What pregnancy problems casues difficulty breathing?

Since I’ve been pregnant i’ve had a hard time breathing and been short of breath a lot. Does anyone know what might cause that or has anyone experienced it? If so how did you solve it?

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Definitely talk to the doc about it right away. I’ve only heard of that once baby is full term and big.

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Absolutely should talk with your Dr. For me when I was pregnant (my asthma ) would attack up more. But like I said talk with your Dr. Wishing you happy Healthy pregnancy.

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Happened to me. Sometimes it’d be so bad I had to get on the bed or floor on my hands and knees…my baby was breach til abt 32 weeks…try getting down on your hands and knees…letting your belly hang below you and see if that helps, if so, maybe the same thing,

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So when your pregnant everything shifts including being pushed up on your diaphragm it is completely normal

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Call the doctor. It’s not normal and can be dangerous.

It’s completely normal your lungs are being smooshed and everything is shifted . Now if your hyperventilating or lips turning blue definitely seek medical attention

I been told by my doctor it’s normal… especially after the 2nd trimester. Everything is getting moved up. I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant. I been experiencing this for some weeks now. It happens more at night for me… sometimes I wake up gasping for air from my sleep. It does suck! :pensive:

Pressure on the diaphragm from growing baby and moving organs

Check with yourOB/Gyn Dr. Being pregnant is a gradual thing for your body to get use to the changes.

Depending on how far along you are, it can be completely normal to experience shortness of breath while pregnant. As the baby grows and gets larger, it can put pressure on your lungs, making it difficult/impossible to take a full breath. If you’re concerned, you should consult your OBGYN to see whether or not what you’re experiencing is normal.

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The bigger my belly got the more trouble I had breathing. If you’re at the end of pregnancy it’s pretty normal. Baby is taking up space in your upper abdomen that is usually open, this applies pressure on the diaphragm. As a result you get winded faster, also you have more weight than your body is used to and it is working harder to move it around.

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I had anxiety, but only when I had to go to work and do hard labor. I had to endure for 81/2 months never missed a beat. Also your chest cavity is pushed up and all your insides are compacted with baby, so it’s a normal thing. Watch how much you eat, you can be really full quick and it will cause shortness of breath

Not trying to be a fear-monger, but a symptom of covid is difficulty breathing. Just keep it in mind. As your baby gets bigger, it definitely affects your ability to take a deep breath or not get winded at things like cutting your toenails, but there is a pandemic that should be mindful about as well. Good luck!! Hope all is well.

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I guess it depends on how far along you are, it’s not mentioned in your post. As the pregnancy advances, you’ll have less and less room
In your abdomen as baby pushes upwards into your diaphragm. It’s normal but can also be anxiety provoking so try to find ways to reduce anxiety and change positions a lot. Good luck!

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My first baby was very big and long it seems he occupied a lot of room from right under my chest causing shortness of breath, just my experience, please always check with your Dr. Good luck with the baby

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I had a hard time breathing and got very tired easily in my last pregnancy and it turned out I had a severe iron deficiency that required infusions. I would at least mention it to your provider.

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That happened to me, too. And my heart was always racing if I did “too much work.” My doctor said the baby was probably positioned high in my belly and pressing on my lungs. It stopped after I gave birth.

It happened to me with my 2nd child. I had family come down from Ecuador and we went to show them around Hollywood and I walked a block and I felt like I was sooo exhausted. I mentioned it to my doctor especially since I didn’t have that issue with my first child and he said it’s normal because the baby is putting pressure on my lungs. Luckily it went away after I had the baby which thaf is what scared me the most.

Ive always had it from the get go. So my idea is that the body is devoting oxygen and extra blood volume to somewhere it normally wouldnt so its just adjusting to the new oxygen/blood requirements and can be uncomfortable.

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Can be normal actually. More fluid more blood moving can equal u need more oxygen so ur breathing can be labored short and a struggle. I was in the ER with this in early pregnancy and they told me it can be very normal.

Yes, your growing baby and uterus pushes on your organs. It’s a very common symptom. Try changing positions when it happens.

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Are U heavily pregnant… Sometimes the baby can take up a lot of room and their doesn’t leave a lot for you to take in deep breaths! So their for you become short of breath just a thought!

You could be Anemic … shortness of breath is one of the main symptoms. . people always assume that because you’re " pregnant " you automatically experience shortness of breath specially if you are getting bigger And yes its true to a degree but if you’re having a hard time breathing could be something else. It’snot always “Normal”. i would definitely talk to your OB. Laying on your left side , putting your hands up while laying in bed and Taking Iron supplements definitely helped me…

Your body now has double the blood it had before. Your lungs have to work twice as hard to keep your oxygen levels to where they should be. Always discuss with doctor especially if pains are involved.

