Heart Healthy throughout Pregnancy: What You Need to Know
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February is American Heart Month—a great time to talk about how you can keep your heart healthy during your pregnancy.
The term “cardiovascular” is used describe your heart and blood vessels, which work together to help your body function. Cardiovascular issues are a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. In the US, cardiovascular issues cause more than one-third pregnancy-related deaths (American Heart Association [AHA] 2025). And, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related cardiovascular issues than White women (AHA 2025).
The good news is that many cardiovascular issues can be prevented or managed. This is why it’s important to understand if you are at risk and get screened, know the warning signs, and access care quickly, if needed.
Understanding Pregnancy and Heart Health
When you’re pregnant, your body—including your cardiovascular system (your heart and blood vessels)—goes through a lot of changes. These changes are important for supporting your health throughout your pregnancy as well as your baby’s health and development. For example, when you’re pregnant, the amount of blood in your body increases and your heart has to work harder to pump the extra blood around your body to keep you healthy and to help your baby grow. As a result, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure decreases. These are normal, necessary changes, but they can also create heart conditions or worsen heart issues that you may already have.
Identifying Risk Factors
While cardiovascular conditions can affect anyone, some people are more at risk. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG 2022) and the American Heart Association (AHA 2025) you may be at higher risk if you:
- Are 40 years old or older
- Have diabetes
- Have high blood pressure (hypertension)
- Have high cholesterol
- Have a cardiovascular condition (already)
- Have a family history of cardiovascular disease
- Were overweight or obese before you got pregnant
Your ethnicity and where you live can also increase your risk. In the US, Black women are more likely to die from heart problems than White women. This is because Black women are more likely to be stressed on a daily basis, more likely to have trouble getting medical care, and are more likely to be treated unfairly by healthcare providers and health systems. Women in rural areas are also more likely to die from heart problems during pregnancy than those in urban areas, because rural areas often have fewer healthcare facilities, fewer obstetricians and nurses in general, and even fewer providers with special skills in cardiac health.
Watching for Warning Signs
A lot of times, the symptoms of a heart issue are the same as the symptoms of a healthy pregnancy—which makes it difficult to know if something is wrong. However, there are a few high-risk warning signs that you can watch for. Call you healthcare provider right away for any of the following (ACOG 2022):
- You have chest pain
- You feel dizzy or faint
- You feel really tired or weak all the time
- You have heart palpitations (your heart feels like its pounding, racing, or skipping)
- You have trouble breathing (you’re out of breath even when you’re resting)
- You start swelling suddenly, especially in your face, hands, or legs
Screening and Testing
Because heart issues are so common and can be so serious, experts now recommend all pregnant patients get screened, but this doesn’t always happen. If you are at high-risk, getting tested is especially important. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk level and about options for screening and testing.
Understanding the Dangers of Untreated Cardiovascular Issues
When they’re not treated, cardiovascular conditions can lead to serious and even fatal health complications, such as:
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lungs
- Stroke
- Death
People with cardiovascular disease in pregnancy also have a higher risk of:
- Developing high blood pressure or preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure condition
- Developing gestational diabetes, a health condition that occurs when your body does not process sugar the right way
- Developing a placental abruption, which occurs when the placenta detaches from the wall of the womb, and which can be dangerous for you and your baby
- Going into preterm labor and having a preterm birth (labor and birth before the 37th week of pregnancy)
- Having a low-birth-weight baby (a baby weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (or 2.5 kilograms)
Having any of these issues may cause you to need to stay in the hospital longer to receive extra care, and babies born with these issues often require extra support through a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)—both of which can be expensive and emotionally difficult.
Examining An Example of Heart Problems in Pregnancy
Ella Was Dizzy and Had Heart Palpitations
Case: Ella started experiencing heart palpitations when she was 26 weeks pregnant. She used her smart watch to track heart rate and blood pressure and shared the information with obstetrician at her 28-week checkup. Her obstetrician referred her to a cardiologist, who performed a special test and then diagnosed Ella with an arrhythmia, a condition that causes her heart to beat too fast. The cardiologist worked with her obstetrician to develop a care plan to help her manage this condition.
Lesson: Regularly tracking your vitals and symptoms can help you identify and explain health problems to your doctor. When your doctor better understands your symptoms, they are able to give you better care, including engaging specialists (such as cardiologists) who can ensure you get the care you need to keep you and your baby healthy.
Preventing Problems and Managing Cardiovascular Conditions
You cannot always prevent a heart problem from happening, but you can lower your risk. Here are some tips:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Get regular exercise (like walking, swimming, or yoga) for at least 150 minutes every week
- Avoid alcohol and stop smoking
- Go to all your antenatal checkups
- Talk to your doctor if you have any of the risk factors listed in this blog so you can access additional testing
If you already have a heart condition, your healthcare provider can help you manage it and prevent it from causing more health issues for you and your baby.
