PLEASE HELP - Blacked out - 11 weeks pregnant - V. worried

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I posted a few days ago about keeping on getting very shaky and getting dizzy spells. spoke to midwife who agreed with most replies I had about low blood sugar levels.

Today in tesco (about 11am) I was walking round doing the shopping on my own feeling increasingly sick and faint. all I kept thinking was I am going to be sick or pass out and I need to get out of here. Went to the till and half way through not really sure what happened. I felt like I was going over and it was all really confusing, lots of people were suddenly around me, I was in a wheel chait and being pushed through the store to the back rooms. Some time must have passed as the store manager had come over, they had taken my phone and called my husband (apparently I told them his name and I was pregnant) and a paramedic (off duty - just shoppping) was at my side. After about 1/2 hour I felt fine again, just very silly for causing a fuss! I couldn't stop shaking and I was given lucazade which really helped.

The shop assistant thought I was having a panic attack, the paramedic kept asking if I was diabetic. The whole thing was really confusing to me and just is a bit of a foggy black spot in the my head. I don't feel like it was a panic attack, yes I didn't want to be in the shop as I felt dreadful, but it wasn't a heart racing, can't breathe thing and this started about 20 mins before. I just felt very weak and that my legs wouldn't hold me up anymore. apparently I didn't lose consciousness completely, just was very woozy. I phoned the oncall midwife who told me to book an appointment with my normal midwife on monday and not too worry, and if it happened again go to a&e.

Now I feel fine just shaken up, any ideas?

P.S. I also went hot and clammy, then was very cold afterwards

You poor thing. This is so scary. I had it happen when I was pregnant with DC2 and had DC1 (18 months ish) with me.
I was in a post office queue and started to feel hot, dizzy, sick and knew I was going to faint so I immediately put my head between my knees on the floor

Did it pass Poche, and was the baby all ok - no ongoing problem?

It's the most horrible feeling. My blood pressure has been low and I regularly feel dizzy and as if I'm about to faint. Haven't actually passed out but think that's because I can identify the signs early, sit down until I feel better (even if it's on the floor) and always carry water with me. I stopped driving when it was at its worst around the start of the second trimester.

Worth getting checked over but hopefully nothing to worry about - the baby should be OK at your expense!

Oops posted too soon!

You poor thing. This is so scary.
I had it happen when I was pregnant with DC2 and had DC1 (18 months ish) with me and I was too busy worrying about her so I ignored the signs

I was in a post office queue and started to feel hot, dizzy, sick and knew I was going to faint so I put my head between my knees on the floor and called out for someone to get me a chair. They brought one, along with a sugary drink, helped me up and were generally lovely.

Thankfully I only blacked out for a short while but was in the position where my mum had to kick the bathroom door in once when I fainted.

Make sure you carry something sugary - pop or a chocolate bar and if you do feel like it again I'm sure the advice is to put your head lower than your heart - hence me squatting down with my head between my knees! (Looked bizarre I'm sure!)
Try and eat little and often and when you get up try and make your head the last thing that comes up IYSWIM
If you feel it coming on, no matter where you are sit down and tell someone.

It only happened to me a couple of times and it was always when I'd been too busy to eat.
Take care of yourself and good luck with your pregnancy. :)

I had something similar with ds3 but didnt pass out,just went very woozy,hot and clammy and felt very nauseous,it passed after about 20 mins so just mentioned it to GP at next appointment,he said it could have one of a number of things but to come straight in if it happened again,it didnt happen again in such a severe way ,just mildly,nothing showed up in bloods or BP.The baby was fine,in fact he,s 18 next month,hope you feel better and try and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

Baby was fine and in the second trimester everything stabilised and my blood pressure improved too.
I'm pregnant with Dc3 now and haven't had the faintness at all so must've just been that pregnancy (or having two pre schoolers is keeping my blood pressure higher!)

I get this sometimes after I get up in the morning and go in the shower (blood pressure thing after lying down all night). Generally, if I sit down or lie down for 5 or so minutes it goes away and I'm fine to carry on. If I carry on standing up I start to get black spots in front of my eyes and I need to collapse.

Once you know the signs, you know to stop what you're doing and sit down, with your head down.

Thanks, reassurring to know I am not alone!
just really scared me as never had something like that before!

I had this with both my pregnancies, usually in the shower in the morning. Had to get out and lie on the bath mat until I felt better!

