How do you breathe at night? 35+6 and struggling...

[mama2moo]

Almost every evening from about 6pm it feels like the baby moves up and squashes my lungs.

I really struggle for breath sometimes and its worse when I go to bed.

Any tips? Its actually reducing me to tears some nights which makes it worse.

ohhh i used to have that so you def have my sympathies.
i was on the verge of calling an ambulance a couple of times during my first pg as i just couldn't breathe at all.

things that I finally figured out were affecting my breathlessness (by the third baby!) were- anaemia, cutting out dairy, and increasing iron-rich foods helped a lot.
also just being careful what I ate. If i had white bread toast with jam for breakfast I had a massive sugar high and then a sharp drop which made me shaky and really, really breathless.
changing this to wholemeal toast with peanut butter helped hugely. def a blood-sugar thing

so perhaps something you're eating in the evening is setting things off??

anyway, once I was in bed I used to sleep on my back, propped up on lots of cushions

Thanks for that thisisyesterday. We do tend to have a bigish meal at about 7/8pm in the evening so maybe that is making it worse.

I have been known to have low iron levels so I try Floradix again to see if that helps.

Thanks

I had investigations at hospital for this as I was also stopping breathing as well as breathlessness. They didn't have a clue! I found a humidifier and nasal strips helped a bit and now baby has possibly dropped a bit (35weeks) it seems to have stopped. Also make sure you are propped up properly with pillows etc.

Oooh, I have some nasal strips upstairs. I will try those and lots of pillows tonight.

I wish the baby would just engage so it stops but apparently with 2nd ones they dont tend to until labour - Great!

I find breathing harder if i lie on my back at any point so try and stay on your side
I am 39 weeks with first and still get out of breath as dont think he has really dropped much

In the evenings I used to find getting on my hands and knees used to help

Ah yes I was going to add about the hands and knees, being flopped over a beanbag helps take baby out of ribs. Oh and I brought the dream genii pillow which helped with sleep a bit but not nec the breathing. Btw when lying on side try to make sure you aren't scrunchibg your shoulders together ie closing your chest but try and keep it stretched open. I actually sometimes find being on my back a touch easier for breathing but I know I am not supposed to so instead I lie on my back but wedged by dream genni so am kinda at a 45degree angle so half on back and half on side which keeps my chest open for breathing. Good luck!

Is your baby breech? I have had real trouble breathing at night since last week when baby turned herself breech, her head is now really high in my ribs. I was on the verge of calling an ambulance last night cos the pains in my lungs and stomach were so intense

Can i just thread crash and ask how THANENDKA is? I was on the 4 weeks and bricking it lounge with you and got lots of support from that thread x How are you, are you due soon? I am having a section in 3 weeks x

Awww mummytopebs! Am secretly very jealous your baby is breech and you get to have a section! (although yuk on the head in ribs traumas) El Bumpo has been steadfastly head down since 28 weeks despite me wishing otherwise! Am starting to get scared about labour and a c-section for a valid reason seems like a much nicer idea! I have no valid reason so fanjo banjo route in about 5 weeks- eeeep! (that's if she doesn't explode out of my abdomen alien styley in meantime- some of her kicks are pretty hardcore!) Glad most of us 4 week and bricking it ladies are doing well. That thread was an awesome support in the early days.

OP I hope you slept better last night.

Baby is head down! I didnt get to sleep until 1.30am this morning!

Today I will be small meals and nothing after 6pm to see if that helps.

Thanks all.