Anyone feeling shortness of breath when lying on their back?

[cheshire]

I have never experienced this so early on, it has been happening since week 6 or so. I am not overly concerned but I am sure it cannot be the result of a large uterus and I am not overweight!! So could there be another cause? It only happens on my back and my husband is teasing me about starting to act 'super' pregnant already

 

[CandyApple19]

Ooohh? blood pressure? im already going diiiizzzy!!! im either 6+4 or 7+4 xx

 

[Kba x]

I can't even string a sentence together without getting out of breath think its just one of tose thing my dh calls it lazyitus cheeky

 

[charlie15]

yep i've become shorter of breath recently, it's horrible! mainly when walking fast, i just get puffed out but also worse when i go to bed so I have to prop myself up! I was going pretty crazy last week so went to my GP about it as to top it off I had really bad nasal congestion. He told me that when pregnant you don't eat for 2 but you do breathe for 2 so your respiration rate goes up and you breathe deeper which leaves you feeling puffed out. This usually starts from about 9-10 weeks onwards, so towards the end of the 1st tri. The shortness of breathe lying down was worsened by nasal congestion so he prescribed beclomethasone nasal spray which is safe in pregnancy. I also bought those nasal strips that open up your nostrils and wow I slept so well after that with no shortness of breath lying down!

not sure if this is the same at all for you or any help at all! but that's what caused my problem.

 

[cheshire]

Thanks ladies, sounds like it's just normal out of breath pregnancy symptoms. I have read that apparently hGC levels can cause breathlessness and I am suffering with nausea so that makes sense. I never knew hormones caused you to be breathless!

 

[charlie15]

Thanks ladies, sounds like it's just normal out of breath pregnancy symptoms. I have read that apparently hGC levels can cause breathlessness and I am suffering with nausea so that makes sense. I never knew hormones caused you to be breathless!

It's not the HCG that causes breathlessness it's the increase in waste products of carbon dioxide from baby and the placenta that you need to exhale that make you need to breathe more. If it was HCG it would only be a symptom in the 1st tri which isn't the case.

 

[Deb111]

So glad I'm not the only one! I feel like an old lady by the time I've gone upstairs!

 

[jaggers]

I was just wondering about that. I'm only 6w2d but it seems like I'm a little more out of breath...

 

[cheshire]

Thanks ladies, sounds like it's just normal out of breath pregnancy symptoms. I have read that apparently hGC levels can cause breathlessness and I am suffering with nausea so that makes sense. I never knew hormones caused you to be breathless!

It's not the HCG that causes breathlessness it's the increase in waste products of carbon dioxide from baby and the placenta that you need to exhale that make you need to breathe more. If it was HCG it would only be a symptom in the 1st tri which isn't the case.

There are many causes for breathlessness throughout pregnancy but apparently in the first trimester progesterone increases your lung capacity allowing your blood to transport more oxygen and you breath more often. I would think the uterus pushing on your lung capacity or the increased levels of carbon dioxide from the baby in the first trimester would be too small to make any impact yet. So that's why I was wondering if there was another cause, so early on. I read it on quite a few sites, and it's something I didn't know before.

 

[charlie15]

Yes progesterone increases your lung capacity as you need to get rid of carbon dioxide as well as oxygenate the baby. The increase in carbon dioxide is not low at all in the 1st tri as metabolism in 1st tri is huge (which is why fatigue is so bad in the 1st tri). The main purpose of breathing is to expel carbon dioxide so this would increase your respiration rate. The uterus won't place pressure on your diaphragm until the 3rd tri which will make breathing harder then as you can't breathe as deeply.

 

[Babee_Bugs]

I had this and started coughing up blood... I went to my gp and I have a congested lung... So I had antibiotics x

 

[cheshire]

I had this and started coughing up blood... I went to my gp and I have a congested lung... So I had antibiotics x

Oh wow, glad you are ok now!

Mine doesn't seem to be normal 1st tri breathlessness as I only get it when I lie on my back, I can still run with my toddler, I also swim and ride my bike and I'm not getting out of breath any quicker than pre-pregnancy, so I doubt it is anything lung related. It is exactly the same feeling you get in 2nd-3rd trimester when your uterus pushes on your lungs and you can't lie on your back. I'm not bigger than normal and I am 100% sure I am only 12 weeks. I'm going to see the midwife on Thurs and mention it, see if she can shed some light on it.