I figured by now I would start breathing better because of the baby moving, but it has only gotten worse.... I was just wondering if this is normal and why it is.
Hi there,
Breathe Right strips helped me to get more air. Especially at night.
Good luck!
A. W.
Oh my goodness, I'm surprised it's taken you this long to get to the point where you can't breath. Unfortunately it's one of the many side effects of being pregnant. That baby is pushing up into your lungs and it makes it really hard to breath. I usually just try to sit in a chair or on the sofa and stretch my back up and out. It's just getting to that time, you are going to have to slow down for a few more weeks until your little one gets here. Sorry you are miserable. You don't have far to go now. Hang in there.
I also felt breathless towards the end of my pregnancy. But you should mention it to your OB so they can make sure that in your situation it is normal.
The answers here are correct, as long as you have no other issues. I remember well getting winded walking up a flight of stairs or from my car to a store. In addition to less room for your lungs to expand, you are, to phrase things badly, hauling a lot of extra weight. Imagine picking up a large bag of cat food (or dog food), throwing it over your shoulder, and not being allowed to put it down all day long, no matter what you're doing. It is a lot of work to walk around pregnant. Take it easy when you can and definitely ask for help if you need it.
Sometimes I slept or napped better in a recliner or by propping pillows up so I was on my side but slightly upright in bed with a body pillow. It helped me breathe better at night.
Normal!
Your poor diaphragm is being shoved closer and closer to your rib cage by the organs that your baby is shoving upward into your chest. When breathing, your diaphragm expands - right now it has very little room to move so you may not be able to get a nice deep breath.
Of course, anytime there is difficulty breathing or shortness of breath you should always alert your ob to make sure it isn't anything else. Better safe than sorry!
Part of my job involves public speaking - in the last 10 weeks of my pregnancies I could barely make presentations becuase I was out of breath. That baby has squeezed any small bit of space in your body right out. You can't take a nice deep breath anymore! It's the same reason you have no bladder capacity - your bladder gets flattened out and can only hold a tablespoon of liquid - the same with your diaphram and lungs. Within minutes of your baby's birth you'll be able to breathe and suddenly not have to urinate for hours.
(One caution on the breathing - if you are SUDDENLY out of breath, or have pain in one lung get to a doctor - it could mean that a blood clot is in your lung which is life threatening but VERY VERY VERY VERY rare.)
It is very normal...
Reasons are, your ENTIRE internal abdominal cavity is moving it's organs in order to support the growing baby that is taking more and more space. You probably have a constipation and 'having to pee a lot' issues. Your intestines, which filled up most of the body cavity, are now scrunched up together because there isn't room. Your lungs & diaphragm, which fit around your the top of your stomach - are now being compressed and never fully inflated because there is no room.
Sit up at a slight decline as much as possible, don't bend over too much if feasible, and don't feel bad to ask others to help you do things around the house. A woman has an extra 15% and more of blood, interstitial fluids, etc because of the new life developing in her. My Nursing Instructor likened it to climbing a mountain while others are walking on flat ground.
Don't rush to end the pregnancy with inducing and such, for that in itself can cause a lot of unwanted snowball defections in the birthing process.
Now only was it hard to breathe but I would forget to breathe. I would hold my breath and didn't even realize I was doing it!
I am 36 weeks pregnant, and have found that massages help me breathe better. All those muscles in your back are super tight, overcompensating for your belly bump, and restrict the breathing as well. I find great relief once my muscles relax. Good luck :-)
I could barely breath by the end with both of mine! The baby is at its biggest from here on out, so just prepare to pant like a dog ;-) All of your organs are super-crowded out right now, and the extra baby weight and size is pushing up on your chest. That's the thing I remember most about the ends of my pregnancies -the labored breathing every time I did anything! I know it's a pain, but you're almost there!
