Breathlessness at 27 weeks - help!

[vanillafudgecake]

Hello,

I feel like I'm already struggling to breathe, I know things are starting to get a little cramped in there but wasn't expecting to feel this bad at this stage.

My heart is pounding through my chest and my sinuses feel sniffly and slightly blocked.

Even walking from the sofa to put the kettle on is exhausting and I have to sit down gasping for air.

Does anyone have any experience of this and is there anything I can do that will help?

Thanks so much!

Hiya, I am only 16 weeks but have struggled with breathlessness the last couple of weeks. I spoke to my midwife and she said it's not always due to space but your body working harder to support and grow baby so less oxygen for you or something along those lines.
Unfortunately there wasn't much advice she could offer apart from rest (which isn't always easy!) I've found at night sleeping slightly propped up helps.
Hope it eases for you soon

Here’s something from BabyCentre that I think you’ll like:

Breathlessness in pregnancy

www.babycentre.co.uk/a219/breathlessness-in-pregnancy

Totally normal, don't worry. Try lying down to give your lungs more space.

Have you got a temperature?

I have had this quite badly. The first thing they did was check my iron levels as it can be a sign of anaemia. So might be worth getting that checked out

Get iron levels tested. But maybe get not be related...

I’ve found Yoga is really helping with breathing and just feeling more stronger and spacious. Maybe give it a whirl.

Thanks so much for your responses everyone

My temperature seems fine so don't think I am coming down with anything and generally feel okay.

I'm seeing the midwife next week so will ask to have my iron levels change as it could well be that.

Thanks for the Yoga tip, I'm going to look into doing that as it sounds beneficial

Thanks again

I’m 26 weeks and I am feeling this a bit - out of breath so easy, feel so full and like I can’t breath properly if I am in certain positions and especially after eating and I’ve had loads of colds and sniffles. Not sure what to advise except rest when you can (I know easier said than done), eat smaller portions (if you feel like this after eating like I do) and see the gp if you think something is wrong. I had heart palpitations etc so saw gp and had an ecg but they didn’t think anything was wrong.

Thanks @AliceRR

I do feel it after eating too so I'm having to eat small portions now, and I bloat up really easily.

I find laying down on my right side helps ease it a little but I just get so uncomfortable and by the evening acid reflux and heartburn kicks in 

Hope you are finding some relief and I will definitely see the GP if it continues/worsens

I think it could be anaemia as my diet isn't great with so many food aversions so I'm not getting much iron through food that is for sure.



I was thinking the same about myself. Don’t think I was anaemia whenever they last checked though (would have been 12 weeks?). MW said they would take bloods at my next appointment in 3 weeks.

My diet isn’t amazing but I take the pregnacare vitamins and I think there’s iron in there. It’s a good a idea to take a pregnancy vitamin if you are not already.

My heartburn is getting worse too. I’ve had it a bit all through pregnancy really but last night was the worst I’ve had yet! Rennies seem to help.

I do feel like I’m at a point where everything already feels quite squashed at times and my belly feels quite stretched so interested to see how things go as baby grows!

Good luck to you too

Hello I had this at the start and my doctor gave me an inhaler as she thought it could be pregnancy induced asthma (I was on the border when a baby). I hope yours eases off soon x

I'm 25 weeks and have had awful breathlessness and racing heart since around 14 weeks.

Of all the uncomfortable and down right painful pregnancy symptoms I have, the breathlessness is the most dreaded one.

I get it especially after eating.

Midwives don't pay much attention to it, so I'm assuming it's nothing to worry about.

I'm 29 weeks & had breathlessness, heartburn type nausea since week 12 or so...
Three things have helped me:
Much smaller meals than before- like half size portions but eating more often so adding an apple / banana / ginger nut biscuits into each day. Nausea tended to come on when my body needed it's next snack!
Keeping moving regularly to help digestion- so easy to stay sat on the sofa in funny sideways positions which didn't help me.
My iron was low despite taking multivitamins so started taking an apple flavour Spatone each morning when I got up to give my energy levels a boost - feeling much better since sticking to these little changes 😊👍🏼