Kinda Worried

no doubt about it. Go to the doctor! you need to find out what this is. even when you are short of breath later on, it's not as bad as what you're describing. If you can't go to the dr. then go to the ER. even if it's panic attacks, at least you'll know. Good Luck.

I agree with the others - go to the doctor (not the baby doctor - a general practitioner) asap. Could be panic attacks, asthma, sleep apnea, all sorts of things. Does not sound like a normal pregnancy symptom to me. Good luck!

HI!
It sounds like it could just be stress. You probably have a lot on your mind and a lot going on with your body right now. I would try to relax and stay calm, and see if that helps a little. I always got dizzy, sick, and out of breath when I was pregnant, the out of breath probably came a little later on though, but the dizzy and sick was the whole time. If its just when your sleeping, you could have sleep apnea or something. I would just listen to your doctor, if it gets worse or your really worried about it, go to the ER. With my first pregnancy I went to the ER when I was about 4-5 months pregnant because I was short of breath, and it turned out I was a little dehydrated, they put me on an IV for a couple hours and I felt a lot better after that. Just make sure you drink plenty of fluids, try to relax, get some rest, and I hope you feel better!! Congrats!

B.-
First of all, congrats on becoming a first-time mom! I would recommend going to the doctor, it's not normal to have as much trouble breathing as you are, especially this early on. You know your body and if you feel like something isn't right, then definitely have it checked out. It's better to go and have them tell you nothing is wrong, than to not go and have something be wrong.
Good luck, Kim

Some of your symptoms sound like those that go along with sleep apnea, so you might want to be tested for that. Your partner may try watching you when you sleep and see if you are stopping breathing. Could be a simple trial of "breathe right strips" over your nose, to something more significant like a CPAP machine. You need the rest and to be well oxygenated for healthy pregnacy and energy.

Try to lay only on your left side. I had to in order to get any sleep because the baby can really effect your circulation.
Good luck!

I don't ever remember hearing that being pregnant made you short of breath. I've had two children and never experienced that. Do you have panic attacks? You need to go see a doctor. Oxygen is an important ingredient in this process. :) God Bless

It sounds like maybe you need to go to the doctor, I would not think this is very normal especially every half hour. Have you had trouble with panic attacks in the past? I guess that is what it could be. Best of luck to you in the rest of your pregnancy and I would not wait until the 30th to go to the doctor this could be really serious.

Good Morning B., I would go to ER if your having this much trouble breathing. Your blood pressure may be out of whack, to cause dizziness, plus the lack of oxygen will make you dizzy also. I wouldn't wait until the 30th, I would go as soon as possible. Take a list of all your symptoms, how often they occur, duration of the spells etc.. sometimes in the rush we forget some things we have been through. Does it happen only at night when your laying down or other times during the day when your active..

Keep us informed B., will have you in our prayers.
God Bless you
K. Nana of 5

Are you laying on your back at night when this is happening? I am almost 30 weeks along in my pregnancy and I haven't been able to lay on my back since about 8 weeks. I would get light headed and kind of dizzy - like it was cutting off circulation to my head. Although it is hard to get comfortable most nights, sleeping on my sides doesn't cause that problem. Good luck!

Congratulations! What an exciting time for you!
You probably have anxiety about a lot of things right now, but know that it will all work out how it's supposed to. RELAX :)
When I was getting short on breath, I made it a point to do more yoga. It helps immensely by taking in good amounts of oxygen, and expelling the carbon dioxide.
The positions in yoga direct the oxygen where you want it to flow and strengthens the muscles from the inside out (unlike weight lifting which is outside in).
Anyway, the breathing is key to yoga. Deep, long breaths through the nose, but not holding your breath.
I find even if I do this sitting at my desk it kind of gives me a little boost.
Yoga tapes are at the library, or if you would like to know about positions that will help your particular situation, message me and I'll try to explain as best I can.
Hang in there...you'll be o.k.!
lb

Hi, from what I know you are very typical. Your heart changes axis to make room for your girl organs to grow during pregnancy and this causes SOB. However, I am no doctor-I just know this from my own experience. And, pregnancy can bring to light other problems. For example, mitral valve prolapse-which means your heart valve flaps and allows blood to regurgitate back into your heart when it should be on its way out. Doesn't usually cause much of a problem unless you get a whole lot of blood going the wrong direction. This can cause the SOB to get worse, so you probably should get checked out. They did an ultrasound of my heart and found 50-80% regurge and I was fine and never had to take medicine, etc...Listen to your doctor. If he is not worried, you should be ok. But, if you get scared, page the doctor! "It's better to be safe than sorry"...

