Normal Changes Throughout Pregnancy

Normal Changes Throughout Pregnancy

Cardiovascular

■ Heart rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ Blood pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lower first half, no change last half ■ Blood volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . as much as a 50% increase ■ Hct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . slight decrease ■ RBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . as much as a 30% increase ■ WBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ Vasodilatation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . caused by increased progesterone levels ■ Stroke volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ CO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ SVR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . decreases ■ Supine position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . decreases perfusion to baby

Respiratory

■ Respiratory rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ Oxygen consumption . . . . . . . . . increases by 15% ■ Tidal volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ Functional residual capacity . . . . decreases ■ Dyspnea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . normal at end of third trimester ■ pH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ PaO2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases ■ PaCO2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . decreases ■ HCO3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . decreases

Renal

■ Proteinuria . . . . . . . may indicate possible PIH ■ GFR . . . . . . . . . . . . . increases by as much as 50%

Metabolic

■ Temperature . . . . . . slight increase ■ Blood glucose . . . . . increase may indicate gestational diabetes