PP and trouble breathing...anyone else have this problem?

[Jocie]

Hi,
I am 11 weeks postpartum and have been experiencing a little trouble breathing, especially when I am active like climbing up stairs to our 3rd floor apartment. I never experienced this trouble before I was pregnant. I remember feeling like I was hyper ventilating a couple of times when I was pregnant and had to take deep inhalations in order to calm myself down.
I'm know after giving birth it takes time for our organs to re-adjust to all that space once again. During my first week postpartum I remember taking a very deep breath, I was upset about something and did this out of habit of breathing hard cause when baby was pushing on my lungs. Well, when I took this breath I felt pain in my chest for a few moments. So, ever since then I feel like my breathing isn't quite right.

I need to know...
have any of you ever experienced this kind of transitional phase after giving birth? Is this normal? Do you think some breathing exercises will help? I've been doing some yoga type exercises but it makes me a bit dizzy sometimes. I can't visit a doctor right now and I'm hoping the breathing exercises will help after a while.
What would you do?

[Jocie]

I just feel that my lungs are not completely filling up with air. I picture shriveled, wrinkled balloons for some reason.

[SilverSage]

I had that with DD. I couldn't stand upright and breathe at all for three days. I had to crawl up the stairs and DH had to help me shower. My midwife told me it was the diaphragm muscles. I forget the exact explanation, it was eight years ago. But I do remember her saying it wasn't anything uncommon. Being 11 weeks PP, though, you may want to have it checked out.

[scottishmommy]

if you're in pain, i would definitely call your midwife or ob. better safe than sorry. i hope you feel better soon! congrats on your baby!

[turnquia]

I'd call your OB or midwife just to be safe. There a couple of conditions that can occur post partum that are rare and serious. One would be a potential blood clot. Usually shortness or breath and chest pain.

The other thing is enlarged heart. You may notice swelling in hands or feet that doesn't go away, shortness or breath, difficulty breathing, chest pain, etc.

Shortness of breath with activity may not be abnormal since you may be a little out of shape from not exercising etc... but If your worried better safe than sorry go and see the doc.

[Carolyn R]

My thought as I read this was have you had your iron checked since you had the baby? Sometimes blood loss during birth can cause us to be low on iron. This can cause some of the symptoms you mention, such as short of breath, dizzy, etc.

I also agree with some of the other responses, if this doesn't resolve soon, I would get it checked out to make sure it's not something more serious.

[philosoikou]

For me this was a symptom of low iron (serum ferritin). After several days on Floradix, it was incredible how much better I felt.

I didn't lose a lot of blood during/after the birth and had very light lochia, but somehow the pregnancy/birth experience definitely depleted my iron stores.

Pursue this, mama. Whether it's iron or something else, it needs attention.

[Jocie]

thanks so much for the replies.

I think it is that I am iron-deficient. My mom in law who is an LVN took my pulse yesterday and it was at 90 which was way too high at that time, I had only been standing around and just finished eating.
I also mentioned that I stopped taking my prenatal vitamins back when I was 5 weeks PP (I'm 11 weeks now) cause I stopped breastfeeding. I didn't realize I should continue to take them anyway. Especially since I had my first period last week that may have depleted more of my iron.
Anyway, I got a full dose of my prenatals vitamins yesterday which was 100% iron. I plan to get the Floradix so that I can get a little more iron without constipating.

Thanks so much for helping everyone. I feel better knowing that it's not my lungs.

I had almost planned to go to a six flags theme park. I swear if I had gotten on one of those rollercoasters I think I'd have a heart attack and die at the age of 26, no joke.