11 weeks pregnant and out of breath?

[Bimberley]

Hello.
I'm 11+2 today and since about 6 weeks I have been really put of breath. Worse since I stopped smoking completely 4 weeks ago today. It is mainly in the morning when I wake up and clears around lunchtime, however I've just eaten lunch, got really out of breath and then went into a panic attack? Heartrate didnt go up though.
Could this all be hormone related?
I'll try get a GP appointment but they take weeks where I am!

It's probably a combination or your lungs recovering from smoking (it takes months, and will usually leave you feeling more breathless than when you smoked as the chemicals that were suppressing your villi are no longer there, and it takes some time for them to recover and get back to health) and the extra pressure on your body from pregnancy hormones.

Try not to panic about it, you'll be fine, just got to detox, but deffo see your dr as they might be able to suggest some things to help.

Hi Bimberley, sorry to hear you're having problems with feeling breathless. I've never smoked, but found between about 6 and 12 weeks I got quite breathless and thought I may have been anaemic, but my bloods actually came back as good and the breathlessness seems to have cleared up now, so not sure if mine might have been hormone related. As always, if you're concerned best speaking to your doctor or at least ringing your midwife.

Thank you ladies for your help. I have been anaemic in previous pregnancies so I think I'll go in and ask for a blood test. Midwife has taken blood but won't get the results until 16 week appointment.
It's reassuring to know that you breathlessness cleared up after 12 weeks bakingmad!

Sounds like a plan. I was surprised too that you didn't get results back till 16weeks, but I thought that if there might have been an issue they'd get in touch sooner. I was relieved it cleared up, as I'm usually pretty fit and started to wonder what I'd be like when I gained weight and got further along in pregnancy. I'm only 16+3, so shouldn't speak too soon!

firstly, congrats on quitting smoking!!! it's probably playing a huge role in your breathlessness. not a smoker, but I was breathless in the first tri as well, and it kind of just went away in the second, and now it's back at the end. try to just stay calm through it, but definitely keep speaking to your mw if you continue to be worried and affected by it.

Thank you. Have eaten a lot of fruit and 2 large glasses of water and I'm feeling more human now! Glad to see it seems to be common and I can relax a bit now.

I got breathlessness as well. I found that I could sometimes end up having to pause to recover in the middle of a conversation because I couldn't breathe and talk at the same time. Had some really embarrassing meetings at work! Eventually learnt to adapt and slow down talking.

I was breathless a lot in the first trimester too. Seems crazy, no big bump to show for it, but I guess hormones do all sorts of things, plus the amount of blood in your system increases to ensure the baby gets the oxygen it needs, and your lung surface area stays the same so has to work harder.
And congrats on ditching the cigs :)

I'm 10 weeks and started noticing this yesterday. I found the following info on babycenter.com and whilst it's still an uncomfortable feeling, reading this has made me feel better:

"I sometimes feel short of breath now that I'm pregnant. Is this common?

Yes, many women experience this sensation as their pregnancy advances. You may even notice it early in pregnancy, although at that stage it's more often sensed as a heightened awareness of the need to breathe.You need more oxygen during pregnancy, and your body adapts to meet this need in several ways. An increase in hormones, particularly progesterone, directly affects your lungs and stimulates the respiratory center in your brain. And while the number of breaths you take per minute actually changes very little during pregnancy, the amount of air you inhale and exhale with each breath increases significantly.......

This feeling is usually harmless and normal. But it's a good idea to take things a bit more slowly and remember not to push yourself too hard when being active.
Sit up straight and keep your shoulders back, especially when sitting, to give your lungs as much room to expand as possible. When you're in bed at night, propping yourself up a bit with a few extra pillows might give you some relief.
Once you give birth, your breathing will soon go back to feeling like it did before you were pregnant."

My iron levels needed a boost around then. I took spat one and felt better fairly quickly.

I had this. Gave up smoking as soon as I found out I was pregnant and felt like I couldn't take a deep breath. I went to the doctors and she listened to my lungs but said everything was fine. I'm 16 weeks now and had nothing for quite a while. Think its hormones but i am blamong everything on those pesky hormones

spat one= spatone. Thanks autocorrent...

I found myself very breathless and sometimes dizzy in the first trimester, my midwife didn't seem remotely concerned and it's cleared up for now (27 weeks) Could the feeling of being breathless be giving you a panic attack? Definitely get the iron checked though if it's been a problem previously

Thank you all for all the advice! It has really helped! Yes probably was panicking because I felt short of breath.
Eurochick! Don't you just love autocorrect :)