Shortness of breath during pregnancy?

[ShanaMama]

Lately I've been getting short of breath very easily, too easily IMO. When I talked to my midwife about it she said to watch my weight gain. I haven't gained a lot of weight at all, and that answer bothered me as a bit too laissez faire.
Have you experienced shortness of breath and was it anything serious? I just googled 'shortness of breath in pregnancy' and every website described it as common beginning in the second trimester. For some reason mine feels excessive. If I do anything (put away laundry, etc.) while talking I'll be panting. Is that normal? FWIW I rarely had any shortness of breath during my first pregnancy.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Yep, I had it. It would be bad enough some nights that if I walked ds up to bed then had to read to him I would be winded. Not at all normal for me not pregnant. Pretty much everything was hard work for me, especially in the 3rd trimester. I hadn't gained much when it started either. Oh, and I really didn't have the same problem in my 1st pg either. I had so many more of the annoying side effects of pregnancy with #2 than #1.

Beth

[npace19147]

I had it too, it really bothered me but my ob assured me it was normal.

[Tondi G]

I had it too... from much earlier on with #2 than with #1! So annoying but it's normal!

~Tondi

[StantonHyde]

I thought I had a pulmonary embolism!! Nope, its the progestin that does something--I forget the biology of it all. Its just yet another reason why I will not be having a third child :-)

[ShanaMama]

Yep, I had it. It would be bad enough some nights that if I walked ds up to bed then had to read to him I would be winded. Not at all normal for me not pregnant. Pretty much everything was hard work for me, especially in the 3rd trimester. I hadn't gained much when it started either.

:yeahthat: Yeah, the most basic things make me feel like I've run a marathon. I'm starting to really watch my exertion, which is totally not me. When I bowed out of picking up the toys at the ILs, saying I'm not supposed to exert myself too much, I got some strange looks from my SILs. It wasn't DD's mess BTW, just something I normally would have helped with but it felt like too much at the time.
All the responses are reassuring. I really thought it was something to be concerned about. Once again, the wonderful BBB community to the rescue. ;)

[julieakc]

I got winded very easily as well, starting probably half-way through my pregnancy when I was just barely even looking pregnant. I was giving training classes at work and would actually have to sit/lean instead of stand. It was ver out of character for me, but I was healthy throughout the pregnancy, gained the low end of the normal weight gain recommendation. Everything went right back to normal after DS was born.

[squimp]

I had it too. I gave hour-long talks through month 7, and I really had to go slowly or I'd get completely out of breath. I bet it's normal. There's a baby in there kind of pushing on your insides, and I felt she was pressing on my lungs.

[pb&j]

I had shortness of breath w/DS. I only gained 23 pounds (and was slim to begin with) so weight gain had nothing to do with it. First, I was breathing for two! Second, DS was big, and I carried high - I went from a 32 bra band size to a 38. He was jammed up in my rib cage. In fact, toward the end, he'd kick my diaphragm and it would literally knock the wind out of me. Very unsettling! My breathing was fine once he was born.

[ThreeofUs]

Yep. Me, too. I felt like I just couldn't get enough breath without doing a backwards stretch.

[DrSally]

I had it. Whenever I answered the phone people asked me if I had just run up the stairs :)

My ribs actually expanded to get me more lung capacity. It felt like I had a pulled muscle.

[tnrnchick74]

I feel like I can barely breathe anyways with severe asthma....THEN add the kicking fetus inside me! AUGH!

[bunnisa]

I had it with 2 out of 3 pregnancies - the ones in which I carried higher. It peaked around 5/6 months and went away as the baby got heavier and dropped a bit. Weight gain seems to have had nothing to do with it, as I gained the same with all 3.

Sure is bothersome, isn't it? I was SO glad when it went away.

[Radosti]

I get winded just sitting here... I blame it on retaining water and the fact that the baby is taking up more and more space where my organs used to be. The organs are taking up space where my lungs used to be... thus short of breath. Stinks...

[sarahsthreads]

Oh, I'm so glad to hear this is normal! If I have to bring laundry up from the basement to the second floor I literally have to stop on the first floor for a bit to get my breath back. Stairs are not an issue for me when I'm not pregnant, and I've only gained 9 pounds at this point, so I couldn't believe it would be that.

And today, I was at rehearsal and DD needed to use the bathroom, which was up a floor at the school. She's been having problems with accidents lately, so I carried her up the stairs so we'd get there quicker. It took until she was done and ready to wash her hands to catch my breath. Guess I won't do that again...

And I definitely don't remember this from pregnancy #1!

Sarah

[littlecindy]

i almost fainted one day. i have asthma, so i'm not sure if it was that or the heat or what (this must've been may?) just take it slow is my suggestion.

[KrisM]

Yep, I have it too. I'm 21 weeks and have only gained 6 lbs, so I'm not sure weight gain has anything to do with it.

If I have to go up the stairs, I'm done for!

[ellies mom]

Man, I've had shortness of breath from the get go. I went from being able to run 8+ miles fairly easy to huffing and puffing my way through 3 miles almost immediately. I can tell you where every incline is on campus. I have found them all in the last several months. It is almost embarrassing really, you can barely see the slope and I'm all out of breath. And I haven't gained too much weight either and I was in good shape going into this pregnancy.

[littlecindy]

it could be hormonal. i know that some people's asthma gets better during pregnancy and some people's gets worse.