Breathing Question: problems breathing during pregnancy

I think I have figured out what may be contributing (not necessarily
causing) my panic attacks. I am about 8-9 weeks along now- my first official
appointment after the initial workup is Monday. I will know exactly how far
along for sure then.

I have been having a difficult time and the fact that I am having it this
early has me anxious about what happens when I get further along. I keep
complaining of panic attacks and in particular triggered by this feeling
that I can't breathe. It seems that my stomach is pooching out and firmer
(not a flabby pooch if that makes sense?), and that causes me to feel like I
just age a HUGE dinner and can't breathe, like my stomach is pushing against
my diaphragm. My doctor said that while it's too early to show from baby
size, my uterus will be expanding and could be putting pressure on other
organs. Something like that.

Well, as it has come to where I feel my stomach is "full", just like I ate a
big dinner, even though I can barely eat, .......THIS is when I feel like I
can't breathe, or I have shallow breathing like I can't take a full deep
breath anymore. This IMO dorectly causes panic attacks.

As you progress in your pregnancy and really do start to show and even get
big in the later months, does it affect your breathing? I plan to address
this with my doctor on monday...if so I am in for a tough time. I have never
heard anyone I know IRL who is pregnant mention this...why is it just me??

Actually most of the people I know IRL who have been pregnant have enjoyed
it, have had hearty appetites and no problems unless they truly had
complications such as gestational diabetes or dehydration. I am so not-far
along to be feeling this way...what is wrong with me. I already feel "How
can I bear the next SEVEN months????" I'll be honest I make a pretty
miserable pregnant person. It's so bad that it's truly miserable feeling
(physically), and it has already caused me to say that I will not have any
more pregnancies. This upsets my husband as he wants more kids and does not
wish to adopt. He says "Oh, you'll change your mind", and I burst into tears
and say I have never felt this physically miserable, and I don't know how I
will get through it, and I will not be able to go through it again.

I will mention this to the doctor but I am embarassed. I am supposed to be
happy! Content...I am so not. I tried to get pregnant so it is not an issue
of I just don';t want to be pregnant...I never knew until I became pregnant
how miserable it feels to ME, and people are bothering the heck out of me.
My mom makes sniffy comments about "Gee your sure sick a lot" and "Gee you
never feel good get over it".

Argh......evidently everyone in the world is entirely happy to be pregnant
and I am an oddball. But the breathe/panicky thing is gettig to me.

"Jill" wrote in message
m...
I think I have figured out what may be contributing (not necessarily
causing) my panic attacks. I am about 8-9 weeks along now- my first
official
appointment after the initial workup is Monday. I will know exactly how
far
along for sure then.

I have been having a difficult time and the fact that I am having it this
early has me anxious about what happens when I get further along.

See your therapist, Its a downward spiral. You are getting anxious at the
thought that you may later get anxious. Time to recite The Litany Against
Fear.
Seriously, your anxiety over future anxiety is only going to make it worse,
and of course KNOWING this, will make it worse and it will snowball.


I keep
complaining of panic attacks and in particular triggered by this feeling
that I can't breathe. It seems that my stomach is pooching out and firmer
(not a flabby pooch if that makes sense?), and that causes me to feel like
I
just age a HUGE dinner and can't breathe, like my stomach is pushing
against
my diaphragm. My doctor said that while it's too early to show from baby
size, my uterus will be expanding and could be putting pressure on other
organs. Something like that.

When I was about 5 months pregnant with my 2nd, my then sister in law had a
bad delivery, emergency c-section and lots of compliations. I kept having
bad dreams. And as I got very full and felt overstuffed, I had this fear
that I would try to "pop" myself like a ballon or a pimple o relieve the
pressure. I didnt WANT to do this, I dint THINK I would. But I was lying
down feeling like I would burst and suddenly I thought "I could go mad and
puncture myself" since I kept hearing about my sister in lawa nd the hole in
her tummy for drainage. I'd never had obsessive thoughts like that, and it
terrified me!


Well, as it has come to where I feel my stomach is "full", just like I ate
a
big dinner, even though I can barely eat, .......THIS is when I feel like
I
can't breathe, or I have shallow breathing like I can't take a full deep
breath anymore. This IMO dorectly causes panic attacks.



As you progress in your pregnancy and really do start to show and even get
big in the later months, does it affect your breathing? I plan to address
this with my doctor on monday...if so I am in for a tough time. I have
never
heard anyone I know IRL who is pregnant mention this...why is it just me??

It isnt. GOogle up 'shortness of breath". I suggest highly some cognitice
therapy. Knowing that the shortness of breath is naural and normal will
allow you to ind ways to NOT let the fear overcome you.


