentils, fortified cereal, red meats & kidney beans in your diet during pregnancy.
- Calcium: RDA is 1,000 mg
Calcium is of course important for bones and teeth, as well as for your heart and other muscles. Pregnant women's RDA of calcium is 1,000 mg as your growing baby needs a huge amount of it to develop.
We all know that calcium can be found in dairy foods, but it can also be found in calcium fortified breads or juices, calcium-set tofu, cooked beans, cooked dark leafy greens and canned fish with bones in it.
- Vitamin D: RDA 10 micrograms
Vitamin D is naturally produced in our bodies through exposure to sunlight. Of course, with a string of lockdowns behind us, and classic British weather making things a little grey, it can be hard to get enough of it!
But Vitamin D is important for pregnant women as it regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and, as we all know with our new-found understanding of viruses, it helps boost our immune system. Since you can’t eat your way through your daily allowance, and sunlight is scarce in our winters, we suggest you find it in supplement form.
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Vitamin C: RDA is 85mg
Vitamin C is pretty easy to find in your diet; citrus fruits, berries, bell peppers, broccoli and loads of other fruits and vegetables. Since vitamin C is something our bodies cannot stockpile, it’s important to eat regular sources in your pregnancy diet.
EXERCISE REGULARLY:
Get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, such as walking, swimming, or riding a stationary bike. Pilates and pregnancy yoga are a great way to stay active, or why not try out these pregnancy exercises created by own very own fitness expert Tash. With trimester specific exercises split into half hour sessions, you can stay active without leaving your home.
MANAGE YOUR STRESS:
Stress isn’t good for you or your baby. Try managing stress with relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or diaphragmatic breathing.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP:
It’s especially important to get the right amount of sleep when you’re pregnant as it will keep your immune system healthy (at a time when it’s suppressed). It will also allow your blood vessels to restore themselves at a time when they are under increased pressure from all the extra blood flowing around your body. And sleep controls how your body reacts to insulin too, regulating your blood sugar levels and decreasing your risk of gestational diabetes.
Try to get about 8 hours sleep a night and if you’re finding it hard, don’t worry, you’re not alone – about 78% of pregnant women have trouble sleeping! We recommend you stick to the same bedtime routine, cut out spicy food at night, make sure you take enough folate and iron, as this will help prevent restless leg syndrome, and most important of all get a good pregnancy pillow.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT
Aim for a healthy weight during pregnancy. You’re not eating for two – in fact, you only need about 300 more calories a day. Try to eat healthy calories, your baby needs the nutrients and it’s important for your heart health too.
AVOID UNHEALTHY SUBSTANCES:
Avoiding unhealthy substances: Avoid smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs. And we’re sure you know this already, but limit caffeine intake too
TAKE CARE OF THE FOOD YOU EAT:
Keep yourself safe by washing fruits, vegetables and salads to remove soil which could contain toxoplasma.
It’s also sensible to wash your hands before touching food and surfaces after preparing raw foods.
Follow the tips above and don’t worry too much about your heart health. But if you have any worries at all, speak to your doctor who will arrange for a screening for heart problems if they think it is necessary.
