Shortness of breath can happen because of increased upward pressure from the uterus and changes in physiologic lung function. Shortness of breath is a common problem during pregnancy.

6 Reasons For Shortness Of Breath During Pregnancy

That s because symptoms of a heart disorder can be similar to pregnancy symptoms.

Pregnancy and shortness of breath. Pregnancy hormones stimulate your brain to increase the frequency and depth of your breaths so you take in more oxygen for your growing baby to be. High progesterone levels cause pregnant women to breathe faster. Those hormones also swell the capillaries in your respiratory tract and relax the muscles of the lungs and bronchial tubes making you feel like you re sucking wind after a trip to the fridge.

Examples include tiredness shortness of breath and swelling. An even bigger cause for shortness of breath is progesterone a hormone that increases during pregnancy. In the first trimester it can be difficult to breathe as your body adjusts to new hormonal levels.

Shortness of breath during pregnancy can also be aggravated by a preexisting condition such as asthma anemia or high blood pressure. In some cases anemia insufficient iron in your blood can cause shortness of breath. To diagnose anemia your doctor can check your iron levels and may prescribe iron supplements.

You may get some breathing relief a few weeks before you re due especially if it s your first pregnancy because this is when the baby often drops into your pelvis as labor approaches called lightening. The rise in progesterone begins early in pregnancy and the shortness of breath it causes can come as a surprise. Shortness of breath in early pregnancy is caused by increased levels of progesterone.

Similar to heart palpitations shortness of breath in pregnancy is quite common but it can signal a more serious problem too. If you have other medical conditions such as asthma or high blood pressure it can also create shortness of breath. What causes shortness of breath during pregnancy.

Doctors often attribute respiratory symptoms to the growing uterus pushing upward on the lungs and making it difficult to breathe. Respiratory complications can make delivery dangerous. Other symptoms of anemia include fatigue headache and a bluish tint to your lips and fingertips.

Thankfully while normal shortness of breath during pregnancy is disconcerting your baby isn t in harm s way since he gets plenty of oxygen through the placenta. To help catch your breath try to slow things down don t push too hard during exercise or daily activities.