Faintness in Pregnancy
Common during months:
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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Your blood volume increases during pregnancy, and the high progesterone levels relax your blood vessels to prevent high blood pressure. However, the relaxed and slack vessels can slow down your circulation enough that you feel faint when you stand up suddenly.
Another factor to look for is your body temperature. When your body is overheating, your blood vessels dilate and move closer to your skin to let some of your deep body heat escape. If this happens to your already relaxed blood vessels, you may feel dizzy, light-headed or faint.
Some Women Have Tried...
- Use aromatheraphy with rosemary either alone or mixed with camphor.
- Try eating ginger when you begin to feel dizzy.
- Be sure to exercise everyday to help maintain adequate circulation.
- Take cooler baths and showers that do not raise your body temperature.
- Avoid areas with high air temperature as much as possible.
- Be sure to do deep abdominal breathing to get your blood fully oxygenated.
- Be sure you are not skipping meals, and have snacks if necessary. You metabolism is in over-drive and you need to keep your blood sugar levels up.
- Be sure to drink enough water each day. Being dehydrated reduces your blood volume increasing the likelihood you will feel faint or dizzy.
- Avoid sudden position changes. Stand slowly if you have been sitting.
- Do not stand for long periods of time. Plan your activities in such a way that you can move around and rest.
- Avoid tight or restrictive clothing that can hinder proper circulation.
- Ginkgo extract may help improve circulation and prevent frequent dizziness.
- Frequent faintness may be an indicator of anemia, low iron levels in your blood. This is a common problem in pregnancy that can be treated by a change in diet or by using an iron supplement. Be sure to talk to your caregiver about your options.
What would you like next?Learn comfort techniques for labor. Explore the process of labor. Find products to help you enjoy pregnancy and prepare to give birth.. Read research about birth options. Find natural birth resources in your area. |
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