Will being pregnant put a strain on my heart?
The vast majority of young girls with a heart problem will have a normal pregnancy.
Your heart usually pumps out 5 litres every minute
Towards the end of a pregnancy your heart may be pumping out 10 litres a minute
Being pregnant means that there is more blood pumping round! Towards the end of the pregnancy your heart is working twice as hard as it would do normally.
There are two situations where this might be a problem:-
- If you have a heart condition where you are blue
- If your heart doesn’t pump very well
It is important to discuss with your heart doctor before you get pregnant what the risks will be for you.
