23 weeks and breathless. Normal?

[Mybabystolemysanity]

I'm quite prepared to be told to stop being silly, but wonder if anyone has opinions about my breathlessness?

This is my second baby and this pregnancy has been generally much harder than my first.

I'm breathless all the time and have been since about 16 weeks. I now can't walk more than round the supermarket and can't stay in bed or asleep for more than 45 minutes. The breathlessness is now constant and accompanied by a dull but nagging ache just below my shoulder blades on the left side of my back. It doesn't go away.

Lying on my side is the worst, but lying on my back or trying to sleep propped up don't help either. Blood pressure is generally 175/185 ish but my pulse is 100-120 at rest and I feel constantly panicky (have started with a psychologist for anxiety but this feels different).

I can't do another three months of this. I'm exhausted all the time. Is this normal? I'm 34 and with BMI of 28, so maybe a bit heavier than I'd like to be but not really overweight.

Speak to your midwife. It could just be where the baby is squishing your organs.

I'm 21 weeks and not as breathless as you describe. Please speak to your midwife to rule anything serious out.

You could have a chest infection or anaemia- don't assume it's just because you're pregnant. Please get checked out.

I've suffered from breathlessness in both pregnancies and both times they put it down to low iron. It came out in the blood tests they did at around 28 weeks so you may need to request this from your mw but iron tablets sorted me right out.

See the gp, it could be a blood clot in your lungs. Any other symptoms?

Speak to the GP. I had this and had blood clots. It's probably just baby squishing your organs but best to get checked!

Thanks everyone. I think I'll have to chase on Monday. Haven't got a 24 week appointment sent through yet. Instinct tells me something isn't quite right although I don't imminently feel like I'm really unwell, it's getting worse as the weeks pass by. Hopefully will sleep tonight as only had 4 45 minute naps since 9.30 last night.

Definitely get this checked. Just for peace of mind.

I have had tachycardia during my pregnancy and palpitations which can be normal due to hormones but you need to rule out more serious reasons.

Is your blood pressure really 175/185?? That doesn't seem right.

No other really pressing symptoms although DD and I have had a bout of D and V over the last 24 hours from a first trip to a mother and toddler group on Wednesday which will be making all the symptoms worse anyway. The breathlessness and sore back was there before that and the insomnia has been since before Christmas. My sister died of a blood clot the day after DD was born and serious cardio-pulmonary problems are what I'm worried about,but if I say that, they might just write me off as over anxious because I'm seeking treatment already. I'm taking 75mg aspirin every day.

BP of 175/85 is nonsense, sorry. More like 135/85.

You need to get yourself checked by a doctor, you could also have your bp and pulse checked, are you prescribed the aspirin or just take it, trust your instincts and hope you feel better soon

You shouldn’t ignore breathlessness at any time. Go to your GP out of hours. It could be blood clots or problems with the heart. Likely to be neither but better safe than sorry

Don’t take aspirin in pregnancy

Aspirin has been prescribed this pregnancy although I did take it all through the last one following a miscarriage. I was admitted at 38 weeks for induction for high (but not wildly) blood pressure although the induction didn't actually happen until 39 weeks.

I think I'll let the gastrointestinal problems pass over the weekend and start chasing on Monday for bloods and go from there. I've also had high readings for ketones and specific gravity on urine tests. Like I'm permanently dehydrated. Not much fixes it. No protein or glucose though.

Persistent breathlessness like that sounds worrying to me. If you described these symptoms to your midwife she would likely send you up to A&E to be investigated for a PE. Occasional breathlessness or some breathless episodes could be normal but this doesn’t sound like it’s the case. If you have a family history of blood clots you are also at higher risk. Please have this looked at now, rather than waiting.

I'm sure she would too. We're 20 miles from the hospital we'd have to go to and if I went myself it would be midnight before I got back (if they let me out). DH says it's just because I've not been sleeping and been ill. Gah! I'm terrified of something happening to me but also really reluctant to go through all the checking for nothing to be told it's all in my mind again.

I second you shouldn't leave this and should seek medical attention, its foe your benefit and it cant be nice not being able to breathe. Are you eating and drinking enough.

I'd be wanting to be checked out for a pulmonary embolism and peripartum dilated cardiomyopathy

No one is going to say it's all in your mind, that's your anxiety taking over your rational thoughts. If you're worried and struggling, get checked sooner rather than later. You would be completely reasonable to do this.

I have suffered severe anxiety this pregnancy and ended up on Fluoxetine at 30 weeks as I was a complete mess. It was honestly the best decision I have made. I am 38 weeks now and I feel happy. I cannot tell you how long it has been since I have felt this way. If you're struggling with anxiety, please see the GP. You can get help that is safe for your baby and will help you so much.

Are you drinking plenty fluids? You need to drink so much more in pregnancy that what you think, make sure your urine is clear straw colour and not too dark/orange. I have to drink more than 2l to achieve this! It may also help your pulse rate, you can get tachycardia from dehydration too. Especially if you've had D&V.

Please get checked if you're worried, I do think it'll be worth doing it sooner rather than later.

I had similar symptoms starting roughly 12 weeks into my first pregnancy. By 20-ish weeks my HR was regularly hitting 160-170 through everyday activity and I couldn't walk up a single flight of stairs without needing to sit down and recover.

The first times I mentioned it the midwife and GP dismissed it as normal during pregnancy. Then one of my practice nurses saw the state I got into just walking back to the waiting room and from that point it was taken very seriously - with urgent referrals to have my chest and heart both checked, and further tests following each of those appointments.

The good news is that it was nothing, and disappeared around 37 weeks when the baby engaged.

So, hopefully you don't have an underlying problem, but those symptoms can be indicative of some serious problems. Nobody will blame you for getting it checked.

The breathlessness and the back pain sounds like pleurisy. Basically an infection of the lung wall. I had it recently. It's not nice.
Hope you feel better soon OP

Thanks everyone. I read a bit more about pulmonary embolism and decided I didn't really fit all the criteria. A proper sleep for the first time in a week has made me feel a lot better. I think dehydration may well be the root cause. I'm very grateful that you were all interested and I'll get it followed up on Monday with the Midwife, psychologist and GP.