According to a 2015 study, an estimated 60 to 70 per cent of women experience shortness of breath during pregnancy.

Do you feel breathless now and then during your pregnancy? Or are you a new to-be mom who is constantly anxious about the baby’s health? Don’t worry we’ve got your back covered. Stay tuned to understand the causes for this breathlessness and what you can do about it.

Dyspnea or breathing discomfort is the medical term for shortness of breath which is very common during a pregnancy. You may start to feel breathlessness in pregnancy during your first or second trimester or if you have drastically put on a lot of weight or if you are expecting twins. As your pregnancy progresses, you may start to feel short-winded even after minimal exposure to physical exertion.

Also, it is completely safe for you and your baby if you are winded now and then. Not to mention, your baby is constantly well-oxygenated (Phew!)

Also read: Things you can do to save your children from the current pollution levels in Delhi

So, what are the causes of breathlessness in pregnancy? Here are the top few reasons why you might feel breathless:

• Breathing difficulties in pregnancy arise mainly due to the natural changes that the body undergoes to adapt itself to nurture a baby
• Pregnancy hormones (namely Progesterone, etc.) stimulate your brain to increase the depth and frequency of your breaths, so you intake more oxygen for your developing baby.  These hormones also swell the capillaries in your respiratory tract which might make you uncomfortable
• During early pregnancy, the blood volume swells by about 50%, making your heart work harder than before resulting in more breathing even when you are resting
• During the last trimester, carrying the fetus higher or excessive amniotic fluid might make your breathing harder
• Your growing baby and expanding uterus push the diaphragm higher above, restricting the amount of space for your lungs to expand and making you feel like you just ran a marathon

Following are the remedies to relieve you from breathlessness in pregnancy:

• Stand and sit upright with your shoulders back, and your chin up. A proper posture provides your lungs more room to breathe freely without any hindrance.
  
  
• Sleep on your left side as it’s the best position for circulation
  
• Breathing exercise can relieve you from breathlessness common in labor such as ‘Lamaze breathing’
• Use extra pillows to prop your upper back ensuring that your passageway remains unobstructed as you sleep
• Exercise can help to improve the efficiency of respiratory and circulatory systems
  

Don’t forget to rest now and then (you deserve it!)You can even get an oxygen therapy at home at your comfort. MyOxy makes sure you and your baby get pure oxygen which also happens to be portable! This oxygen can manufacturing company is one of its kind and is also FDA approved. Get this oxygen canister at your doorstep today!