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Yes its normal in pregnancy, you can get your hemoglobin checked. It can happen due to iron deficiency and I faced this in both pregnancies. Tell your consultant, she/he will help you with testing and give you a solution.

I had difficulty breathing with my first born a few days before deliver. Turns out I had a partially collapsed lung.

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Had this with all my pregnancies its generally the baby taking up all the room but if you are at all worried ring your midwife.i found sitting down and putting both arms above my head helped a little.when baby drops before delivery it will ease a bit and be gone once baby is born xx

As long as you are near the end it’s normal. I had 2 kids over 9lbs, there’s really nothing you can do. I tried and tried to get them to move and all sorts of things and nothing really worked.

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Depends, if baby is big enough he/ she is pushing on your lungs and taking up all the extra room. You could be coming down with something, even change in hormones/ blood volume. If talk to the dr asap though

I had that constantly during mine, but I had twins. The doctor said it was common though either way due to baby positions sometimes if theyre higher in your ribs it can feel harder to breath

I’ve been pregnant 4 times and it’s absolutely normal. Especially the farther along you are. The baby gets bigger, everything starts shifting.

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I had the feeling like my air was going to get cut off when i was pregnant. I never actually had trouble breathing though. Scary feeling but my doctor said it was normal during pregnancy

Totally normal symptom. But you should still talk with your OB. I’m on my third and final pregnancy it has happened with all three. You also have 50% more blood by volume which can cause you to feel the need to breathe more which in return makes you feel like you’re not getting the air you need. A growing baby that is pushing everything up into your ribs will leave you feeling this way too. Best thing is to do is talk to your OB then try meditation/breathing techniques to relax your body. Also drink a glass of ice water and put your feet up momma! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

My first born fractured one of my ribs. It caused difficulty when i needed to take in deep breaths

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Your uterus is high pressing against your diaphram. That should ease as the pregnancy starts to move down. Seen hundreds of pregnancies in my profession with many complaints. This being one.

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I went through that with my 2nd pregnancy I thought I was suffocating I even went to the emergency Room I even used in inhaler for relief that did not come the 2nd that baby delivered I could breathe then I learned on my next pregnancies that when the baby sits high you can’t breathe

If you feel worried, talk to your Doc about COVID test. But, it is very normal to have shortness of breath. I have 3 and with all 3 had that issue. It’s an over supply of blood your making and the further along you get you lose space.

I had a UTI while pregnant and the main symptom I had was trouble breathing…definitely not a normal symptom for a UTI but definitely something to rule out just in case.

The further along I was with this last pregnancy I had a harder time breathing. Your organs are being pushed up into the diaphragm area

Now I dodnt read all the comments to see if anyone mentioned this or not. And I do NOT want to scare you just inform you. There is a pregnancy related condition called PPCM. I cant remember what the P’s stood for but it’s a cardiac condition. Very rare but my sister had it and she was thin and otherwise healthy. Just keep an eye out for swelling more than normal, such as no ankles at all ect. It can go hand in hand with preeclampsia. There are FB sites for PPCM that have self test you can take.

Always talk to your doctor if you feel something is different or you aren’t used to it instead of fb. Many different things can cause what was described so if such and such says its fine the baby is up high. It may not be the case and the dr should know. Plus drs hear all kinds of questions u won’t be bothering them.

Omg this was seriously the only bad part of my pregnancy. My nose was always so effin clogged up. It seemed like nothing helped. I take Zyrtec and I got told to switch to Claritin. Oh and I used LOTS of nasal saline

In my 5th pregnancy & have been a bit winded every single time. Just no room left in your body after a certain point. Unfortunately, the only relief I’ve ever found is delivery.

Anemia and low blood pressure did that to me with all of my pregnancies.

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I had shortness of breathe at 12 weeks… being pregnant makes you exhausted which will make you feel winded easily, bloating, baby, all that jazz how you’re built how this pregnancy has decided to move things around all that can give you shortness of breath… i laugh anytime im asked at the dr or at work any shortness of breath?, and point to my belly then say nothing out of the ordinary no.

I had it with all 3 of my kids from the beginning but my allergies got worse also so I just figured it was that. My oldest I was extremely anemic and felt it was harder to breathe with that pregnancy

All four of mine from about 18 weeks on I’ve had some shortness of breath from baby pushing on everything.

Yes. I get winded and short of breath with all of mine including my current. Caused my the shift in organs and baby growth.

When I had my first born, I was out of breath since the very beginning. Doctor never diagnosed me with anything just said I was gaining at a fast pace and baby was big. Hence he was 8 pounds & 23 inches long. Hang in there. I suggest walking, it sure helped me for some reason.