Using Digital Health Technology to Monitor Your Health at Home
Regularly monitoring your health at home is important. It can help you identify a cardiovascular issue early so you can seek care to prevent it from becoming serious. The sooner your healthcare provider knows that you may have an issue, the better they can keep you and your baby safe and healthy. Identifying health issues early and seeking medical care quickly is critical and can save your life and your baby’s life.
Digital monitoring tools, like BobiHealth, can give you the information and tools you need to track your symptoms, identify potential issues, and connect with your healthcare provider as soon as you have concerns—rather than waiting until a regularly scheduled appointment. Unlike some other pregnancy apps that focus only on kick counts and weight gain, BobiHealth helps you track that information plus much more. For instance, with BobiHealth, you can track your breathing rate, blood pressure, and heart rate as well as a variety of other symptoms, including if you feel really tired or if you have chest pain or other issues that may be signs of a cardiovascular condition or another health issue. The app also reminds you to track your information regularly and can be integrated with wearable technologies (like smartwatches) to make tracking even easier. The app uses this information to spot patterns and alert you when you might need to contact your healthcare provider.
However, it is important to remember, that while digital monitoring tools can help you track symptoms and potential issues, they do not replace the need for professional medical care—and they only work as well as the information you provide, which is why regularly tracking your health information is key. Use BobiHealth in addition to, not instead of, your regularly scheduled antenatal appointments.
Take Care of Yourself and Your Baby
Cardiovascular conditions are the most common causes of pregnancy-related deaths. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help, but it doesn’t replace the need for screening and testing. If you have a heart condition or if you develop one during your pregnancy, your healthcare provider can help you manage it. The sooner you identify an issue, the better—the better care your healthcare provider can offer and the better chance you and your baby have to stay healthy. That is why it is important for you to be able to identify the signs of cardiovascular conditions and to contact your healthcare provider to discuss any concerns.
Download the BobiHealth app now to start tracking your symptoms. A healthier tomorrow can be possible when you start caring for your health today.
Useful Terms
Here are definitions of a few terms we used in this blog. It may be helpful to read these definitions so you know what they mean if your healthcare provider uses these words with you.
Cardiovascular: The word cardiovascular refers to the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular). The cardiovascular system, which is also called the circulatory system, is what moves oxygen from your lungs to your brain, muscles, and organs. It also moves nutrients around your body and removes waste so your body can function the way it’s supposed to. During pregnancy, your cardiovascular system works harder than usual. This is why it’s important to monitor your cardiovascular health throughout your pregnancy.
Diabetes, gestational diabetes: Diabetes is a health condition that occurs when your body does not process sugar the right way, which can make you sick. When your body doesn’t process sugar correctly, the sugar can stay in your blood and make you sick. When this happens during pregnancy, it is called gestational diabetes. Read our blog, What You Need to Know About Gestational Diabetes, to learn more.
Heart palpitations: When you have heart palpitations, it may feel like your heart is pounding or racing or even skipping beats. Sometimes when this happens, its harmless (for example, a response to too much caffeine, exercising too hard, or being really stressed). However, it can also be a sign of a bigger issue, which requires medical care. Only an evaluation by a cardiologist can determine how serious the symptoms are.
High blood pressure, hypertension: High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, happens when your blood pushes too hard against the walls of your blood vessels. This can happen if the blood vessels get tighter or less flexible, and this can lead to severe health issues, like a heart attack or a stroke.
Low birth weight: Babies that are born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (or 2.5 kilograms) are called low birth weight. Compare this to the average weight of a newborn, which is about 7 or 8 pounds (or 3 to 3.5 kilograms).
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs): NICUs, also known as intensive care nurseries, are special areas in a hospital or birthing center that provide extra care for newborns with serious health conditions. Read our blog, NICU 101: How Healthy Pregnancies Support Healthy Babies, to learn more.
Hemorrhage: A hemorrhage is when a person bleeds extremely heavily. The rapid loss of a large amount of blood can cause your blood pressure can drop, which can then lead to more health issues and even cause death, if untreated.
Placenta abruption: Placenta abruption occurs when the placenta detaches from the wall of the womb. This can cause heavy bleeding that can be dangerous for you and your baby.
Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a health condition that can happen during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks postpartum. Preeclampsia happens when your blood pressure is too high and can lead to dangerous complications. Read our blog, What You Need to Know About Preeclampsia, to learn more.
Preterm birth: A preterm birth is a birth that takes place earlier than it should, usually before the 37th week of pregnancy. Read our blog, Avoid Having Your Baby Too Early: Your Guide to Preterm Labor and Birth, to learn more.
Preterm labor: Preterm labor is labor that takes place earlier than it should, usually before the 37th week of pregnancy. Read our blog, Avoid Having Your Baby Too Early: Your Guide to Preterm Labor and Birth, to learn more
