Shortness of Breath During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Shortness of breath is pretty common during pregnancy. Just moving from one room to another can make you feel like you just ran a 100-meter sprint. There are some ways to ease this feeling of exhaustion.

What causes shortness of breath?

There are two main causes for shortness of breath during pregnancy:

?       The hormones increase the frequency of breaths taken for increasing the oxygen supply to the body to aid the growing fetus. This usually occurs during the first trimester. It makes you feel like you have to gulp air all the time.

?       The growing uterus can cause pressure and reduce the expansion space for the lungs. This gives you the feeling like you are taking short breaths. It occurs during the third trimester.

If you are feeling extreme shortness of breath, you need to consult your doctor. It can lead to fainting spells and hyperventilation that can be detrimental to you and your baby.

How is shortness of breath treated?

Here are a few things that you can try for treating shortness of breath:

• Standing straight with proper posture for lengthening the body and relieving pressure on the lungs.
• Sleeping on your left side for making breathing easier throughout the night.
  • Relaxing a bit and easing up on exercise activity