Is It Safe To Get My Heart Rate Over 140 Beats Per Minute During Pregnancy?
Exercising is highly recommended for pregnant woman, for her health and that of her baby. But there is a limit to which she should work her body out. Exercising leads to flow of blood to the muscles as well as an overall increase in the body temperature. If overdone this could pose as a threat to the health of the developing fetus. Thus, there should be a standard which can be prescribed as safe for the expectant mothers. Many doctors prescribe a heart rate of 140 beats per minute to be standard.
The Risks Of Crossing The Limit:
Pregnancy is a time for moderation. Overdoing anything can prove to be hazardous, including exercising. The probable risks of increasing the heart rate beyond the prescribed limit are as follows-
When the heart rate goes up, the heart needs to pump more and more blood to supply to the muscles. This leads to more flow of blood to the muscles and less to the womb thereby affecting the developing fetus severely.
The heart needs enough time between beats to squeeze blood for the baby. If the heart beat rate is too high, the heart will not be able to pump too much blood and it will not be well oxygenated too. As a result the fetus will suffer.
High heart beat rate also leads to an overall increase in the body temperature. If the mother’s body gets overheated, especially in the first trimester, it adversely affects the development of the baby . If the body gets overheated in later stages of pregnancy there are usually risks of premature labor. Either way, the baby is the one which gets affected.
Is 140 Beats Per Minute Safe?
This used to be the usual limit prescribed to the pregnant women. But nowadays doctors do not always specify a heart rate as each individual differs. For a women who is normally sedentary, a heart rate of 140 beats per minute might be reasonable. But for the ones who were active or even athletic before pregnancy, their heart rate can easily go above that limit as their body is more used to exercising. So for women who is in a good physical condition, their heart rate can be anywhere around 150-160 beats per minute. But care should be taken so that they do not over-exert themselves.
Points To Remember:
As mentioned above, moderation is the key in case of exercising during pregnancy. Doctors usually advice 30 minutes of exercising. Even if the expectant mother is an athlete, the duration should not exceed 40 minutes.
It is important for the mother to keep herself well hydrated as they will probably sweat a lot. It is important to work-out in a well ventilated room.
A polar heart rate monitor can go a long way in monitoring the heart rate of the exercising mother. Thus, it is safe to say that there are no rigid rules as to keeping the heart rate below 140 beats per minute. The mother should simply listen to her body and decide on the rate she is comfortable with.
