Breathing Problems Early on in Pregnancy

I had problems with a feeling I had.. I felt like my heart would stop for a second or two.. it's a horrible feeling. I had an ekg and other tests.. but was told I was fine...which was good.. but I still had these feelings once in a while. I finally got a doc to listen to what I said.. and he put me on an events monitor. You wear the monitor for about 7 days.. and if you feel the feeling you are talking about you press a button and the monitor records what you feel. It was awesome since it wasn't happening all the time.. It caught what I was feeling and I was told that I skip a heartbeat and then sometimes to make up for the skipping My heart goes really fast. I just have to deal with it since they don't do anyting for this.. but at least I know I'm not crazy.. Ask about an events monitor.. it will answer what you are feeling and make you feel better knowing what it is.. good luck..

Hi J.,

Your description sounds exactly like what I experienced when I was pregnant, though I didn't start having it happen until I was further along, maybe around 15 weeks or so. It was very disconcerting and uncomfortable. I think it resolved itself and stopped happening completely by the time I reached about 30 weeks. I never had any tests done about it because my midwives didn't think it was anything to worry about.

R.

Sounds like it could be asthma. I was diagnosed with asthma in my 2nd pregnancy. After I gave birth I was fine. Then, when I was pregnant with my third, I was having attacks again. Especially around this time of the year-allergy season. Maybe that's what's causing your breathing trouble.

my heart has been doing crazy things since i found out i was pregnant. i races a lot, pounds really hard at times and even when i am resting i can feel it pounding. i asked my obgyn & he said not to fret, it's all part of it. my blood pressure is fine. as far as the lungs, i don't know, i know that may come later in the pregnancy due to increased pressure from the baby, but this early on, i don't know. it is good of your doc. to investigate further - i'm sure it is fine, and the testing should ease your mind :)

I had the same thing... I'd be sitting on the couch and feel out of breath! I went for a EKG and everything was normal... I think the main cause for me was my daily ice tea in the afternoon... had to give up ALL caffeine. So double check what you are eating and drinking in case there could be a cause there.
I also had to realize that I was pregnant and had to take it easy. I'm glad you are getting yourself checked out, but remember to take care of yourself, your body is working hard right now! :)

It's interesting to me that your last response said opposite of what I will, I guess everyone has different experiences. I had it my entire pregnancy, started at about 8 weeks. Even early on it was hard to lie down because of it. My doctor said it's not that uncommon, but still, I think it's better getting it checked out.

Hi - I absolutely had the SAME THING!! It's normal - it sucks and it can be scary - but it's normal. The part about it all being in your head - well, some of it may be. Not the initial symptoms that are real but rather the anxiety that it causes. I was told that my increasing blood volume was likely to blame. But, the good news is that once I was in my 4th month or so, it pretty much stopped (although the anxiety never did). My daughter is fine - so try not to worry about the baby.

What you can do is try some relaxing breathing techniques. Deep breathing can help. Also, try imaging techniques. Close your eyes and as you breathe in, picture something red that makes you happy. And as you breathe out, picture something blue that makes you feel happy. It will get your mind to focus on something other than how you are feeling. And try to take it easy during the next few months - you have a good excuse - you're pregnant. Feel better!!

I had the EXACT same thing happen to me during both of my pregnancies. I remembered friends saying to expect it when my belly was big and pressing on all of my organs, but at three months and not showing at all, I thought "What is going on??!!" The tightness in my chest and shortness of breath typically happened to me when I was walking to the train, although it happened at other random times as well. I wouldn't necessarily be walking too fast and often it happened when walking at a leisurely pace. I don't have asthma and never really suffered from allergies, so I chalked it up to pregnancy. My OB didn't have any good advice about why it was happening and didn't seem to think it was anything to be too concerned about, so I just tried to very consciously take slow, deep breaths when I'd feel it tightening up. That helped a bit until it passed, which would take about 5 minutes.

