There's nowhere left for my lungs to go

[anna7602]

And I still have about 19 weeks to go! I got a lot bigger in the belly in the last two weeks. This isn't just my imagination, DH and several friends who see me regularly have commented on it. At the same time, I have been feeling more and more winded just from doing things like climbing up and down subway stairs.

Today was a doozy. I was carrying two big grocery bags as I climbed up the subway stairs and really thought I wouldn't make it to the top. I've been home for over a half an hour, sat down, had a cup of tea, logged onto GBCN, and I still feel like I am a little short of breath. What can I do? Would it help or make it worse if I added massive workouts on the elliptical to my gym routine? Can I "train" myself to get more air when my lungs are basically being shoved into my throat by my growing uterus?

I NEED TO BE ABLE TO BREATHE for the next 19 weeks.

[VillainV]

I found that the baby tended to grow up, then drop down some, then grow up more, then drop down….so the out-of-breath feeling only lasted for like a week at a time, then got better for a few weeks, then came back for a week, etc.

The other thing to check is your iron level. It might be worth asking your doctor to check and see if you should be taking an iron supplement. This will help with the fatigue (iron allows your blood to carry more oxygen), I've also found that being hydrated helps a little.

I would NOT up your gym routine without your doctor's approval. This has nothing to do with your cardiovascular heath, it has to do with the amount of space available to your lungs.