Breathing difficulties at night - Pregnancy
March 18, 2011 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg
Hello,
I am currently in the 28+1 week of pregnancy. I have severe breathing difficulties only when I lie down, which improve as soon as I sit up. It doesn't matter if I lie on my right or left side. I haven't been able to lie on my back for two months now. Sleeping is hardly an option anymore. And if I do manage to fall asleep, I usually wake up from one of my breaths. I then gasp for air. What could be the cause? I have already tried raising the elevation and removing pillows. I am very afraid that something might happen to the baby.
I would be very grateful for a quick response.
Dear patient,
the most common cause of the symptoms you are experiencing is the displacement of other abdominal organs upwards towards the lungs by the expanding uterus. This results in a diaphragmatic elevation, which can be particularly pronounced when lying down and compresses the lungs, causing you to struggle for breath while lying down.
When sitting or standing, the pressure of the uterus shifts downwards towards the pelvis and the lungs are able to breathe freely again. This is a normal occurrence during pregnancy, especially in the later stages.
However, in your case, it seems to be significantly impacting you already. Unfortunately, I do not know enough about you to determine whether this is still within the normal range or if it is a cause for concern. For example, in a very small mother, such as 155cm, carrying a very large pregnancy, these symptoms may occur earlier.
You do not need to be overly anxious, as your body will ensure that you wake up and breathe properly while sitting if there is a lack of oxygen. Without the onset of labor contractions, the embryo is quite resilient to oxygen deprivation and can tolerate such breathing restrictions without consequences.
I would recommend discussing these issues with your attending physician. They can assess the size of the fetus or any potential issues with the diaphragm (such as a diaphragmatic hernia) that may be affecting you.
Best regards,
Dr. R. Berg