Actually most of the people I know IRL who have been pregnant have enjoyed
it, have had hearty appetites and no problems unless they truly had
complications such as gestational diabetes or dehydration. I am so
not-far
along to be feeling this way...what is wrong with me. I already feel "How
can I bear the next SEVEN months????" I'll be honest I make a pretty
miserable pregnant person. It's so bad that it's truly miserable feeling
(physically), and it has already caused me to say that I will not have any
more pregnancies.

Im miserable, hav been miserable and will continue to be miserable tilll
this baby gets out. It isnt just you. Go read the Google archives, any
problem you search for someone else has had. It will at least let you know u
arent alone.



Argh......evidently everyone in the world is entirely happy to be pregnant
and I am an oddball. But the breathe/panicky thing is gettig to me.


Bah, u arent reading enough if u think that LOTS Of us are miseralble.

I highly reccomend therapy and maybe even meds if it gets bad and beyond
your control.!

Jill wrote:

Well, as it has come to where I feel my stomach is "full", just like I ate a
big dinner, even though I can barely eat, .......THIS is when I feel like I
can't breathe, or I have shallow breathing like I can't take a full deep
breath anymore. This IMO dorectly causes panic attacks.

I felt like this when I was pregnant with DS, and I also needed to buy
larger sized pants already at 6 weeks, since there was no way I was
comfortable in my own size. The hormones mess with all your organs.
I have noticed that my irritable bowel syndrome has returned since I
got pregnant this time, didn't have that in ages. In general, I feel
short of breath much more than before, which is due to the lower blood
pressure, in combination with feeling tired.

In your case, I strongly recommend some breathing exercises, yoga or
other forms of meditation are strongly focussed on breathing and may
help you deal with the shortness of breath. There is yoga especially
for pregnant women, it gives you a better mental balance, and from
what I read in your posts, this might also be a big help in dealing
with your mother. Exercising on a regular basis has also greatly
improved my breathing, since I am much fitter now, I breathe slower
and get less exhausted.

I will mention this to the doctor but I am embarassed. I am supposed to be
happy! Content...I am so not. I tried to get pregnant so it is not an issue
of I just don';t want to be pregnant...I never knew until I became pregnant
how miserable it feels to ME, and people are bothering the heck out of me.
My mom makes sniffy comments about "Gee your sure sick a lot" and "Gee you
never feel good get over it".

Your mum should just shut up. Don't listen to her! You are NOT the only
one going through this, and it is perfectly normal to feel what you feel
in the first 12 weeks. Please don't be embarassed, I'm sure your doctor
will understand, you are not the first woman to go through this. Once you
move into the second trimester things will change, you will get more
energy, feel more optimistic, and you will start to show, which triggers
a lot of helpful responses from total strangers if you need them.

Argh......evidently everyone in the world is entirely happy to be pregnant
and I am an oddball. But the breathe/panicky thing is gettig to me.

I totally understand. Pregnancy is scary enough as it is, with a person
like your mother constantly downgrading you and already prone to panick
attacks, things are bound to only get worse. Try to take a step back and
look at how you may improve things for yourself. E.g. if you don't feel
like talking to your mum, then just ignore her calls and let her come
over to your place if she *really* wants to see you. You can let her in
if you want to, but you don't *have* to. Talk to your doctor, and mention
your relation with your mother too! I think you should also seriously
consider counselling, so you have someone to talk to and put things in
perspective for you.

I hope you find relief in sharing your worries here and in the help that
we can offer. Take care Jill!

--
-- I
mommy to DS (14m)
guardian of DH
EDD 05-17-2004
War doesn't decide who's right - only who's left

In article , Jill wrote:

Actually most of the people I know IRL who have been pregnant have enjoyed
it, have had hearty appetites and no problems unless they truly had
complications such as gestational diabetes or dehydration. I am so not-far
along to be feeling this way...what is wrong with me. I already feel "How
can I bear the next SEVEN months????" I'll be honest I make a pretty
miserable pregnant person. It's so bad that it's truly miserable feeling
(physically), and it has already caused me to say that I will not have any
more pregnancies. This upsets my husband as he wants more kids and does not
wish to adopt. He says "Oh, you'll change your mind", and I burst into tears
and say I have never felt this physically miserable, and I don't know how I
will get through it, and I will not be able to go through it again.

Argh......evidently everyone in the world is entirely happy to be pregnant
and I am an oddball.

Well - I'm not entirely happy to be pregnant. I started out fine and
exited. Then I got the shortness of breath, which felt like someone was
standing on my chest. I was hungry all the time, even when I felt
physically overstuffed. Then I had no appetite, I couldn't stand any of
the foods I normally liked (ok, I couldn't stand any foods at all for the
most part). If I ate, I was nauseated. If I didn't eat, I vomited. My
entire body was one giant ache, and I couldn't seem to do anything but
sleep. I would work a half day and come home and lie on the couch. My
husband would come home, and get cranky because he had to do *everything*,
but I was just incapable of doing anything without feeling like I
was going to pass out, get sick or fall asleep while making dinner.