One thing that also happened to me while pregnant, and I'll share in case it does/is happening to you, is that I would get a woozy feeling in my head when sitting at my computer for a long time. I work from home and would go hours without getting up, sometimes with my legs crossed. This was something my doctor was concerned about because basically I wasn't getting enough oxygen to my brain, which was making me feel dizzy and like my equilibrium was off. The fix was simple: Just get up and walk around every once in a while. It really helped -- and even though no longer pregnant the wooziness still creeps up sometimes when I've been sitting too long. Amazing how the body tells us when we need to move around -- or slow things down.

Good luck. I'm sure you and your baby will be just fine. Despite my little issues while pregnant I ended up with delightful, healthy children. Kudos to you for knowing yourself so well and taking steps to make sure everything stays good for you and your little one.

I have been through 6 pregnancies and have 4 children to show for it. I've never experienced what you are describing. It doesn't sound normal at all. Not even for allergies because I have many of them! Keep pressuring the doctors until they figure out what's going on. You might consider switching OB's too. You shouldn't have your concerns dismissed by implying "it's only in your head". I hope you have had your oxygen intake measured. You might even want to ask to wear a halter for a day. It's like having an ekocardiogram that you carry around with you. I may have the wrong name, but it records your heart activity the whole time you wear it. I hope it's nothing serious, and that you get some answers soon.

J.,

Your body is prepping. You're gaining more blood (need your vitamins), and you are going to feel that 'airy, breathy feeling that you can't catch your breath quite'.

Sit back, ruminate on your pregnancy and baby coming, enjoy that you will have a bundle in a few months, and take it easy. I can't say it will go away, as everyone is different, but I experienced this too.

If it gets WORSE, definitely follow up on it. If it gets better, well, you know what to do with that!

Good luck,
M.

Hi J.,
Congratulations! I think this is normal and wouldn't get yourself too worked up about it. I am 13 weeks pregnant and often feel very short of breath and lightheaded, on top of nauseous! Yuck! Anyway, my dr. just said take it easy, stay as hydrated as possible, and try to get plenty of rest whenever you can. It may last for the entire 1st trimester, as those symptoms started around 5 weeks for me and are still going strong. :( Hang in there!! Congrats again!!
Lynsey

J.,
I had similar issues during my first trimester. I asked a girlfriend who had already had a baby, and she assured me that it was my body getting used to all the changes happening in my body. I also had to urinate frequently. Many of the symptoms that I later faced in the third trimester happened to me during my first trimester. I thought that it was odd, just as you do, but everything turned out to be just fine. Get as much rest as you can during these early months. Once your second trimester starts, you'll feel much better again. You probably remember that part from when you were preg with your first child. Deep breathing and trying not to move too quickly from sitting to standing positions should help. The symptoms are not in your head, they are real, but you can focus your thoughts through your breathing to minimize them.

don't worry. this kind of thing happens, and it will happen again towards the end when you get big, and there is really something pressing against your lungs. the dr. is partially right that it's in your head, only not entirely. you are having normal pregnancy related aches, but your head is making it seem bigger than it is.
i'm not a dr., but this seems something normal to me, it happened to me also with my 2nd pregnancy, but it went away after 10-11 wks, once you get into the 4th month.
as long as you keep yourself healthy and take your vitamins, you'll be fine.
Good luck!

Congrats! I am so glad someone else has had the same symptoms as I do sometimes! I get the same feelings of tightening and aware of my pulse. I have been to the doctor for a checkup and all seems fine. I started feeling this way even before I was pregnant (my wonderful baby boy is 9 months now). I don't know if it is allergies or maybe stress (though I don't feel too stressed?) It comes and goes, right?? You will definetlely have to let me know if you find out what it is, but I am sure it isn't hurting your baby bc you have had all the tests done. And i can def. say it isn't in your head bc i feel exactly the same way! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

What you are feeling is likely normal cardiovascular & pulmonary changes of pregnancy. Your blood volume, cardiac output, heart rate, and respiratory rate all increase in pregnancy directly related to the increase in estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones of pregnancy. Some women develop mitral valve prolapse, which usually presents itself as palpitations (heart racing). The echocardiogram will be able to look at your valves and check your cardiac output.
If you have a history of an anxiety disorder (eg. panic attacks), it may worsen in pregnancy. Think of any emotional stressors that you may be having around the time you are having these episodes.

