Pregnancy symptoms can vary person to person, but has anyone experienced dizzy spells and fainting in the 2nd trimester?
I’m hoping this was a one off experience but on Saturday, I fainted and fell in the shower.
It was completely unexpected–I had no signs leading up to it days prior, I had just went to my 28 week growth scan appointment the day before and had my vitals checked–and everything was perfectly fine.
So far, throughout my entire pregnancy, I’ve had some unexpected symptoms, but none that shook me this hard. They’ve been mostly like shocking symptoms like gas, constipation, dark spots on my face but fainting was not on the list.
What Causes Fainting and Dizzy Spells In Pregnancy?
While pregnant, your body is experiencing lots of muscle stretching and working overtime to produce the proper nutrients for you and baby.
At each prenatal appointment, you can expect your vitals to be checked i.e. blood pressure, heart rate, and sometimes temperature. Other things you can look forward to are weight checks and heart doppler readings for your fetus.
Every so often, unless there’s a medical need for more, you’ll have growth scans which allows the OBGYN and staff to monitor the growth of baby beyond the fetal heart doppler readings.
After my dizziness and fainting episode, I’ve learned that its caused by:
1. Changes in Hormone Levels.
One of the biggest indicators for dizzy spells and fainting include changes in hormone levels, which can cause your blood pressure to drop, reducing the amount of blood flow to your brain.
2. Overheating.
Another reason you can experience fainting and dizziness in pregnancy is overheating i.e. from high shower temperatures, natural exposure to sunlight, etc.
3. Low Blood Sugar.
Having low blood sugar is another reason you can experience fainting or dizziness in pregnancy. Keeping snacks handy and not skipping meals is highly suggested.
4. Low Iron Levels.
Keep in mind you’re producing nutrients for more than yourself. Your iron can fluctuate and if you’re not careful, dizziness can occur. If you find yourself craving ice, that may be an indicator that your iron levels are low and to contact your OBGYN to get options on how to increase your iron levels quickly.
Things To Know About Dizziness In Pregnancy
During my experience on Saturday, I felt myself feeling light headed just seconds before I lost control of my body and my knees buckled from underneath me.
Luckily, by the grace of God, I only collapsed to my knees and did not take a blow to the head, land on my baby bump or worse. In fact, I was lucky enough to become immediately alert as soon as my knees hit the hard shower tiles and my hands somehow broke my fall forward.
Once I gained alertness, I immediately called my husband for help and he was able to open the shower door and turn off the water, which immediately reduced the temperature in the room, and help me up to check me out.
What Should You Do If You Get Dizzy or Faint During Pregnancy?
It seems like a no-brainer, but if you’re like me, you like to monitor yourself before jumping to the first beck and call to reach out to your medical provider.
In this case, I decided to go against my normal routine of self-diagnosis and I booked a call with a nearby urgent care center who was able to recheck my vitals, and let me know if my blood pressure had fluctuated at all.
If you’re ever in a situation where you feel dizzy or faint, you should:
- Let someone know.
- Get yourself to a safely seated or stay safely seated.
- Take deep breaths
- Loosen any tight clothing
If you’ve fallen,
- Check for bruises or vaginal bleeding
- Monitor baby’s movements, and if anything has changed immediately contact your maternity unit or OBGYN.
- Call emergency 9-1-1 or 2-1-1 if you (or someone pregnant) is experiencing jerking movements, hasn’t regain consciousness after 1 minute or seriously injured themselves during the fall.
To Prevent Dizziness or Fainting:
- Avoid very hot baths or showers (I should have known about this one)
- Stand up slowly -sit on the side of the bed for a minute before standing
- Avoid standing for long periods of time
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Avoid skipping meals – snack often
- Avoid lying on your back, especially during second and third trimester
- Increase physical activity to improve blood circulation
- And keep up with routine OBGYN prenatal care visits – knowing your vitals
All in all, this experience brought me more enlightenment on things moms-to-be experience during pregnancy, and yet another item I can add to my list of unexpected pregnancy symptoms.
In case you are wondering how my personal experience ended– My vitals were normal, baby and I are both okay and we’re going to be taking it easy for the next 12 weeks of this pregnancy.
**Disclaimer, Information in this article is based on personal experience, combined with feedback from my medical providers and research, and is not to be used for self-diagnosis.. For more information or questions regarding your pregnancy, please seek professional medical advice or contact your medical provider.
