What causes breathlessness in pregnancy?
In the last few months of pregnancy, you will probably notice that you become rather breathless. When you are climbing stairs or struggling with heavy shopping, for example, you may find that you seem to breathe more rapidly and quite shallowly. Breathlessness is common in the later stages of pregnancy, as your baby pushes up underneath your diaphragm and compresses your lungs. This type of breathlessness is normal and it won’t affect your health or that of your baby. The symptom is made worse by the fact that you will have put on quite a lot of weight since becoming pregnant. If you are expecting twins or more, you will have put on more weight, making you more breathless. Occasionally breathlessness can be a symptom of another pregnancy problem. If you are anaemic you may become breathless more easily as your body has to work harder to provide oxygen for both you and your baby. If you suffer from asthma, always check with your midwife or doctor that your breathlessness is not due to t