At 13ish weeks, I'm getting a little better. I still can't walk up a
flight of stairs without stopping to rest, and I can't walk up hills,
but I can take walks on flat surfaces without gasping like a
fish out of water. As long as I don't try to walk fast. Some foods
sound good, until I've eaten them twice, then they're icky again.
I probably manage to eat a day's supply of protein and veggies
every other day or so.

Pregnancy just sucks. Of course, my sister had a pretty much
asymptomatic pregnancy, as did my mother. I've been taking it
one day at a time, sometimes an hour at a time. My husband
is bright enough not to mention getting pregnant again, and
if anyone said "quit whining, you always feel bad" I think I'd
smack them. Hard. Every day seems to be a little different,
but I rarely feel really *good* for more than an hour.

I'm not far enough along to tell you that it'll get better
and the rest of your pregnancy will be easy-breezy, but
I can tell you that you adjust, and that your symptoms
will change. In the last week I think it's gotten easier
for me, food and energy-wise, but I've got new problems
creeping in.

Ok, I didn't manage encouraging, but hopefully I manged
sympathetic.

Elaine

I have never had problems with breathing during this pregnancy - the
pressure upwards from the growing bump just caused heartburn for me. Some
women do though. I can relate to the "pregnancy causes a lot of
uncomfortable stuff" feelings though. You're not alone. Tell your DH he has
to be *really* nice to you so that afterwards that's what you remember about
pregnancy, if he's going to want you to do this again! Try to think of
positive things he can do to help you feel better, and tell him what they
are.

I hope you're lucky and that after this stage of pregnancy you have a
totally smooth and trouble-free time. It may happen that way!

Sidheag
edd Oct 13th

Thank you EVERYone, for your replies. They are each helpful to me. It helps
to know that many people feel like I do.

Now that I at least know it's not just *me*, it will be easier for me to
express it to my doctor- surely, she's heard it all. But I guess that's why
I feel this way- I haven't been able to see my doctor yet. I can call the
on-call doctor of during office hours any time, but I feel so ....not
normal, to call in "Hi, hello......I think my organs are causing me not to
be able to breathe and now that I am pregnant I don't want to be even though
I want the end result, I'm miserable."

It certainly does not help, though, to have people all around me (in person)
telling tales of "I was never sick" "Weird, I never felt like I couldn't
breathe", "I never had panic attacks", "I didn't even feel labor and I had a
c-section and never once had any pain medication" etc. Or, "You're certainly
sick all the time".

I especially am glad to know that there are others who just plain don't feel
like doing anything because of sickness/tired/nausea...my husband is good
sport but there are days when he is like "I have done the last 3 loads of
dishes! I said I'd HELP not do everything!"....it's so hard to do the
dishes, amid vomiting from the caked on food smell/smell of detergent etc.

"Sue" wrote.

Hang in there and try to keep a positive attitude and just think of the
outcome of being so miserable.


That is one thing I know for sure. I WILL love the outcome. But pregnancy is
so scary to me I really think that having an only child (unless I have
twins) is my destiny.

I have already tried to talk my husband into adoption! He is not interested.

"Jill" wrote in message
m...
I think I have figured out what may be contributing (not necessarily
causing) my panic attacks. I am about 8-9 weeks along now- my first
official
appointment after the initial workup is Monday. I will know exactly how
far
along for sure then.

I have been having a difficult time and the fact that I am having it this
early has me anxious about what happens when I get further along. I keep
complaining of panic attacks and in particular triggered by this feeling
that I can't breathe. It seems that my stomach is pooching out and firmer
(not a flabby pooch if that makes sense?), and that causes me to feel like
I
just age a HUGE dinner and can't breathe, like my stomach is pushing
against
my diaphragm. My doctor said that while it's too early to show from baby
size, my uterus will be expanding and could be putting pressure on other
organs. Something like that.

Well, as it has come to where I feel my stomach is "full", just like I ate
a
big dinner, even though I can barely eat, .......THIS is when I feel like
I
can't breathe, or I have shallow breathing like I can't take a full deep
breath anymore. This IMO dorectly causes panic attacks.

As you progress in your pregnancy and really do start to show and even get
big in the later months, does it affect your breathing? I plan to address
this with my doctor on monday...if so I am in for a tough time. I have
never
heard anyone I know IRL who is pregnant mention this...why is it just me??

