Breathlessness

[fonxey]

I'm 31+5 weeks tomorrow and i feel utterly breathless. Most of the time like I've ran up the stairs or something.

I knew this is normal... But is there anything i can do to feel better? I'm sitting in bed now but doing much but I'm huffing and puffing liked I've just sprinted a mile.

I was starting a week or so ago to feel a little over exerted doing not much but now feel so knackered out just walking up a short corridor.

Scribe know how to alleviate this at all?

How are your iron levels? I was anaemic by the end of my pregnancy and you can get pretty breathless anyway, I didn’t realise how bad it was until the baby was out and it was gone, but if you’re anaemic you can get iron tablets which will help.

I had this. I felt like my lungs were the size of peanuts! My dd spent a lot of time with her feet against my diaphragm.

Yoga helped, because it's largely focussed on breathing. Breathing slowly and as deeply as possible will probably be more comfortable.

Also recommend yoga. There are some videos on YouTube you can follow that are specifically for opening up the chest during pregnancy.

My bump suddenly dropped at around 35 weeks and breathing has been sooooo much easier since!!

It’s crap isn’t it? I actually gave up work at 32 weeks with DD2, as the breathlessness and palpitations were ridiculous. I’d really hoped to go longer. Get plenty of rest my dear. Wish I had more advice. X

Make sure that you mention it to your midwife. Breathlessness is a sign of low iron which can easily be checked and then supplements taken. It can also be a sign of something more serious, that can again be treated.

I didn't suffer in pregnancy, but have since giving birth.
My iron levels are fine, so I was advised I needed further testing in case it was a blood clot which can happen during/after pregnancy.

I started iron tablets a week ago so hopefully they'll have an effect soon.

I also go to a yoga class already but i know i should be doing it more often throughout the week. Just so often get home too knackered to do even simple things.

Thanks fur all your advice guys. It's really starting to bother me. I thought this pregnancy thing was tough but manageable but what with this I'm starting to really struggle.

Iron tablets will take a good 2-3 weeks weeks of taking before you feel the difference. It does feel like the days/weeks are dragging, hang in there, it will improve.

My mum told me pregnancy is tough to prepare you for parenthood.

Even doing one or two yoga posses before bed helped me a great deal. It's like with any exercise: the less you do, the less you want to do!

Do get checked out just in case. I went to the doc with breathlessness and chest pain last week and it turned out to be a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). If you don’t have other symptoms I doubt it’s that, but better to be safe than sorry.

I had this OP and turned out I was anaemic. My ferritin levels dropped to 8 when I was 36 weeks because the community midwives didn't read my 28 week blood results - should have been on iron tablets. Had to lie in bed most days due to the exhaustion and breathlessness.
I had to have an iron transfusion in the end. Took a couple of weeks to feel better.

It’s awful isn’t it! I’m in the exact same boat!!!i find it way worse at night so I’m pretty much sleeping upright in the bed now😂😂 I must try the yoga myself, at the moment I do a small bit of walking but not very much or far and I’m like a ninety year old! Very frustrating altogether when I was very fit before!

Mine with dd was due to anemia. Tablets didn't work ended up with transfusions.

Now 26 w and currently sat waiting for bloods for same reason. I was puffing and panting at midwife weds so she said get done today..

More than anything g this will be iron levels.

I know you say you have iron tablets but woman get yourself to Boots and shell out for some Spatone, take 2 twice a day.

As it’s a liquid it will gut your system quicker meaning your levels will recover quickly and I found its less likely to constipate you than tablets which will leave you majorly bunged up.

I would however get some prunes.

Hello, I'm new here but just wanted to pop on to say SAME. I get out of breath just talking sometimes lol. My iron is apparently spot on though, and no other issues at any midwife appointments.