Friday, April 28, 2006

Week 12:
As you near the end of your first trimester, your uterus, now about the size of a large grapefruit, begins to migrate from the bottom of your pelvis to a front-and-center position in your abdomen. If you're lucky, this will bring an end to one pesky early pregnancy symptom — the constant urge to urinate. Also slated to diminish somewhat now that you're on the cusp of your second trimester are some of those other early pregnancy symptoms: nausea, super-tender breasts and nipples, food aversions, fatigue. But don't look now (though — considering the symptom — maybe you should), there's a new one added to the mix: dizziness.
And guess who's to blame? Yup — it's your old friend progesterone again, which causes your blood vessels to relax and widen, increasing the flow of blood to your baby (again, good for baby), but slowing the return of blood to you (as always, not so good for mom). Less blood flow to you means lower blood pressure and reduced blood flow to your brain. All of these can contribute to that light-headed, dizzy feeling — especially when you get up too quickly — which is why slow and steady wins the race against dizziness.
Another cause of dizziness during pregnancy is low blood-sugar levels, which can occur if you're not eating regularly (so don't try to run…or even walk…on empty). And looking ahead to later in pregnancy, dizziness in the third trimester can be caused by the pressure the growing uterus places on your major blood vessels, especially when you're lying on your back.
Here's a quick tip: If you feel dizzy or faint, lie down or sit with your head lowered between your knees, take deep breaths, and loosen any tight clothing (like that button on your jeans you struggled to close in the first place). As soon as you feel a little better, get something to eat and drink.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

yay dizzy spells!!! Join the club! We'll get up slowly together.... I'll remind you!

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