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BREATHLESSNESS
Denise Tiran
Approved by the Baby Medical Advisory Board
What causes breathlessness in pregnancy?
In the last few months of pregnancy, you will probably notice that
you become rather breathless. When you are climbing stairs or struggling
with heavy shopping, for example, you may find that you seem to
breathe more rapidly and quite shallowly.
Breathlessness is common in the later stages of pregnancy, as
your baby pushes up underneath your diaphragm and compresses your
lungs. This type of breathlessness is normal and it won't affect
your health or that of your baby. The symptom is made worse by
the fact that you will have put on quite a lot of weight since
becoming pregnant. If you are expecting twins or more, you will
have put on more weight, making you more breathless.
Occasionally breathlessness can be a symptom of another pregnancy
problem. If you are anaemic you may become breathless more easily
as your body has to work harder to provide oxygen for both you
and your baby.
If you suffer from asthma, always check with your midwife or doctor
that your breathlessness is not due to this condition.
Breathlessness is normal in late pregnancy but if you experience
symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, a racing pulse or clammy
fingers and toes, call your doctor or midwife straight away.
How can I prevent it?
Eat a health, balanced diet, both to provide your baby with all
the necessary nutrients and to avoid becoming excessively overweight
during pregnancy. Avoid eating too many foods which are high
in fat, salt and sugar, as these will all add to weight gain
and make breathlessness worse. Drink plenty of water every day
and reduce your intake of caffeine and other drinks which cause
you to pass urine more frequently, to avoid dehydration.
Try to eat iron-rich foods, such as red meat, dark green vegetables
and dark berry fruits, and ensure you have adequate vitamin C levels,
to assist with the absorption of iron from your food. Eating too
many beans with dark coloured hulls, such as red kidney or pinto
beans, can adversely affect your body’s ability to absorb
iron from other foods (Hu et al 2006), so use them in moderation,
especially if you are vegetarian and eat them as a source of protein.
If you think you may be anaemic or if you find it difficult to
eat the relevant foods, try a good multivitamin tablet or a liquid
iron supplement (talk to your midwife before taking supplements),
to boost your levels of iron and other nutrients you need.
Take care when exercising and do not allow yourself to become
so out of breath that you feel dizzy. Always let your exercise
instructor know that you are pregnant, or preferably attend classes
specifically for pregnant women. Ask for help with shopping, decorating
or housework so that you are not constantly exerting yourself with
unnecessary tasks.
Self-help suggestions
At night you may need to sleep propped up on two or three pillows
if breathlessness becomes uncomfortable. Yoga classes (or learning
yoga positions to practise at home) can be useful in helping
you to control your breathing. Gentle exercise such as walking
in the fresh air or swimming can maintain fitness and aid deep
breathing (but avoid breaststroke if you swim with your face
out of the water as this puts a strain on your neck and back).
It is also useful to spend ten minutes daily towards the end of
pregnancy consciously taking some deep breaths and exhaling fully,
to help your lungs to inflate as fully as possible. This is a good
exercise to continue after the birth of your baby, to encourage
your lungs to inflate fully again after the compression of late
pregnancy.
If you become so breathless that you start to feel anxious or
panicky, try Rescue remedy, a natural anti-stress remedy which
many women find very effective for panic attacks. It is safe to
take in pregnancy, although it is preserved in brandy, so if you
have any medical or moral objections to a few drops of alcohol
you should not use it. The normal dose is four drops, either straight
onto your tongue or in a small glass of water – this can
be repeated several times a day if necessary. Stay calm and try
to breathe deeply but normally.
Which complementary therapies might help me?
If breathlessness becomes a constant problem, osteopathy or chiropractic
may help, as the manipulations used by the practitioner aim to
re-align your body, reducing excess pressures and tensions. Similarly,
acupuncture can re-balance your internal energies, allowing your
body to function more normally.
Interested
to know more? Then please click HERE
References:
Hu Y, Cheng Z, Heller LI, Krasnoff SB, Glahn RP, Welch RM. 2006.
Kaempferol in red and pinto bean seed (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
coats inhibits iron bioavailability using an in vitro digestion/human
Caco-2 cell model. J Agric Food Chem. 29;54(24):9254-61.
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