Weird breathing thing last night

[GinaRae]

I am so exhausted when I lay down and any time I wake at night to pee, that if something is going on I often ignore it or can't figure it out until I am awake the next day.

Going to sleep last night I kept waking up gasping for air. I felt like I'd been holding my breath a long time or was being smothered. I would gulp air and then slip back into sleep, only to have it happen again. Maybe 8 times? I don't remember what changed... did I roll over? Get up to pee?

Anyway, this morning hubby's alarm went off at 6am and between then and about 7am, I kept trying to get comfy and go back to sleep. I was on my back with one knee bent and up in the air at one point. I was more lucid than last night and so I noticed as I would be slipping into sleep, I would feel like my breathing would get too shallow and it felt like I was literally going to stop breathing. I would pull out of it, gulping air again. Once I turned to my side, it stopped.

Sort of like a sleep apnea I guess.

Has anyone else begun having this problem? I've never had it before.

[yogachick79]

I have no idea what the reasoning is but yes I had that shortly before and after having DD. No clue why, and it went away on it's own but it scared the heck out of me...

I do know that towards the end of each pregnancy I tend to get more of that lucid dreaming (is that what it's called when you can't separate the dream from reality?) stuff going on where i will wake up in a panic.

[Momma Aimee]

Gina,

I have a thought

no sure

but based on everything else going on right now -- STRESS / ANXIETY ??? .... along the line of a minor panic attack kinda thing ..... falling alseep, middle of the night, waking up time are "peak" times for teh mixing of the concious and unconsious mind in odd ways --- sleep walking goes up with a person in under stress and so on --- day time we keep a better grip on our thoughts and minds

Something to think about..... ???

[kathteach]

Not sure if this helps, but I get weak and short of breath whenever I lie on my back. It has to be on my side. I've heard the pressure of the baby on your organs constricts your breathing when you lie on your back.

[Momma Aimee]

heck i get winded walking up the stairs at my house, or tryin to get my 21 month old dressed -- which is more of a physical feat than one might think so much differnt than my last pregancy -- i FEEEL PREGANT this time

[GinaRae]

I have anxiety but I don't think it's that. I had the same thing going on when I relaxed on the couch today. Until I turned slightly to my side, I kept feeling like I couldn't breathe when I went into sleep mode. I guess it's pregnancy related and not anxiety??

[moonchiald]

I feel like I can't breathe and my heart starts to pound any time I lay on my back for more than a couple of minutes. I think it is the pressure of the baby as kathteach, mentioned.

[pixiesmommy]

Google vena cava+pregnancy. There is apparently a big ole artery thing that runs through us that constricts when we are on our backs in pregnancy. What worries me is that I get short of breath even on my SIDE now. MW appt tonight and I will ask about it.... gotta make a list....

Manda

[GinaRae]

Tell us what your MW says because I felt SOB on my side last night too. Personally I think it's because you and I have huge bazungas and they're crushing us

[pixiesmommy]

hahaha! NOT the bazungas (this time!)

MW said she is not surprised and don't worry about it too much. Said continue side sleeping because back-sleeping really does cut off a lot of circulation to me and the baby. Side-sleeping probs are due to baby being up so high so early (happens with 2nd, 3rd, etc. pregnancies more than first.) So, we get the breathlessness of that 40 week feeling around 30 weeks.

Sigh... or rather, GASP! GASP! GASP!!!

Manda

[GinaRae]

Loverly! Thank GOODNESS my babe isn't high! I wouldn't be able to breath. It's bad enough with this one so low.