26 weeks pregnant and I have dizzyness like I am on a moving boat.

[beatie]

I've had this weird dizzyness for the past 3 days. It comes and goes sporadically but it is quite a weird sensation. I feel like I am on a moving boat. I came back from a city break on Friday and was on a 90 minute flight. Could this have affected my sense of balance or is it more likely to be pregnancy related?

I see my midwife soon so I will obviously ask her but wanted to ask around here first because I'm impatient

I had this at about the same stage in pregnancy as you and obviously worried rushed to the doctor. It turned out to be an painless inner ear infection. Doc gave me antibiotics to clear it up. I think you should see doctor or midwife as soon as possible however as dizzyness can sometimes be caused by high blood pressure

Oh, bu**er. I have high blood pressure. It's at the very top end of 'normal'. I didn't even think of that.

Hello, just wandering if beatie was ok? did u get your bp checked? - hope everything is ok!
Helen xx

Awww - that's sweet of you to ask. I meant to report back here after my midwife appointment but I had my mum over and she talks for England and I never got the chance.

My BP was high on first reading 145/91 but she retook it manually, about 5 minutes later, and it was 130/71, so perfectly fine.

She took some blood to check I'm not anaemic but also said my funny off-balance dizzyness could be from the pressure on plane journey. If it doesn't subside by the weekend I think I'll make a doctor's appointment and have it checked out there.

Thanks again for asking

Hi beatie - i had this a few weeks ago and it turned out to be an inner ear infection too the gave me some tablets called stemetill (think i spelt it right) and it cleared up within a fortnight!!

Did you have any pain with the ear infection?

beatie, the most likely scenario is that you are suffering from something called mal de debarquement, it is essentially land sickness and can come on for no reason after a flight or trip on a boat, i suffer from inner ear disorders anyway but do suffer from this to, i flew when 19 weeks preg with ds2 and had this sensation for a bout a week, keep moving about as normal and your balance organ should adjust.

Btw its nothing to worry about and its quite common especially after a flight. you prob havea very sensitive balance organ.

I did a long haul trip to Florida when I was about13 weeks pregnant with ds2.

Afterwards, I had the symptoms you describe. I had them for quite a while (about 2-3 months), but they did get better albeit slowly.

Thanks - I'm looking those up now.

I had something which maybe similar, I'm not sure, when I was about 20 weeks. It used to feel like I was on a boat and like I was bouncing up and down on a trampoline. I first got it while I was on holiday so we had just been flying. It happened a few times but I didn't actually think anything of it to be honest. It's not happened since I've given birth and I've been on a plane since then too.

It's comforting to know it's nothing harmful but I'm just hoping mine goes soon.

as a sufferer of inner ear disorder ive researched several disorders extensively, youre symptoms fit with MDD, its most likey when preg because your body retains more fluid and its also retained in the inner ear which can slightly upset the balance organ, hence when flying, the balance organ is slightly confused and thinks you are still moving and sends those confused messages to your brain, it will get better.

agood website to visit is www.vestibular.org, here is a brief explanation of MDD

Exposure to an unfamiliar movement type (such as experienced in a ship, train or airplane) and then the removal of that movement initiates mal de débarquement. Leading explanations for mal de débarquement conclude that the brain adapts to the motion of the ship or other vehicle; but once the movement stops, the brain is unable to readapt once again.
it can several hours, to days, to even weeks but if you keep moving about, even if it feels unpleasant, your brain will adapt.

Glad your blood pressure is ok beatie! its worrying if u have bp problems - just wanted to see you were alright! xxx

Thanks SpaceCadet.

Sorry to take so long to post a reply. No i had no pain at all just felt really dizzy and kept going light headed.

Get your ears checked out, usually the cause of imbalance, preggers or not!