Actually most of the people I know IRL who have been pregnant have enjoyed
it, have had hearty appetites and no problems unless they truly had
complications such as gestational diabetes or dehydration. I am so
not-far
along to be feeling this way...what is wrong with me. I already feel "How
can I bear the next SEVEN months????" I'll be honest I make a pretty
miserable pregnant person. It's so bad that it's truly miserable feeling
(physically), and it has already caused me to say that I will not have any
more pregnancies. This upsets my husband as he wants more kids and does
not
wish to adopt. He says "Oh, you'll change your mind", and I burst into
tears
and say I have never felt this physically miserable, and I don't know how
I
will get through it, and I will not be able to go through it again.

I will mention this to the doctor but I am embarassed. I am supposed to be
happy! Content...I am so not. I tried to get pregnant so it is not an
issue
of I just don';t want to be pregnant...I never knew until I became
pregnant
how miserable it feels to ME, and people are bothering the heck out of me.
My mom makes sniffy comments about "Gee your sure sick a lot" and "Gee you
never feel good get over it".

Argh......evidently everyone in the world is entirely happy to be pregnant
and I am an oddball. But the breathe/panicky thing is gettig to me.


Regarding your last paragraph, where did you get that idea? I wanted to be
pregnant but the experience is very challenging. I'm happy to go through it
again because I know the pregnant/infant stage is such a drop in the bucket
of life. And you know, it's worth it and has its moments. But most of the
people I know IRL have had rotten first trimesters and/or horrible bed rest
preterm labor experiences and/or crappy preeclamptic or surgical or
interventionist deliveries.

I'd like to add that at your point in the pregnancy *I* had trouble
breathing occasionally or would feel like my lungs were full of fluid and it
was *not* panic attacks. I think it is related to not being used to the
progesterone load and to having the smooth muscle relax (not sure about that
one). One of the docs in the practice I was seeing said he would refer me
to get my lung capacity tested if it kept bothering me; the other doc wanted
to call in a Paxil prescription (lazy way out in my opinion) (I declined, I
knew it was not anxiety). God they really do sometimes overprescribe the
SSRIs and I say that with no judgment about whether or not they are
generally prescribed correctly or not.

In fact, that problem went away maybe by week 12 and my general stamina for
exercise (like walking without getting winded) improved GREATLY after about
week 20 for no particular reason other than I think I adjusted to the
hormones. I have also had no problems breathing, at all, as I approach
delivery. Your rib cage will expand outward several inches, which gives you
more room to draw breath. Many women, though, do complain about breathing
when the baby gets huge and that's normal.

-- Dagny

((((Jill)))),
I am very sorry to hear that you have so many panic attacks. I know from
personal experience they are horrible. Again from personal experience I was
very miserable during the first trimester because of the ms and I thought I
wouldn't have survived the whole pg. I am now in my second trimester and
things are much better. I am actually enjoying my pregnancy. I really hope
your dr can deal with your anxiety. I think that you have every right to
enjoy your pg and nowadays a lot can be done for anxiety. If it's not
medication it can be therapy or relaxation techniques.
Wishing you all the best and hope that your anxiety goes away soon.

Love

Nicky

Jill wrote:

Well, as it has come to where I feel my stomach is "full", just like I ate a
big dinner, even though I can barely eat, .......THIS is when I feel like I
can't breathe, or I have shallow breathing like I can't take a full deep
breath anymore. This IMO dorectly causes panic attacks.

As you progress in your pregnancy and really do start to show and even get
big in the later months, does it affect your breathing? I plan to address
this with my doctor on monday...if so I am in for a tough time. I have never
heard anyone I know IRL who is pregnant mention this...why is it just me??

Actually most of the people I know IRL who have been pregnant have enjoyed
it, have had hearty appetites and no problems unless they truly had
complications such as gestational diabetes or dehydration. I am so not-far
along to be feeling this way...what is wrong with me. I already feel "How
can I bear the next SEVEN months????" I'll be honest I make a pretty
miserable pregnant person. It's so bad that it's truly miserable feeling
(physically), and it has already caused me to say that I will not have any
more pregnancies. This upsets my husband as he wants more kids and does not
wish to adopt. He says "Oh, you'll change your mind", and I burst into tears
and say I have never felt this physically miserable, and I don't know how I
will get through it, and I will not be able to go through it again.

Argh......evidently everyone in the world is entirely happy to be pregnant
and I am an oddball. But the breathe/panicky thing is gettig to me.




Everybody goes through the downs in the first trimester. It is afetr
that that one starts feeling better, more positive. It is common to have
fullness of the stomach in the early part. I think it is nore hormonal
than the uterus pushing on things. In late stages of pregnancy the
uterus actually pushes on the stomach and intestines. But that is much
later.......
Hope you feel better soon.

--
Vidya
mom to Vandu(4)
EDD May 6th '04