# Excessive yawning and shortness of breath



## chocolate

Hi, 
Is anyone else suffering with this? The short of breath was the first sign that made me do a test as I remember that well from previous pregnancies. But this time I am also excessively yawning which is kind of irritating.

Just getting off the sofa and walking to the kitchen will have me breathing heavily - its not like Im over-weight at all or innactive ....... although at my previous gym assesment the results did say I had less than normal oxygen supply or something.

Do you think this is anything to be worried about or anything I can do?

I seem to yawn excessively in the morning - so not even due to tiredness, as if when I move about more my body makes me yawn to get more oxygen in


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## stargirl69

I had this shortness of breath when first discovered I was pregnant, but don't seem to notice it so much now (a week later). Maybe I've just got used to it?!

I'm not overweight or innactive either, but when I had to blow into a tube to test lung capacity a few years ago my results were poor. DOn't know if that's anything to do with this or not. I'm not worried though.


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## chocolate

I hope mine disappears too and doesnt re-appear till the later stages as I feel stupid huffing and puffing for just having a conversation lol


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## mama2connor

I had this in early stages of pregnancy, and i found it quite annoying. I actually found it quite worrying, and went to the doctors about it as i was yawning every couple of seconds from getting out of bed, until i went to sleep. I even found i was taking deep breaths constantly and heavy breathing in my sleep too. Luckily, it seemed to disapear at around 7-8 weeks of pregnancy. I just hope it doesn't come back as it was very frustrating.


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## petitpas

Chocolate,
When you're pregnant, you are at increased risk of blood clots. When they go to your lungs, one of the main symptoms is breathlessness at exertion (i.e. when getting up and walking) and yawning (as a kind of catch-up breathing).
I don't want to scare you, but you ought to call a doc/NHSdirect right away or head to a&e to be checked out. Take note whether you have any swelling or redness in either of your legs and let them know. Pull your toes up towards your knees. If it hurts, this is another sign of a DVT, although sometimes (like in my case) symptoms in the legs appear much later.

Please don't take this lightly. I don't mean to frighten you, but blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) is the number one maternal killer. I am only saying this so that you get yourself checked out and yes, I had the same symptoms as you. It's just not worth running the risk and not getting checked out.

If it was clots, by the way, you could still continue with your pregnancy. You would just need daily injections.

Hope all goes well and that it's nothing! :hugs: Please let us know how you go...


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## chocolate

petitpas said:


> Chocolate,
> When you're pregnant, you are at increased risk of blood clots. When they go to your lungs, one of the main symptoms is breathlessness at exertion (i.e. when getting up and walking) and yawning (as a kind of catch-up breathing).
> I don't want to scare you, but you ought to call a doc/NHSdirect right away or head to a&e to be checked out. Take note whether you have any swelling or redness in either of your legs and let them know. Pull your toes up towards your knees. If it hurts, this is another sign of a DVT, although sometimes (like in my case) symptoms in the legs appear much later.
> 
> Please don't take this lightly. I don't mean to frighten you, but blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) is the number one maternal killer. I am only saying this so that you get yourself checked out and yes, I had the same symptoms as you. It's just not worth running the risk and not getting checked out.
> 
> If it was clots, by the way, you could still continue with your pregnancy. You would just need daily injections.
> 
> Hope all goes well and that it's nothing! :hugs: Please let us know how you go...

Thanks for the advice, I think I will wait it out till my doctor appointment on Monday, only because I had this is both previous pregnancies in the early weeks that gradually lessenned, just odd how it seems to only effect me the most in the early weeks!


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## chocolate

But I am definatly going to mention it to the drs as I have PCOS and read something about blood clots can cause miscarriages especially if they are between the placenta and wall or something. 

How do they check that out anyway?


