Fetal heart rate decreased when lying flat???
Friday, June 18th, 2010 at
10:50 pm
At my check up at 22 weeks the doctor said that baby’s heart rate kept dropping as he was listening with the doppler. He said the baby must not have liked me lying flat. Has this happened to anyone else before? If so, what advice do you have?
Filed under: Fetal Doppler FAQs
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Was the heart rate dropping below the normal range? How long did he/she have you lying on your back?
At 22 weeks it is possible that the weight of the baby and uterus was inhibiting blood flow. This causes what is called "Supine Hypotension Syndrome". Your blood pressure drops and that causes reduced blood supply to the placenta, reducing oxygen to the baby. Circulation seems to be best when you lie on your left side. As long as your baby’s heart rate was not dropping too low and if it returned to normal as soon as you got off of your back there is probably not a problem. However, the baby and uterus are going to continue to enlarge (obviously!) so watch out for this as your pregnancy progresses. It IS possible for your doctor to listen to the baby’s heart beat with you lying on your side, or with a small pillow under your left side, creating a "tilt" to your body. I have done this before, the heart beat can still be listened to, and it gets easier as the baby gets bigger.
Beware of the common labor practice of putting you on your back in bed. Sounds like your baby may not like this! Stay upright and mobile as long as possible, and if they insist on getting you in bed, insist on staying on your side. Make THEM work around you and your baby.
Claudine Crews CPM, LM
It may be that the pressure of your uterus with the weight of the baby puts pressure on your aorta when you lie flat. This decreases your overall bloodflow to the heart and could possibly drop your baby’s heart rate. Always rest on your left side. this increases fetal circulation and puts much less stress on the baby. Ask your doctor about the benefits to the baby of lying on your left side. He/she can explain it better for you.
Lay on your left side. When I was pregnant, I had high blood pressure and that is what they kept telling me. Not to lay on my back to ALWAYS lay / sleep on your left side.
My child didn’t like it when I turned on my side. His heart rate dropped also. It’s just the baby’s way of telling you "MOM I don’t like that!" but it doesn’t hurt them. Congrats to you by the way!