You're exhausted even before the baby arrives. It's difficult to drag your big, tired body out of bed each morning. By dinnertime, all you want to do is crawl back under the covers and sleep.
One of the first signs of your pregnancy was fatigue. And it can nag you for the majority of the 9 months until you give birth.
What Does Pregnancy Fatigue Feel Like?
Generally, fatigue is defined as a constant lack of energy. During pregnancy, you may feel like you can't get out of bed in the morning or can't wait to get into bed as soon as you get home. Or you may feel dragged and sluggish from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed.
Heart Palpitations During Pregnancy
Heart palpitations are very common during pregnancy. The amount of blood in your body increases significantly during pregnancy. Your heart has to work harder to circulate the extra blood throughout your body and to your baby. This additional work can cause heart palpitations.
During pregnancy, heart palpitations can cause your heart to pound, flutter, race, or skip a beat. These irregular heartbeats can be concerning, but they are rarely dangerous. Palpitations are caused by increased blood flow and hormonal changes during pregnancy. Stay hydrated and avoid caffeine to avoid palpitations.
Should you be alarmed by these palpitations?
Although they can be frightening, most pregnancy heart palpitations are harmless. They usually go away after the baby is born. Heart palpitations, on the other hand, can be a sign of a serious health problem, such as arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). If you have palpitations along with chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or confusion, seek medical attention right away.
Shortness of Breath During Pregnancy
Shortness of breath is common, especially in the third trimester, but also early in pregnancy. Some women may experience shortness of breath as early as the first trimester, while others may experience it later in the pregnancy.
If the shortness of breath is caused by physical exertion, such as climbing the stairs, it is completely normal and harmless. However, if you have asthma, peripartum cardiomyopathy (a cardiac issue that can occur during pregnancy or immediately after delivery), or pulmonary embolism (a blockage of an artery in the lungs), shortness of breath can cause other health complications and may necessitate medical supervision.
What Causes Pregnancy Fatigue?
Pregnancy is similar to running a marathon while carrying a backpack that grows heavier by the day. In other words, it's exhausting! Even when you're not aware of what your body is doing, it's working harder than ever.
Pregnancy fatigue can be caused by a variety of factors during the first trimester, including:
-
Developing placenta
During the first trimester of pregnancy, your body is developing the placenta, an organ designed specifically for pregnancy that provides your baby with the nutrients and oxygen he or she needs to grow and thrive. It's a massive task that drains your energy.
-
Hormonal changes
Pregnancy fatigue is largely caused by increased production of the hormone progesterone, which supports your pregnancy and increases the production of milk glands required for later breastfeeding. Hormone changes can also cause mood swings, and the emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy can be exhausting.
-
Increase in blood supply
The demands of producing and pumping extra blood to supply nutrients and oxygen to your baby can leave you exhausted.
-
Other physical changes during pregnancy
Your metabolism is high, your heart rate is elevated, your blood sugar and blood pressure are lower, and you're consuming more nutrients and water — all of which can exhaust you.
Image source: iStock AdvertisementLoading...You got lucky! We have no ad to show to you!
By the end of the first trimester, your body will have finished producing the placenta and become accustomed to the hormonal and emotional changes that have occurred, so the second trimester is usually a time of renewed energy levels.
Tiredness from early pregnancy may reappear later in the pregnancy. Third-trimester pregnancy fatigue is usually caused by:
-
Growing baby bump
Your baby is growing quickly, and you're gaining weight faster than you were earlier in the pregnancy. Carrying all those pounds around can be exhausting.
-
Insomnia and other pregnancy symptoms
Your growing belly, combined with pregnancy symptoms such as heartburn, backache, and restless leg syndrome, may make sleep more difficult to come by than ever.
-
The stress of having a baby
Your baby-obsessed life, which may be crammed with shopping lists, to-do lists, baby-name lists, and other decisions to make, may also be costing you sleep and energy.
-
Multi-tasking
When you add responsibilities like a job and other children to the mix, fatigue is often a factor.
ALSO READ:
Dealing With Anxiety and Stress During Pregnancy: How to Ease Your Worries
When Does Pregnancy Fatigue Start?
It is normal to feel tired while pregnant. Pregnancy fatigue can be especially pronounced early in the first trimester and again later, in the third. Fatigue can set in as early as the first few weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy exhaustion can strike some women as early as one week after conception. While fatigue usually improves around the beginning of the second trimester, it frequently returns in the third trimester, though it varies from pregnancy to pregnancy.When Is The Duration of Pregnancy Fatigue?
Fatigue is one of the first signs of pregnancy. It catches you off guard, like the sliding glass door you assumed was open. Pregnancy hormones begin to affect your body, mood, metabolism, brain, physical appearance, and sleep pattern as early as conception and implantation. Many women experience a surge of energy during the second trimester, which begins at week 13. This is an excellent time to tackle those important pre-baby tasks, because extreme exhaustion will return as you enter the third trimester, which begins at week 28.How Can I Overcome Pregnancy Fatigue?
Remember that you must be well-rested during your pregnancy. In a few months, you'll be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a full night's sleep will seem like a luxury. Follow these restful suggestions to get as much sleep as possible right now:-
Take a nap whenever possible.
Most pregnant women can't sleep through the night without being woken up by full bladders or other pregnancy discomforts. Make up for lost sleep at night by taking a short nap or two during the day. -
Seek assistance.
Ask for help at home so you don't become exhausted and so you can take a nap or two every day. Hire a housekeeper or enlist the help of a family member to clean your home. Allow your companion to run errands for you. -
Adjust your sleeping posture.
Sleep on your left side instead of your front or back. You'll feel better, and you'll relieve pressure on the blood vessels that nourish your baby. To relieve back pain, tuck a pillow between your legs or underneath you.
-
Exercise
Even if you don't feel like it, exercise can help you beat fatigue. A daily walk or swim can also help you sleep better at night.
-
Relax
Deep breathing exercises, a warm bath, or a massage from your partner can all help you wind down before bed.
-
Keep hydrated
Throughout the day, drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration depletes energy.
-
Eat regular meals and snacks to maintain a stable blood sugar level.
Sugary foods and drinks should be avoided.
Once your baby is born, do not discontinue your pregnancy sleep routine. Use the same advice to get through the first few months of motherhood. Continue to get the help – and rest – you require to keep up with your growing baby.
Consider These Tips To Ease Shortness Of Breath During Pregnancy:
- Practice good posture
- Change your position
- Slow down
- Eat healthy food
- Practice breathing exercises
- Exercise
- Stay Hydrated
- Avoid Strenuous tasks
What Can You Do About Your Heart Palpitations During Pregnancy?
You may not be able to avoid heart palpitations during pregnancy, but you can reduce your risk. You should:- Consume a well-balanced diet and avoid foods high in fat, carbohydrates, salt, or sugar.
- Seek treatment for anxiety or depression.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol. If you smoke, talk to your provider about quitting.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Meditate or do yoga.
- Also, to reduce stress, try diaphragmatic breathing and other relaxation techniques.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it's important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn't serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.