Written by Editorial Team
If you are a cine buff, you’d know the first sign of pregnancy is usually a woman fainting amidst some function while the beau and the others rush to help her, and whoa! The pregnancy announcement is made! Are fainting and dizziness during pregnancy common?
Yes, it is common to feel lightheaded or dizzy during pregnancy, and sometimes mommies-to-be can feel like they are about to faint (which sometimes they do!). This is a fairly common symptom, and some simple steps can help you deal with this pregnancy condition (like so many others) fairly easily.
In This Article
During pregnancy, dizziness and fainting are frequent experiences. It’s not necessarily a red flag. There could be a number of causes of dizziness:
Pregnancy hormones make your cardiovascular system go through some major upheavals, for now, it is meeting the needs of two instead of one body. The heart rate goes up, the blood amount increases and the dear heart works harder in pumping more blood per second.
Lightheadedness is largely attributed to the fact that the heart is not producing enough blood to meet the needs. Moreover, the growing uterus also exerts some pressure on the blood vessels, the vena cava particularly, especially when you lie on your back.
Plus, the pregnancy hormone progesterone can relax your blood vessels, so as to increase the blood supply to the developing fetus, but decrease it to you, thus making your blood pressure come down. This can cause some cuts in the blood flow to the brain, thus making your head spin and leaving you dizzy.
The drop in blood sugar levels or dehydration can also make you feel like the world is going round and round.
Now that you are pregnant, your body would be producing quite a good amount of heat, so avoid sitting for long hours in a stuffy room, with little or no ventilation
Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy can make fewer blood cells available to carry blood to your brain, especially during the second and third trimesters. Your doctor could prescribe an iron supplement and an iron-rich diet for this.
If you go long intervals between food and drinks, your blood sugar levels can get lower and you could feel dizzy and faint. Keep up with your body’s needs by eating small meals at frequent intervals and keeping yourself well-hydrated.
Vasovagal syncope is when you faint as a result of your body’s exaggerated response to specific stimuli, such as exertion, stress, prolonged periods of standing, exposure to heat, or the sight of blood.This condition can make your blood pressure fall when you cough, pee or have a bowel movement. Dehydration can make the matters worse
If you are a great fan of exercising, you should take care not to overdo it. Straining yourself, and over-exercising can cause you to hyperventilate and feel like you are fainting. Anxiety can also have the same effect. Read when not to exercise in pregnancy
Lastly, if you are a fan of tight clothes, you may need to loosen up a bit!
If at any point you feel dizzy during your pregnancy, you should lie down, first and fore mostly. Lying down on your side will not press venacava, and hence the blood supply to your brain and body would increase. This will help in keeping you from fainting. If you cannot lie down, at least sit-down, holding something. This will prevent any risk of injury that can happen if you fall down.
If you feel dizzy and faint at any point during your pregnancy, you should:
If you feel dizzy and also notice vaginal bleeding and/or pain in your abdomen, you must call your doctor immediately. These symptoms could be indicative of an ectopic pregnancy or placental abruption, both of which require immediate medical attention.
Dizziness and headache are signs of preeclampsia that have progressed to a more serious stage. Another symptom of preeclampsia is the sudden enlargement of the face, hands, and feet.
Insulin production is disrupted during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. If your blood sugar drops too low, you may feel faint from gestational diabetes.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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