fainting....

so idk whats wrong with me.  i keep losing more weight even though i feel like im eating like a cow...and now apparently i am fainting too!  i clear passed out twice today!  wtf do i do!!  I mean i know the norm call my dr and talk to them but im freakin out here! anytime i stand up or move i faint.  i know being light headed is a normal for pregnancy but this seems like more than that.

Early in pregnancy, the blood volume increases so much that some women who have naturally low blood pressure will have a great deal of trouble compensating and will have severely low blood pressure.

There's not much that can be done.  Outside of pregnancy, you could take corticosteroids like florinef -- but these are nono's while pregnant.

So you can increase your salt intake and increase your fluid intake.  Also, caffeine can help as well.


Andrea -- who has low bp and will pass out w/o being pregnant...

Fainting is NOT the norm in pregnancy. ETA * I meant it's more common to FEEL faint, or dizzy or lightheaded than to actually have an all out fainting spell. Anyway, just wanted to clarify myself. Regardless, a fainting spell requires at least a call or visit to the doc, which I see you did because there can be MANY causes.

i called my ob he said i need to increase the food/calories i eat...i dont feel thats it.  i really eat more than i should and im only 12 weeks!!  usually normal ppl who havent had surgery only increase by 300 calories...and thats after the mid second trimester...

Fainting is very common in pregnancy! Especially in the first trimester... despite what some other ppl have told you.

If you google it you will see many different causes: 

Is it unusual to feel lightheaded during pregnancy?
What exactly might cause me to feel lightheaded, and what can I do about it?
When should I call my doctor or midwife?

Is it unusual to feel lightheaded during pregnancy?

It's not uncommon to feel lightheaded or dizzy occasionally. When you're pregnant, your cardiovascular system undergoes dramatic changes: Your heart rate goes up, your heart pumps more blood per minute, and the amount of blood in your body expands by 40 to 45 percent.

During a normal pregnancy, your blood pressure gradually decreases in the beginning, reaching its lowest point in the middle of your pregnancy. It then begins to rise, returning to its regular level by the end of pregnancy.

Most of the time, your cardiovascular and nervous systems are able to adjust to all these changes, but occasionally they don't, which can leave you feeling lightheaded or a bit dizzy. If you actually faint, it could be a sign that something is wrong, and you should call your practitioner.

What exactly might cause me to feel lightheaded, and what can I do about it?

No matter what the cause, lie down as soon as you feel lightheaded or dizzy, so you won't fall and hurt yourself if you do faint. If you're in a place where it's impossible to lie down, sit down and try to put your head between your knees. And naturally, if you're doing anything that might put you or others at risk for injury, such as driving, stop right away.

Lying on your left side will maximize the blood flow to your heart — and thus to your brain. It will likely keep you from actually fainting and may relieve the sensation of lightheadedness altogether.

Here are some of the most common causes of lightheadedness during pregnancy and some advice on how to avoid them:

•  Standing up too fast When you sit, blood pools in your lower extremities (your feet and lower legs). If your body isn't able to adjust when you stand up, not enough blood returns to your heart from your legs. As a result, your blood pressure drops quickly, which can leave you feeling faint. This can happen to people who aren't pregnant as well.

To prevent lightheadedness, avoid springing up from your chair or bed. When you're lying down, sit up slowly and stay sitting for a few minutes with your legs dangling over the side of the bed or couch. Then slowly rise from sitting to standing.

When you need to stand in one place for a long time, move your legs to promote circulation. Wearing support stockings can also help circulation in the lower half of your body.

•  Lying on your back In your second and third trimesters, your growing uterus can slow the circulation in your legs by compressing the inferior vena cava (the large vein that returns blood from the lower half of the body to the heart) and the pelvic veins.

Lying flat on your back can make this problem worse. In fact, about 8 percent of pregnant women in their second and third trimesters develop a condition called supine hypotensive syndrome: When they lie on their back, their heart rate increases, their blood pressure drops, and they feel anxious, lightheaded, and nauseated until they shift their position.

To avoid this problem, lie on your side instead of flat on your back. Either side is better than your back, although the left side is best. A pillow placed behind you or under your hip can help you stay on your side — or at least tilted enough to keep your uterus from compressing the vena cava.

•  Not enough food and drink When you don't eat enough, you can end up with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can make you feel dizzy or faint. This can happen much more easily when you're pregnant.

Dehydration can have a similar affect. Make sure you stay well hydrated by drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day — more if you're exercising or if it's hot.

Try to keep your blood sugar from getting too low by eating small, frequent meals during the day instead of three large ones. Carry healthy snacks so you can eat when you get hungry.

•  Anemia If you're anemic, you have fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen to your brain and other organs, which can leave you feeling lightheaded. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia, so be sure to eat an iron-rich diet and take a prenatal vitamin with iron, especially in your second and third trimesters. If you become anemic, your caregiver will probably prescribe a separate iron supplement as well.

•  Getting overheated Spending time in a very hot room or taking a hot bath or shower can cause your blood vessels to dilate, lowering your blood pressure and making you woozy.

If you feel dizzy when you get too hot, avoid stuffy crowded places and dress in layers so you can shed clothes as necessary. Take warm showers or baths instead of hot ones, and try to keep the bathroom cool.

•  Hyperventilation Excessive exercise or anxiety can sometimes cause you to hyperventilate and feel faint. Although exercise can help your circulation, be careful not to overdo it if you're feeling tired or not well. Start out slowly. If you start to feel lightheaded or dizzy while exercising, stop and lie down.

•  Vasovagal syncope Some people get dizzy when they strain to cough, pee, or have a bowel movement. These actions can prompt a vasovagal response (that is, an effect on your circulatory system by your vagus nerve) — a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, leading to dizziness and fainting. (The word syncope means fainting.)

Dehydration, anxiety, and pain can also trigger this type of reaction, and pregnant women are more vulnerable to it. Lightheadedness and warning signs such as a feeling of warmth, paleness, sweating, nausea, yawning, and hyperventilation often precede vasovagal syncope. Pay attention to these signs and lie down immediately to help keep yourself from fainting.

I had it in the beginning... and just recently it went away... Hope this helps.

OK so I didn't really say what I mean........I meant that it is not the norm as in it is more common to FEEL faint or dizzy or lightheaded, instead of completely fainting. Any way you look at it, an ALL OUT fainting spell warrants a call or visit to the doctor. There can be many causes. Anyway, I was braindead when I typed yesterday.......call me STOOPID. lol And I've been pregnant 9 times and never fainted!  LOL

LOL......It IS definitely possible to be throughly brain dead while pregnant. Just call me the walking zombie..........lol

I passed out 5 times my first trimester and all of those times were at work. My doctor had me watch my sugar levels for about a week to see if they dropped and those were fine. In the end he pushed gatorade to get my body rehydrated and told me to sit more often while at work. I hope this works itself out for you soon.

i have a desk job.  My dr thinks I am not getting enough calories.  He wants me to do some blood work and I am going to as soon as the snow permits us to drive on the roads here in the south.  Ill post an update asap.