Hi B.: I just delivered my son last week and had the exact same symptoms as you throughout my entire pregnancy. First I would say hurry to your doctor! Call the office & tell a nurse your symptoms - they'll get you in ASAP. My dr. ended up giving me an inhaler (I am not asthmatic), which I used while pregnant and now no longer need. I also elevated my bed and slept on my left side. It's a terrifying feeling not being able to breathe, and you are breathing for two now so I hope you get this resolved quickly! Good luck!

You should go see your doctor before the 30th. It may be stress, but it doesn't sound typical for this early in your pregnancy. Good luck to you!
P.S.-The best advice I can give for pregnancy and parenting is-"Go with your gut"-you will almost always do the right thing!

It looks like you've gotten a lot of responses, but what I skimmed through it seems like no one really knows the answer. Shortness of breath is a NORMAL symptom in the late first / early second trimester due to (quote from pregnancy book):
"The major changes that have occurred in your heart and blood vessels mean that almost every organ in your body is now working much harder, demanding a dramatic increase in your oxygen supplies. Your oxygen requirements rise by 15-20% during pregnancy, and half of this is used by the growing uterus, placenta and baby. The other half is needed to fuel the work of the heart and kidneys, although some is directed to the respiratory muscles, breasts and skin. To achieve this extra supply, your lungs need to make a special adaptation to take in an increased volume of oxygen and expel an increased amount of waste carbon dioxide with every breath that you take. This is called the tidal volume of air and it increases by 40% during pregnancy. Although the exact mechanisms for achieving this are not understood, we do know that progesterone makes an important contribution. It effectively allows your lungs to hyperventilate or overbreathe and that is why you experience feelings of breathlessness."

Long, but a solid medical explanation. I had almost no symptoms with my first pregnancy, but this was one of them. Relax, it's normal - just annoying! You'll adjust to the changes soon and feel more comfortable. Good luck!

Honey if you are having trouble breathing this early I would go to the ER if your doctor wont see you before then. I really don't know what else to tell you but. Good luck. God Bless you. D.

B.,
You've gotten a lot of responses, but I just wanted to share with you that I've dealt with the same thing in both of my pregnancies. I have asthma, but my inhalers don't help when it comes to the "early pregnancy breathing" issues. I'm glad to hear that the ER doc thought things are looking ok in terms of vitals...it means you're body is getting the oxygen it needs...BUT the feeling of dyspnea (Air hunger) really sucks. Be sure you are taking your prenatal vits (they have iron in them) so you don't get anemic which can make things worse. At this point in the pregnancy your blood volume is starting to expand, but isn't quite yet where it needs to be to serve you and baby efficienty...so you can feel like you're starving for air AND has issues with low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, etc. This should improve more and more in the coming weeks. That said, this is not medical advice, and if you are still feeling like you are having difficulty breathing, see if your primary doctor will see you sooner than the 30th or go back to the ER (or a different ER!)
(P.S. Second trimester is SO much easier! Hang in there!)

All of your symptoms are consistent with lack of oxygen. Could be blood clot, dehydration, sleep apnea(if this only happens at night and you wake with headaches), asthma, fluid build up in the lungs, and high blood pressure. If Dr cannot get you in earlier go to the er, some of the diagnosis are easy to treat and some not so easy, but all can effect the outcome and health of you and your baby. Problem with the er is that if you are not in distress when you go, they will blow you off as anxiety attack and send you on your way with nothing more than a giant bill. Good Luck and I hope you get some answers soon.