Carrying a child in your womb is by no means an easy task. One of common characteristics experienced by pregnant women is shortness of breath.

There are several explanations of this problem faced during pregnancy. Even though it may not be apparently evident, the unborn child can be taxing on the mother’s circulatory and respiratory system. As a result, the breathing pattern could be disrupted.

Another potential reason for this side effect of pregnancy could be the surge in the hormonal levels in the woman’s body. These hormones could be responsible for enhancing the rate of respiration, thereby causing shortness of breath. A third possible explanation for breathlessness could be the increase in the size of the uterus that tends to exert pressure on the diaphragm. This reason also helps in understanding the higher incidence of shortness of breath in women with multiple pregnancies and those who have the fetus placed at a slightly higher position than normal.

Under normal circumstances, shortness of breath does not pose any major threat during pregnancy. Despite the shortness of breath, the unborn child will receive steady supply of oxygen. The only thing to be taken care of is to take things easy and not be too hard on oneself.

Nevertheless, at times shortness of breath could be an indication of a bigger problem. This is so mostly in cases of women who suffer from prior respiratory disorders such as asthma. There is also a remote possibility of shortness of breath being an indication of pulmonary embolism. This is an extremely serious condition in which a blood clot detaches itself and travels to the lungs causing cardiac arrest. Since clotting of blood is fairly common in pregnancy, thus the risk is prevalent. Symptoms that may require immediate medical assistance include shortness of breath without any apparent reason; and shortness of breath accompanied by signs of asthma, chest pain, fever, persistent coughing, heart palpitations and bluish appendages indicating poor oxygen supply.

In absence of any major concerns related to shortness of breath, pregnant women can improve their comfort level by keeping a few things in mind. One must try to enhance the breathing pattern by taking time to inhale and exhale. Yoga classes may be of assistance in this case. Also, actions like taking the staircase or exercising should be done with ease and care. Hastened actions could lead to dizziness or fainting. However, the good news is that the symptom of shortness of breath in pregnancy reduces in the third trimester as the baby gradually moves down in position.  

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