You may occasionally feel lightheaded or dizzy during pregnancy because your cardiovascular system goes through dramatic changes.
During pregnancy, your blood vessels dilate and your blood pressure gradually drops, reaching its lowest point in mid-pregnancy. Then, your blood pressure begins to rise again, returning to normal levels by the end of your pregnancy. During the second and third trimesters, your growing uterus also puts pressure on your veins and slows down blood flow to the lower half of your body.
Your cardiovascular and nervous systems can usually adjust to these changes and maintain adequate blood flow to your brain. But sometimes they don’t adapt quickly enough, causing you to feel lightheaded or dizzy, or even faint.
How can you minimize the risk of dizziness during pregnancy?
You can rely on common causes of dizziness during pregnancy and take measures to control them:
Don’t stand up too quickly
When you sit down, blood will pool in your legs and feet. If your body can’t adjust when you stand up, not enough blood will return from your legs to your heart. As a result, your blood pressure will drop rapidly, making you feel high.
To prevent this, avoid jumping out of bed or on the bed. When lying down, start sitting up and sit still for a few minutes with your legs hanging over the edge of the bed or sitting for a long time. Then, slowly rise from a sitting position to a standing position.
Your blood can also pool in your legs and feet when you stand in one place for a long time. If you are in a situation where you can’t change your position, try walking to get your blood circulating.
Carrying heavy objects can also help you store blood in your lower body.
Don’t Lie on Your Back
During your second and third trimesters, your growing uterus can slow blood flow to your legs by compressing the large vein (inferior vena cava) that carries blood from your lower body to your iliac and temporal veins. Lying on your back can make this problem worse.
About one percent of pregnant women in their second or third trimesters develop a condition called orthostatic hypotension. If you have this condition, it means that when you lie on your back, less blood is pumped and your blood pressure drops, so you may feel lightheaded, dizzy, and nauseous when you change positions.
To help with this, lean back instead of lying down. Placing a pillow behind your back or under your hips can help you lie on your side (or at least tilt it enough so that your uterus doesn’t compress the inferior vena cava).
Eat Regularly
If you don’t eat enough, you can get low blood sugar, which can make you feel lightheaded or dizzy. This can happen much more easily when you’re pregnant. Keep your blood sugar from getting too low by eating several small meals throughout the day instead of three large breakfasts. Carry healthy snacks with you to eat when you get hungry on the go.
Dehydration has the same effect, so stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink about 10 8-ounce servings of juice or other beverages each day. You may need more if you’re exercising or it’s hot outside. (If your urine is dark yellow or cloudy, you’re not drinking enough.)
Avoid overheating
Wearing clothes in a hot room or taking a hot bath can cause your blood vessels to dilate, which can lower your blood pressure and make you feel lightheaded.
If you feel dizzy when you get too hot, avoid stuffy, crowded places and wear layers of clothing so you can limit the amount of clothing you need to wear. Take a warm shower or bath instead of a hot one, and try to keep the bathroom cool.
Don’t overdo it
Exercise can sometimes leave you feeling breathless and high. While exercise can help your blood flow, be careful. Go slowly and stop if you feel tired or unwell.
What can I do if I feel dizzy during pregnancy?
If you feel dizzy during pregnancy, here are some helpful tips:
- Lie down as soon as you start to feel dizzy. Lying on your side maximizes blood flow to your body and brain, which can help prevent you from fainting and can reduce dizziness altogether.
- If you’re in a place where you can’t lie down, sit down so you don’t fall. Try to keep your head between your knees. (Of course, you may not be able to do this if you are very pregnant.)
- If you are doing anything that could put you or someone else at risk of injury, such as driving, pull over and stop immediately.
- Other measures include taking deep breaths, opening a window or getting outside for some fresh air, and loosening tight clothing.
