[Tippiechick]

All of my life, I have felt completely exhausted even when I am just waking. And, I have always had episodes of being short of breath. (I always thought it was just from overeating or such.)

When I became pregnant with our first child, I noticed that the symptoms I had always felt were much more pronounced. The tiredness, though, I wrote off to being pregnant. But, the shortness of breath worried me to the point of calling my OB. She sent me to a cardiologist the next day.

It turns out that I have a congenital heart defect diagnosed via EKG and ECG. I have a mitral valve regurgitation. (My heart valve leaks a bit and then "hiccups" as my doc likes to say.) The symptoms had worsened as a result of the extra blood flow from being pregnant.

What I am trying to convey is that if I had not gone on instinct and told my OB that I thought something was wrong, I may never have found out about my problem. I had been told by a nurse at my OB's and a nurse in my family that it was simply a part of being pregnant. My husband believed me, though, and supported me when I said something was "up."

If your doc isn't listening to you, get a second opinion. And, depending on your insurance, you may not even need a referral to see a cardiologist for a diagnostic work-up.

Go with your gut. Even if someone calls you a hypochondriac. The risk of not finding a potential problem outweighs any name calling people might do.

If you need to talk, feel free to PM me. My big sis also has a heart problem, so I know how comforting it can be to talk to someone who knows how scared you might be.