Worried about baby’s heart rate.

I went to the hospital yesterday for my labour talk and tour of the birthing suites. While there, my midwife listened to bubba's heart. Normally she would use her home doppler, but this one displayed the heart rate on a monitor. Both my midwife and the student midwife seemed a bit concerned with how fast the heart was beating. It was sitting around about 160 - 170 bpm when he wasn't moving, and when he wriggled it went to 190 - 198 bpm.

They had me monitored for about five minutes, then we got up and had a walk round, and then they looked at the heart rate again. It was a bit lower the second time around, settling at the 160 - 170 bpm range. Both midwives decided it was fine, and said they'd see me in two weeks.

I wasn't worried at the time, but the more I think about it the more it is stressing me out. Of course, this morning I have consulted Google - the bane of worried pregnant ladies' existance! Everything says heart rate should be about 130 - 150 bpm at 35 weeks. So now I am scared!

I am going to call my midwife to discuss with her later today, but I was wondering if anyone else has had this sort of experience and had everything ok? Yesterday he was barely moving and getting close to 200 bpm, today is he wriggling heaps and hiccupping and I hate to think what kind of heart rate he has going on now! It took so long to get this baby, and now I have all these horrors going through my head, which I know is a complete overreaction, but I can't help feeling worried about it.

Goggle isn't your friend.

It is more worrying if the heart rate goes under 100.

I went in to be monitored on the weekend and got worried when I saw the heart rate climbing up too, but it was when baby was moving. It was around the 180-190 mark. I don't remember what it was when she was still, but I know it wasn't 140, more like 150-60. I think the babies don't like being on the monitor or doppler, so their heart rate probably races. I'm sure your baby is fine

Emma - I know. But it feels like I have been pregnant for absolutely ages! And it still feels like ages to go....

I called my midwife, and she said that she wouldn't have let me go yesterday if she was overly concerned. But she said that if I am worried about it, she would like to do some monitoring so that hopefully I can be reassured. She said there is no point me being worked up and stressed.

I am going to see her this afternoon and she'll check me over for an hour. Hope all is ok!!!

phew glad to hear it's probably ok!!!!

how awful it would've been to be worrying. One of the old wives tales is that girl babies heart rates are faster than boys...

Have just consulted my old mw notes and all three of my babies were beating 150-160 at 35 weeks (and for most of the pg'cy too). That rate did get pretty high for your bub but it seems to have settled well and is not staying up there, so I think they'll be fine. Also I think you are carrying a girl

Did the scan look like a boy I have never heard of a boy's heartbeat that fast!

Yeah, the sonographer was pretty sure at the scan, and we could definately see something between the legs....

Guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if he came out a girl... I'd just have to be ready to do some quick shopping!

Thanks for your story cuppatea!