I had this at 18 wks - blacked out on landing - was lucky didn't end up down the stairs.

I took myself to a&e but they werent v helpful or sympathetic. But everything was fine.

I did this 3 weeks ago and am now nursing a fractured coccyx, after ending up at the bottom of the stairs.

Last thing I remember is being at the top! Next thing I'm on a stretcher on my way to the hospital.

Am 17 weeks pregnant, I keep getting the shakes every 2 hours & dizzy.

Hope you are ok now, it's all a bit of a shock to the system.

Hi there.

That sounds awful :-(

Could be a number of things going on. I have a few suggestions but could be wide of he mark. You need a full MOT from a doctor - not midwife.

My friend collapsed and fell down the stairs whilst pregnant. She had low iron levels.

Low blood sugar? I'm a T1 diabetic so experience many 'hypos' but even if you aren't diabetic pregnancy can cause low blood sugar. Mine is obviously generally high but during the first four months of pregnancy I'm extremely susceptible to 'lows'. It's to do with hormones and the baby occasionally just taking on board a load of your sugar.

Finally, panic attack? I know you say it didn't seem like one but the way you describe it happening sounds as though it's certainly a possibility. My friend has fainted on occasion through panic attacks. Not sure why but I'm sure there's an explanation on the internet.

Hope you feel better soon.

Vintage are you my friend?!

You need to get your blood pressure checked by a doctor though just in case

I shop online now. I am 17 weeks and can just about manage a quick shop for a loaf of bread and a pint of milk.

I can say that Tesco treated me really well, got me a sandwich and a cup of tea, entertained DD while I got better, they even finished what was on my list, beeped it through, I paid, they packed and loaded it into my car. I can honestly say, best place to faint when pregnant.

Sainsbury's, were rubbish, I was given a dodgy plastic picnic chair to sit on in the aisle I went over in and no one came to check on me, was told to go on my way when done. Left the shopping and took DD home with me. I still felt vile.

I have to carry extra snacks [on top of what I carry about for DD] to keep my low blood sugar up. Especially with walks in the park, shopping, walk into town to post a parcel. Basically all the things I used to do.

I feel right pathetic and stupid. But I have kept a note and if I took a while to recover then I called the midwife. I have low blood pressure and my Iron is fine. I was fine when I was PG with DD though, it seems it's just this time around. Running around with a toddler is exhausting though.

I bent my little pinky and I also bruised my knee [three weeks and it's still not fading]. Had many a sob in the car to DH, who thought I was being emotional and silly, until he heard me faint in the shower and came and got me out. I got overheated with the steam and just keeled over, I got shampoo in my eyes and that hurt too. It scared him that I could just go with no real warning.

I experienced something very similar at around 11 or 12 weeks. I just put it down to low blood sugar, was fine after a half hour or so. Kindly British Rail staff (passed out on the train!) got me some water and a cup of tea, a transport policeman then walked me most of the way to my office but I stopped on the way to grab something to eat just in case. It came on incredibly fast, gave me a real fright as I was completely out of it. Midwife also suggested it was low blood sugar as nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Although I have been dizzy on occasion, nothing at all as extreme as that one incident.
Hope its just the same for you!

blacking out is scary hope ur feeling better now. i felt really woozy few times earlier on in pregnant - hold onto something or sit down straight away, eat snack or sugary drink, and take off ur jumper or jacket- those things worked for me.

mylittlepuds I have thought more about panic attack, but why there and suddenly out of blue! We have a lot on at the moment and A LOT of stresses going on, but I thought I was handling it fine.
My husbands theory is I felt faint and dizzy, worried about collapsing and being sick in a public space, and the feeling ill, combined with rising anxiety caused a mild panic attack??
Not sure.....

Well changes in hormones during pregnancy can bring about panic attacks - I have generalised anxiety disorder and it's actually become worse since falling pregnant again.

Try not to worry though as a one off panic attack is quite common - not indicative that you're going to have more .

I went through a phase of feeling faint if I stood up too quickly or raised my arms above my head. I was told it was to do with the rapid increase in blood supply required at that time. It has passed now I'm nearing the third trimester.

My survival tips were to get up really slowly, and stand holding onto the chair back for a few minutes before moving, and when shopping, stand still until I was sure my head was clear if I had to reach for something on a high shelf.