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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Breathlessness at 36 weeks

3 replies

LadyEv · 18/03/2020 16:36

Is this normal? Just over a week ago I started experiencing breathlessness when I speak, and it's steadily getting worse and worse. Now I can barely raise my voice above a whisper and people are struggling to hear or understand me. I'm running out of air before I can reach the end of a sentence. It's becoming increasingly frustrating for me that I can't communicate properly. The thing is the breathlessness only seems to effect me when I'm talking. I have no problems walking or going up and down stairs for example.

My partner thinks I should phone the midwife, but I'm reluctant to do so, as I understand from googling that it's a normal side effect of late pregnancy? I feel well in all other regards, I don't have a cough, sore throat or fever. However at the same time I worry I might not be able to speak at all if it progresses the way it has been doing.

The symptoms get worse after I've eaten so I assume the baby is in a position where it's pushing up my stomach and lungs. (I have quite bad acid reflux as well.) I'm not someone who generally suffers from health anxiety, but I guess I'd like some reassurance this is normal or that I wont come across as hysterical if I phone the midwife?

(I'll add, In case it's relevant that I've never smoked or suffered from Asthma.)

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Robs20 · 18/03/2020 16:39

I’m 31 weeks and have had this for a while - baby is very high up! But as it’s a new symptom I would ask your midwife just for peace of mind.

SomethingAboutNothing · 18/03/2020 17:18

Please do contact your midwife. This sounds more than just breathlessness towards the end of pregnancy and should be checked out. Hopefully it will be nothing to worry about but always best to be safe.

LadyEv · 18/03/2020 22:45

Thanks for your advice @Robs20 and @SomethingAboutNothing. I phoned up the Birthing Centre and told them I was concerned about the breathlessness and the reduced movements I'd experienced today and they asked me to go in so they could monitor the baby.

As it turns out everything is fine with the baby. They weren't overly concerned about the breathlessness, because even though it's effecting my speech, I can still string a sentence together without completely asphyxiating. My oxygen levels are also fine. I was worried that if I wasn't getting enough air the baby might have been oxygen deprived too which it turn could be causing the reduced movements. But that's not the case. It's just a normal symptom of pregnancy as my uterus is expanding and squashing my internal organs. (or words to that effect) They chased up my blood tests from the other day I don't have anaemia either (which I had read online could also be the cause of the breathlessness.) I'm relieved I went because It's put my mind at rest.

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