Pregnancy & Low Heart Rate/Blood Pressure: Is It Normal?

Question
I am currently 6 weeks pregnant.  I have noticed in the last week/week and a half that both my blood pressure and my heart rate have dropped instead of increasing as I have read should happen.  My b.p. has gone from about 118/68 to 106/58 and my normal resting pulse has gone from about 75 to 65 bpm.  Is this normal or should I be concerned about something?  I check my b.p. and heart rate periodically throughout the day and it is usually around the numbers I stated above.  Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Thank you in advance for your assistance in this.

Courtni Vanlandingham

Answer
Dear Courtni,

First - your vital signs sound great! I would not be concerned at all. Second, there are definitely hemodynamic changes that take place during pregnancy. These cause an increase an in cardiac output of 30-50%. And typically there is an increase in the heart rate, but only slightly (approximately 10%) and not until the 3rd trimester of a normal pregnancy. Vascular tone is more dependent upon sympathetic control than in the non-pregnant state, so that hypotension can develop more readily early on. Regardless, none of the findings you have shared are really of concern or abnormal. I would only suggest making sure you are taking in a healthy diet and plenty of fluids every day.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda