Breathlessness - what is normal?

[gardeninggirl]

Hi - wonder if you could give me some advice? I am feeling very breathless - have done somewhat all through pregnancy, but now it is rediculous - even when putting my socks on let alone at the end of climbing up a couple of flights of stairs, when I can't speak!
I am 29 weeks and seeing my midwife next week - should I worry before that?
I am getting a strange feeling under my ribs like they are splaying out - which I guess is baby / uterus pushing up under there, and was a previous smoker (gave up two years ago) and am not known for my fitness pre pregnancy. But what worries me at the moment is how everyone I meet comments on it - even on the phone chatting while sitting down relaxing, friends and family have commented on how breathless I am and that is at rest!
This is my first pregnancy so I am not sure what is 'normal' and just 'no room' left for my lungs, or if I should phone the hospital and ask to be seen earlier?
Thank you for any advice!

couple of questions

can you finish a sentence?

does it keep you awake at night? do you start coughing?

there is a chance you may have developed pregnancy-induced asthma

I'd check with your GP tbh

Do you feel lightheaded? Ae you pale? Are you asthmatic?

I was anaemic in my pregnancy and my asthma got worse, that's why I ask

I have low iron you can feel very breathless with low iron levels, so I was told today by my MW, I thought it was down to growing baby but she said the breathlessness I'm feeling is simply down to low iron!

HTH

Normal, normal. I kept a chair at the top of the stairs in our house so that I could sit down and catch my breath when reached the top. It's a combination of your heart pushing all that blood around an extra distance and also in some cases low iron levels. (Be careful about taking supplements as they will constipate you even more than being pregnant does).