I have a long torso! My baby boy is growing in and pressing on my diaphragm! I’ve been struggling to breath since 5 months! He’s here in 2 weeks and I can’t wait to breathe normally again!!! :weary:

In my 3rd trimester- I was always short of breath.

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One of my friends asthma would get worse during pregnancy. My daughter had a bit more difficulty with Asthma her first pregnancy.

It’s honestly a common thing in pregnancy because your uterus expands so it pushes all your organs upward and can cause pressure on your lungs.

I experienced that each of my pregnancies but my 3rd was worse. Totally normal but always let your doc know what you are feeling

In the first trimester breathing can be difficult because of the extra levels of progesterone in the body. Later in pregnancy ita because of the baby pushing against your organs and the extra weight on your body.

Wait, this could be an emergency if you have experienced the below

  1. swollen legs , more than the normal pregnancy swollen legs
  2. sharp pains when you inhale

Nasal congestion? Sinuses? Shortness of breath from increased blood supply/weight? Decreased lung capacity in late pregnancy? Shortness of breath related to cardiomyopathy?

Best thing to do is contact your doctor. It could be just your organs shifting but could be something more serious. No one online will have the answer for you

I ended up being due in May and having blood clots on both my lungs in March and having a scheduled c-section where my son was born

It gets worse before it gets better…Once the baby drops you will have relief…If you are in the second half of your second trimester try to eat lightly.Do not eat 3 hours before bedtime cuz that indigestion that kicks in at night always seemed to be MORE painful to the point where it ached just breathing deeply…Its just your uterus getting bigger and ligament pain that’s causing the shortness of breath.It is NOT COVID-19…This has been a pregnancy symptom for HUNDREDS of years.lol

Normal…I mean you have blood pumping faster because you are pregnant. So, yes difficulty breathing is one of them especially if you are not use to exercising routinely

Yes, 5weeks till 12 weeks I had this experience. Store is block away from my house and felt like would have faint due to shortage of breath

Cause everything is being pushed up including lungs. It should all go back to normal after the birth.

Depending how far along you are, it could be the change in hormones or the baby just growing and causing pressure

Son was a big boy. I have a short torso. Breathing became very difficult.

I found out I have too much fluid which can cause breathing issues and much more

You should ask if you have low iron, if so you’re not getting enough oxygen so little things are exhausting

It just depends. It can also be completely normal depending on how far you are.

The last 3 months of my pregnancy I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t eat without feeling so full I couldn’t breathe. I really just had to push through. The weight gain and having asthma on top was terrible

It’s pretty common in pregnancy. If you’re concerned you should contact your doctor.

Called having everything squishing your lungs, i had it from early on with this one. Cant bend down and breathe at the same time. Super normal

Low iron take some iron supplements but note that your poo will turn black! Always consult your midwife and Dr though! Good luck with your pregnancy

I was diagnosed with asthma when I was pregnant with my oldest.

I would sit in front of a fan on the couch and take deep breaths. From what my dr told me it’s normal for the most part but still talk to them.

My son favored my right side more so it always ran me short of breath from getting my ribs kicked around lol

I had hormone induced asthma. Never had it before and it was gone after I gave birth.

Usually from the baby pushing up into your lungs. I think. Also high BP can cause that

It’s normal I’m 25 weeks and I can’t lay down at night on my back or I get short of breath change sides or if ur walking take smaller steps and dont walk fast

My babies like to be as high up as possible.
So mi diaphragm had a very hard time expanding until they finally dropped.

Don’t know if anybody else mentioned this (too many comments to read), but if you think it’s a little too extreme and you start having a craving for eating ice, go to the doc. I did and it turned out I was anemic.

I got put on an inhaler when I was pregnant

I had twins and i got short of breath just shifting positions on the couch… and walking to pee😅

That comes from added weight and the baby pushing up on your lungs

The last trimester. Man was it exhausting.

How far along are you? It could just be internal organs being pushed together.

I have been having this issue. Its normal in pregnancy.

In the beginning it’s hormones and at the end it’s blood flow and baby taking up so much room.

I had that when my iron levels were low.

I developed asthma with my second pregnancy and I still have it.

What causes that is pregnancy.

Baby moves all your organs. You’re breathing, just doesnt feel like your doing it well enough. It sucks. Problem solved spacing eating and drinking out and giving birth.

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Its baby pushing up on your lungs. Mine started at 30 weeks

Kid is growing… pushing ur organs out the way

Feet or a but or a head I. Your diaphram

The baby might be up against your ribcage

The baby presses on your lungs and all your squished organs lol

U could have reflux. This can cause shortness of breath.

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I had this with all my kids. Body is working overtime and breathing for more than just you :heart: