Short of breath in pregnancy

[Velvetee]

Hi Ladies. I was wondering did any of you become breathless or short of breath during your Pregnacies?

Pretty much from day one, I've found I get quie out of breath with minimal exertion and often after eating or after a bath. I saw a Midwife today and mentioned this and she was quite concerned. I was sent to the hospital, where they monitored the baby and gave me an ECG, I was there for over 4 hours and eventually told everything was normal.

Is being out of breath and having an elevated resting heartrate just a normal and expected part of Pregnancy?

[Buenchico]

Hi Velvetee.

I'm a fella' so I'm hardly the best person to answer your question but please allow me to suggest that you google ''pregnancy breathlessness'. I've just done so myself and, even without bothering to click on any of the links, I'm presented with a page full of results showing things like (quotes) "Most pregnant women feel short of breath both early and late in pregnancy. Mild breathlessness is generally harmless . . . " and "Breathlessness is common in pregnant women after mild physical exertion".

If you check out some of the links, I'm confident that you'll find reassurance.

Chris

[Velvetee]

Thanks Chris, that's what I thought anyway, but for some reason Midwives seem to get perverse pleasure from causing panic.

The one today led me to believe I had a serious heart condition and I saw one 2 weeks ago, who was convinced I was Diabetic, because my blood results were slightly high, but not abnormally so. She almost inferred I would have some mutant 12 pound baby, because of excess sugar.

[redcrx]

erm you can have a huge baby because of excess sugar so its always best to get any high level of sugar.

anyway, back to the original question, late on its fairly common to be short of breath, everything is squashed and lung capacity can be smaller, thats why you can get pain from rib splay as everything moves.

Your heart is pumping extra blood (i think its 3 pints or so) around your body so is working a lot harder. That will increase your heart rate.

[tiggertan]

Hi Velvetee, I am only 14 week but have got breathlessness and tightness in my chest. I can normally walk a fair distance but sometimes now a 5 minute walk leaves my heart beating fast and my breathing laboured. I went to my GP who said it could be inflamed ribs? or maybe anaemia so I have to go for blood tests. Hope you feel better soon! If I remember rightly baby Velvetee is due very soon, best wishes! X.