Feeling faint all the time at 16 weeks PG. Anyone ??

[MerryMegandSnowySoph]

I'm 16 weeks PG and i'm feeling faint all the time. I got up this morning and sat down had breakfast and then started feeling faint again.

It started the other day whilst out shopping I had to find a chair in a shoe shop otherwise I would of. Also shopping in asda twice had to lean on the trolley and take deep breaths to stop myself fainting.

I have also started suffering with bad headaches that stay all day, paracetamol doesn't do anything. Before this Pg hardly ever had headaches.

Am off to my midwife appointment on Tuesday so will bring it up then but i'm wondering is anyone else or has anyoneelse had these symptoms?? I'm getting quite worried.

TIA

COPIED AND PASTED THIS INFO FROM BABYWORLD....
nothing to worry about,seems perfectly ok x

Dizziness and fainting

Feeling dizzy or faint is quite common, especially in early pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones cause your blood vessels to relax and widen. This is nature's way of improving the flow of blood to your baby, but has the side effect of slowing the return of venous blood.

This causes your blood pressure to be lower than usual, so that if you stand for a long time or get up quickly from sitting or lying down the flow of blood to your brain may be temporarily reduced leading to dizziness or fainting.

Dizziness may also be caused by low blood sugar levels as your body adapts to changes in your metabolism. Getting too hot may make you feel even worse. Pregnant women tend to feel the heat more than other women!

Women who are anaemic or who have varicose veins may be more prone to dizzy spells than others.

In later pregnancy, you may feel dizzy if you lie flat on your back and the weight of the uterus presses on your vena cava (the large vein that carries blood from your lower body back to your heart).

If your vena cava is compressed in this way, the flow of blood is restricted and you may quickly feel very giddy and faint. Even if you feel all right, your baby may notice the effects, and his heart rate may show signs of distress.

What can I do about it?

Avoid standing for a long time. If you cannot avoid doing so, keep your legs and feet moving, to boost your circulation.
Consider wearing firm support tights to ease varicose veins and help the return of blood from your legs.

Get up slowly from sitting or lying down, or when you get out of a warm bath.

Don?t go too long between meals. If necessary carry a few biscuits or some fruit with you so you can have a snack when you need it.

Don?t lie flat on your back after about mid-pregnancy. If you are not comfortable sleeping on your side, push a small pillow behind your back to tilt you slightly to one side.
If you feel faint

Sit or lie down, and lower your head
Breathe deeply, and loosen any tight clothing
Ask somebody to fan you or open a nearby window
Rest for a while, then have something to eat

Hey MegandSoph, you sound like me! I started at about 15wks, on the bus at first. I actually fainted a few times, cracked open my head and sprained my ankle. I found that standing up for prolonged periods was the worst culprit. I was amazed at how quickly it seemed to happen too- one minute I would be fine, seconds later I would be hot, couldn't hear properly, vision would blur and my legs would start to buckle. It's very common in the second trimester as your blood pressure lowers, iron levels are prone to dropping and your heart is working twice as hard to pump extra blood round your body. This time of year doesn't help either- you wrap up warm and then go into a hot shop and it's inevitable.

Having said all that, if you are actually fainting on a regular basis they like to check that everything is okay.

Thankfully, the faintness eased up after about two weeks and was replaced with...... headaches! As far as that is concerned, it is often hormonal or caused by dehydration. I have almost doubled my water intake (thereby quadrupling my toilet visits!) as paracetamol just didn't help. They are lessening in intensity and duration but the midwife says it's just an unfortunate part of pregnancy- most of the May07ers are having the same problem!

Mention it to your midwife and she will check blood pressure, iron etc, but it's likely to pass in its own time.

And strap a cushion to your head...

It's lulusuperdoula to the rescue...!

Everything she said...

I felt the same at that time too, it sucked and also felt reallt nauseous CONSTANTLY

feel much better now that I'm 32 weeks, I stopped feeling faint all the time at about 20 weeks

Agree re low blood pressure and possible low iron levels.
Iron tablets are horrible to take though (constipation and black poo) I eat lots of dried apricots (good for iron and yer bowels )

I'm there. If I overdo it (doing things I did before becoming pg) I feel dizzy and faint. I'm also 16 weeks.

Really good advice already. Also stay hydrated.

Thanks everyone

Lulu great bit of info cheers

Letitshnow you have made me feel abit better, to know you have had the exact same thing. Deffo feel faint when waiting in a long que or just generally standing for ages.
I'm about to go to Asda with my girls and pooping myself just incase it happens with them in toe. How embarressing would that be?

Have just munched an apple to make sure blood sugar is up beforehand.

Will probably get iron tablets from the midwife, I remember having them with dd1 and had to constantly drink prunejuice (nasty nasty stuff) as suffer with constipation at the best of times without iron tabs.

Never had such bad headaches or the feeling faint in last 2 PG's thats why i've been worried but like they always say every PG is different. Recon this baby is a boy causing me grief.

Thanks again

Good luck at asda Meg! If the faintness doesn't get you, the mad Christmas shoppers will...

Don't worry about the faintness, will pass and be replaced with (delete as appropriate) nose bleeds/piles/stretch marks/hormonal episodes/swollen ankles/heartburn/wind/insomnia in due course.

Letitshnow thanks hehe well I made it yeeeey!!

I just read you first poat again, you poor thing just calapsing all over the show. I get the going hot, blurred vision but sit down and have kind of been talking myself out of fainting if IYKWIM.

LMAO RE: strapping a cushion to your head!

I remember the heartburn in the third trimester, never had piles with either pregnancy but knowing my luck this time will have the whole shabang.

try spatone instead of iron tablets.......an excellent alternative!

oooh lulu have never heard of it. Do you have to get it from GP?

Is it less likely to cause constipation? If I can get away with minimal ammount of prune juice, I would be so happy

spatone info

they sell it in my local independent chemist.....i think it is fairly easily available......not used it myself but it comes highly recommended !

Lulu thanks, am going to get some. Will see if my local chemist has some if not will order it off the site. xx