Hi Billycat
Best of luck with it all.

I have two little boys aged 5 and 3, and I never had ectopics or palpitations until the youngest was about 2. So I can't say about pregnancy and its effects on the body as I never had a single problem until a year ago. I just seemed to wake up with the heart problems one day. (At first I thought I must be imagining it because every other thing that had been going wrong with me I had been told was nothing too.)

Anyway, I think the fact you have been given two different opinions is fairly typical of British medical practice. I have been told two completely different things about my palpitations and ectopics - the cardiologist I saw told me that was just how it was going to be from now on and I would have to get used to it. My GP says if I can conquer anxiety then they will dwindle. It hardly fills you with confidence when doctors are disagreeing over your symptoms. And it makes life very difficult for anxious types.

Now I don't know about hormones and how they affect ectopics, but certainly the stress of looking after a newborn and the tiredness that comes with it may mean an increase in symptoms. Looking at myself I never had a problem and my body coped fine with two births and pregnancies and it wasn't until after that when I got worn out with my children (as they are a bit highly strung for my liking) that I started getting problems with palpitations.

As we all know, anxiety can just fuel the palpatations and ectopics.  I have had three children, two natural births and one c section - while i was awake!!
Now, i didn't develop ectopic heart beats until my second child was one year old and i have a massive shock.  And i still went on to have another child.  I can honestly say that i never had any problems through my third pregnancy and it was the easiest pregnancy that i had!  I believe that hormones can play a big part in palpatations and ectopics, but i didn't have any trouble at all.  And believe me when it came time for my admission to hospital the day before, to plan for my c section, i was petrified and being so scared you would think that i would have had lots of problems, but i did not have any at all.  No ectopics, no palpatations, bp fine and i had a 'text book' recovery according to the nurses and doctors.  I think that you have got so many other things on your mind at this time that you don't think about your own health, ectopics etc, and it is a very exciting time too.  Congratulations on you trying for a baby and i do envy you as i have my three children now and won't be having anymore.  
I also truly believe, and have said so to my family, that if i could have another baby then i don't think i would be this way anymore.  I would have another little life to concentrate on and wouldn't have time to think about myself at all.  I think this would be a wonderful thing and would help a lot.  I do agree though that the only thing that i think may worsen your ectopics would be the lack of sleep after a while.  So i will say what everyone says to mothers to be - sleep when they sleep!  I wish you all the best and please let us know how you get on, good luck!xx

Thanks so much everyone for your replies!! They have made me feel quite a lot better about things.

I keep getting excited about the thought of being pregnant - but then a little jolt of anxiety shoots in a dampens things for me again!! I have chronic problems with my back too, so I like to alternate between being scared because of the potential impact on my back and pain etc, and then swinging to the ectopics and general health anxiety. Joy!!

Ah well - I will definately keep you posted   Thanks again for your good wishes all

Billycat
forgot to say - both my births were natural ones (ie.not c-sections) and that is supposed to be quite an effort for the heart and no problems at all seeing as my body was working its way towards its current state of constant ectopics. So best of luck.
bead