Shortness of breath during pregnancy- why does it happen? And is there a reason to worry about it?

Are you feeling breathless during your pregnancy period? Do not worry about it as 60 to 70% of women experience difficulty catching breath in early and late pregnancy. There is one common reason among most women, while additional causes can also be there.

The common reason diagnosed by doctors is the growing uterus taking more room in the abdomen and pushing upwards on the lungs. Hence, the shortness of breath during pregnancy starts.

Still, different causes take place in different periods.

Early pregnancy

In the first stage, the hormone progesterone increases, which causes one to breathe more often. The hormone allows your blood to carry more oxygen to your baby.

Later pregnancy

As pregnancy progresses, breathing difficulty occurs. One reason may be that the baby gets bigger. The second reason can be some changes in the functioning of the heart. The number of blood increases in a woman’s body during pregnancy. Then, It becomes more challenging for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. Thus, the increased workload on the heart causes shortness of breath.

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End of pregnancy

Between 31 and 34 weeks, this type of shortness usually occurs.

Whether the breathing gets more comfortable or more difficult in the last phase depends on the baby’s developing head’s position. The baby feels its head under a rib, and it presses the diaphragm, and you feel hard to breathe.

How to breathe easier

You can apply some tips in your day-to-day activities to feel normal. You can stand up straight, move slowly, lift your arms over your head, or sleep in such a way that you put less pressure on your lungs, i.e., let your upper body relax with pillows.

Additional causes

Apart from pregnancy changes causing breathlessness, if you face severe choking, it can be due to other medical conditions contributing to the problem. The conditions include

Asthma:

If you have asthma, pregnancy may worsen its symptoms. So, you should consult with the doctor about safe treatment.

Type of heart failure: A type of heart failure (peripartum cardiomyopathy) sometimes occurs immediately after giving birth or during pregnancy. Its symptoms are low blood pressure, ankle swelling, heart palpitations, and fatigue. One should not take it lightly, as it can seriously affect a woman’s health.

A blood clot in an artery in the lungs: A blood clot sticks in the arteries in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) and dramatically affects breathing. It also causes chest pain and coughing.

When can shortness of breath be the reason for worrying and the time to meet a doctor?

A pregnant woman usually finds herself unable to respire properly, but if the below symptoms also occur, it is time to seek immediate medical treatment.

• Worsened breathlessness
• Pain when breathing
• Wheezing
• High heartbeat
• Bluishness around the toes, lips, or fingers
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Fever
• Coughing up blood

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