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## mama2connor

petitpas said:


> Chocolate,
> When you're pregnant, you are at increased risk of blood clots. When they go to your lungs, one of the main symptoms is breathlessness at exertion (i.e. when getting up and walking) and yawning (as a kind of catch-up breathing).
> I don't want to scare you, but you ought to call a doc/NHSdirect right away or head to a&e to be checked out. Take note whether you have any swelling or redness in either of your legs and let them know. Pull your toes up towards your knees. If it hurts, this is another sign of a DVT, although sometimes (like in my case) symptoms in the legs appear much later.
> 
> Please don't take this lightly. I don't mean to frighten you, but blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) is the number one maternal killer. I am only saying this so that you get yourself checked out and yes, I had the same symptoms as you. It's just not worth running the risk and not getting checked out.
> 
> If it was clots, by the way, you could still continue with your pregnancy. You would just need daily injections.
> 
> Hope all goes well and that it's nothing! :hugs: Please let us know how you go...

 Sounds quite worrying, when i went to the doctors about mine, he said he didnt have any explanation for it, and said my body should stop doing it soon, and it did.


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## crazyrae

I find I am short of breath and yawning a lot too. Could be a sign of anaemia so maybe try eating some iron rich food like fortified cereal or meat etc. Let us know what your doc says :)


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## petitpas

I went to the doctor loads of times for three years and they kept telling me I should use an inhaler, but when that didn't work, they told me it was all in my head - they almost killed me! When my GP finally took notice of me enough to send me to a&e I had clots all over both my lungs - scary. Well, I would say 30% chance of dying is pretty scary. I also had a swollen and painful left leg with a DVT.

One easy thing your doctor can do then and there is check your oxygen level by putting a little clip on your finger.

The only way of diagnosing blood clots is in hospital. With me it was a CT scan, but that obviously wouldn't do if you're pregnant (I got my clots from the eostrogen in the combined pill). I am guessing that they would probably first do a d-dimer test (blood test) which can indicate if you are at a higher likelihood to clot. They can also check how much oxygen you have in your blood by doing an arterial blood gas count (they take blood from an artery in your wrist). They might then do an ultrasound of your legs and groin to check the blood flow and see if they can spot any clots. If they find clots in your leg or groin and you are breathless they will probably assume that you have a pulmonary embolism and treat you for it. The treatment is pretty much the same as just for a DVT.
Treatment would be oxygen if needed and then heparin injections for the rest of the pregnancy and a few weeks after giving birth.


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## petitpas

I ought to add that there are numerous causes for breathlessness, especially when pregnant, but because clots are such a serious killer it is always worth getting yourself checked out.


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## SRTBaby

This is scary, i have been experiencing shortness of breath since week 6 and haven't paid much attention. It is really bad when i have to do a presentation.


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## chocolate

I doubt very much that my dr will go to that extent of testing - costs and all - but Im going to ask her about checking oxygen levels, as well as future testing of blood pressure, insulin resistence and cholesterol levels - all mainly because PCOS raises my chances of getting diabetes, clots, and high fat lipids etc. 

Will def. keep an eye out for any swelling etc. in the legs.

Was your shortness of breath all the time as mine seems to come and go, sometimes Ill feel normal and othertimes Ill feel as though Ive ran a marathon! Baby must be growing!


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## petitpas

Oh dear, there I was scaremongering.... sorrrrrrry!
Honestly, I think your doctor can check your oxygen with the little clip and then only if it's not right you would be sent to hospital for more checks. I should have made that a little clearer. Unfortunately many doctors just aren't aware of the dangers. Hospitals have just been forced to take on new guidelines to check the risks for clots with every patient, but this has not been applied to community health workers (doctors, nurses)... yet.

To be honest, I have noticed that when I get nervous i.e. at the doctor's and when telling my team leader I am pregnant my heart rate shoots through the roof and that makes me all breathless and shaky. That's just the pregnancy, though.
I actually asked my doc to check my oxygen levels with his little clip and it was fine!

My breathlessness with the PE came and went, but I realised something was really wrong when I got up from my desk to get coffee and had to take a rest on the way to the kitchen, I was so out of breath! Once I was sitting back down and doing nothing I was fine again. I also went to a ball and whenever a great tune came up I got excited and went on the dance floor to dance but was super out of breath within 30 seconds and had to sit back down again. Then I felt fine and another tune got up... :happydance:

Really, I apologise if I scared you all, it was just the description of your breathlessness, chocolate, seemed more than just normal and I wanted to make you aware of the risks so that you can get checked out.


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