Shortness of breath, called dyspnea, is a common complaint during pregnancy. Although many women think dyspnea is brought on by the weight they gain during pregnancy, there are in fact many causes.
During the first two trimesters the pregnancy hormoneA complex chemical substance created in a part or organ of the body. When released it initiates or regulates activity in an organ or group of cells in another part of the body.
Hormones secreted by endocrine glands are transported through the bloodstream to their target organ. The amount of hormone secreted is regulated either by other hormones, by neurotransmitters, or simply when an excess of the organ's activity indicates a need to reduce the amount of the hormone produced.
Other hormones are produced locally by the organs themselves and are common in the digestive tract.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. progesteroneOne of the two naturally occuring female hormones (the other is estrogen) used to regulate and maintain the pregnancy. Produced first by the corpus luteum in the ovary, production is subsequently taken over by the placenta as it develops. During pregnancy a mother's production of progesterone ten times the level it was prior to conception. Progesterone and estrogen are responsible for giving many mothers a sense of tranquility, shiny hair and glowing skin.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. increases the brain's sensitivity to carbon dioxide and raises your breathing rate.
By the third trimester, the growing uterus has pushed up into the diaphragm, displacing it by as much as one inch. This causes you to breathe more deeply, and consume oxygen more efficiently. Your ventilation rate has risen over forty percent: from three pints of air per minute to five pints (7 liters to 10 liters). Your oxygen requirements have only increased twenty percent, so you are over breathing, and need to exhale more carbon dioxide per breath than normal. Because you are exhaling so much carbon dioxide, there is not enough left in the bloodstream, causing you to feel short of breath.
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The crowding of your baby into the lungs will cause you to feel short of breath even when performing simple activities such as climbing a flight of stairs. But this will end around week thirty four as the baby lowers into the pelvis in preparation for delivery.
Until then, try sitting up straight, and using extra pillows to prop up your head and back in bed while sleeping. Try not to over exert yourself and get plenty of rest. If you do feel short of breath, raise your arms over your head and take long deep breaths.
Shortness of breath is not a problem for most women, but you should consult a specialist if you are asthmatic. It is important that you do not increase your asthma medication without receiving professional advice.
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