Did you get breathless/lightheaded in early pregnancy?

[RobberBride]

I'm 10+5. I'm a healthy weight (BMI 21) and before pregnancy I did an average amount of exercise (commute by bike, pilates, yoga, lots of walking). I have been too nauseous to exercise since 6+0 and I naturally have very low blood pressure. Everytime I climb the stairs I have to stop at the top to catch my breath and I feel lightheaded. Is this normal?

Yes, had it with both pregnancies.

I have low BP generally. But pregnancy makes me very anaemic too and I had to take supplements throughout. So go get your iron levels checked.

Ah, thank you, so glad to know it isn't just me! I'll call the practice nurse on Monday.

yes that's an unfortunate side affect. i wondered for week why i was so out of breath after climbing the stairs to work then found out i was pregnant! take it easy - it gets better

Yes I've been getting out of breath, I'm 7+4, I can only manage walking on the treadmill at the gym at the moment, whereas before I would use the cross trainer. I have BP on the low side too.

thanks everyone. Creature I'm impressed you're still at the gym at all - I tried to do an aquaaerobics class last week and nearly lost my dinner.

Not been going as regularly as before as am usually shattered!
And have been v lucky with sickness so far.

Yes I feel light headed now and again too, I'm 14 weeks and had my first dizzy spell last week at work. I think it's a mix between hormones and extra blood volume and also BP x

Yup. If you can, lie down on your left hand side.

Avoid busy/stuffy public transport too.

I'm having this too. I was fine in my last pregnancy. I feel especially worse in the mornings but I get lightheaded almost every time I stand up and I have to walk much slower than I used to.

I did with low iron was awful

Yes! I had low BP (80/50) until about week 20. Healthy BMI, used to a lot of exercise etc. It stabilised eventually. Take it easy, rest and make sure you can sit down.

I had this and had low iron too.

Thank you all for your advice. GP says my iron levels were 'bang on normal' at the week 8 bloods stage. I'm 11+0 now , she says if I'm still getting this in another week she'll test my iron levels again.

Hi Robber!

Yes yes yes. As you know I have HG so I haven't actually exercised since before my IVF started. Hope to start gently again in a few weeks if I continue to get better.

I too have very low blood pressure (always have). For weeks now I cannot climb more than two flights of stairs without a proper bend over and huff and puff before the end.

Feel so pathetic. I love being fit and dread getting it back after all this time.

to you Robber...

Hi LH! I love Mumsnet. It is so comforting to find other women going through the same thing. to you and everyone else with crappy symptoms.

Robber, ask her what your level was.. Because normal is something like between 15 and 300 (that's off the top of my head but it's a really wide range). So say you are 15, the gp will tell you that you're within normal range but you're at the bottom of normal and could still be suffering side effects.

Cheers Spider. I think she said about 130, which according to google is indeed in the normal range for the first trimester. I've got to go back next week anyway, so I'll insist on another test then.

Oh that's great then. Mine was 11!