Shortness of breath during pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant she experiences a number of symptoms that can be anything from uncomfortable, to irritating to painful. They can range from headaches to loss of the bladder control to sharp pains in the abdomen to shortness of breath. All symptoms can and will vary for each woman.

Shortness of Breath during Pregnancy

This particular symptom of pregnancy occurs in quite a few pregnant women. As soon as the baby is born the breathing will return to a normal state of being. Unfortunately this symptom can cause a lot of discomfort for the woman experiencing it.

The Causes of Shortness of Breath during Pregnancy

There are, of course, many hormonal changes that pregnant women have to go through that will affect their body in ways they could not have even imagined. Progesterone will influence the lungs as well as the respiratory center located in the brain. The changes that occur will have an effect on the amount of oxygen that is needed by the body. Even though the amount of breaths a pregnant woman takes in per minute stays the same, the air and oxygen she breathes in, enhances to a huge degree. This will then cause her to feel a shortness of breath during early on in the pregnancy, and will more than likely carry on all the way through the development. Another cause of the shortness of breath is the uterus growth rate which will put a lot of pressure onto the diaphragm. It can depend on whether you are carrying the baby high or low in the uterus. Obviously, if a woman is carrying the baby high then she may experience a shortness of breath. If a woman is carrying her baby low then the uterus is set in the pelvis and not applying pressure to the abdomen.

Treatment for Shortness of Breath during Pregnancy

Shortness of breath is relatively common but if you experience this symptom as well as rapid breathing, heart palpitations, pain in your chest when breathing, blue or pale looking skin around your lips, fingers and toes, a fever, asthma, or chills then it is advisable to seek the attention of your doctor. However, if all you are experiencing is shortness of breath you can try doing some breathing exercises at home. You will need to sit down and take in a deep breath and try to make it so you are inhaling the breath all the way down into your stomach, hold it for a couple of seconds and exhale the breath out slowly whilst counting in your head to six.