If you have seasonal allergies, you can take Claritin or Benadryl in pregnancy. No sudafed, pseudoephedrine, phenylepherine. Double check with your OB that he/she is ok with taking these.

I hope that your tests check-out okay and that you feel better soon!

Hi J., I was thinking as I read your post, this sounds like allergies! We are having one of the worst allergy seasons this year. Do continue with your testing to make sure but I do believe this has nothing to do with your pregnancy and your baby is just fine. Many Blessings, Grandma Mary

have your OB check your thyroid levels for HYPERthyroidism (over-active thyroid) noy HYPO 9under-active). i had the same thing in my second prenancy and i just thought that i was out of shape. it is an easy bood test. good luck.

Congratulations! It is truly amazing how different each pregnancy can be.
I'm a manual physical therapist specializing in Integrative Manual Therapy which looks at how all the systems in the body work together from a myofascial standpoint. Sounds to me like possibly your respiratory diaphragm is having a hard time expanding. (It's connected reflexively to your pelvic floor so it's responding to changes there.) If the diaphragm is tight, then the structures passing through it (especially circulatory) may not have optimal mobility and could lead to the pounding sensation.
Consider finding someone (maybe a massage therapist or physical therapist) who knows myofascial release and can GENTLY release your diaphragm. If you'd like to discuss it more, feel free to message me.
Hope you feel better and keep enjoying the life growing inside you!

hi, just wanted to say that i'm having the same symptoms right now. i'm on my second pregnancy and i definitely remember feeling this way with my first, but it was much later on. i asked my ob about it and he said with subsequent pregnancies, i should expect everything to happen sooner and more noticeably than it did with the first one. honestly, sometimes i'm out of breath laying in bed. all of my organs also pushed up really early this time around, long before the baby was big enough to cause that, so i think that has a lot to do with it.

hopefully it gets better as the pregnancy goes on, but unfortunately i doubt it! good luck.

I had the exact same thing during my pregnancy. It started at about 7 weeks. My heart felt like it was going to explode every time I walked across the room or tried to climb the stairs. I was out of breath all the time. My OB sent me to a cardiologist who did an EKG. It was determined that due to the excess bloodflow from the baby some of the valves in my heart were leaking. They said it was common to have valves leaking during pregnancy but mine were leaking a little more than what could be considered normal. They just told me to not over-exert myself and to take it easy. It didn't fully go away but it got easier around 6 months. Unfortunately that was the time I started to have baby pushing on my lungs causing different breathing problems :-) I am due any day and the valves leaking did not harm the baby in any way. She is VERY big and healthy. It is no fun to have these problems but if it is indeed that your valves are leaking it should not cause any problems for your baby.

It's absolutely normal and a little time on Google will make you feel better.

I had the same problems with my first pregnancy and now my second. My doc said it was the hormones.

Here's something from WebMD about breathing issues in early pregnancy...

Shortness of breath
This particular pregnancy symptom is one of the medical world's greatest mysteries. Your uterus and your baby haven't grown enough to start compressing your lungs—something you can look forward to a little further down the road—but you're likely to find yourself huffing and puffing at the top of each flight of stairs. Some doctors believe that dyspnea (the medical term for shortness of breath) is caused by increased levels of progesterone. It's not likely to be a cause for concern for you unless you're asthmatic, in which case you may need to have your medications adjusted.

Hi J.,

I am pregnant for the first time now at 37 and I can tell you that I have certainly noticed and experienced both symptoms that you speak of. I'm 11 weeks now and feel like I'm getting some of my energy back, but I certainly feel my heart beat faster/harder at times and get out of breath. It's not like I've been running a marathon or even working out, but I do notice these slight changes. I haven't spoken to my doctor about it because I don't feel like I or the baby are in any danger. It sort of feels like my body is just doing what it needs to do because of the baby growing inside me and the extra energy needed to make that happen.
I hope the EKG settles your mind because it sounds like everything is just fine with you. I'm not a doctor so obviously I can't say for sure, but you're taking all the right measures to reassure yourself.

Best of luck with your second pregnancy,

L.