Fatigue During Pregnancy: 9 Natural Ways to Relieve
If you're pregnant and exhausted, you're not alone. Research shows that 90 percent of women experience fatigue during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, although it often returns in the third trimester. Some women experience it in all three!
While most parents expect to feel tired after giving birth, the severe and persistent fatigue that many women experience during pregnancy can come as a surprise.
Although she may feel frustrated and at times debilitated, pregnancy fatigue is a good sign. This indicates that your body is producing the hormones needed to support new life.
Let's learn more about the causes of fatigue during pregnancy and their natural solutions.
What Causes Fatigue During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy causes many changes in your body, and some of these changes may make you feel tired. Some common causes of fatigue during pregnancy include:
Hormonal Changes
Shortly after conception, your body experiences a surge in levels of the hormone progesterone, which causes daytime sleepiness.
Your body requires high levels of progesterone to maintain a healthy pregnancy, especially in the first 10 weeks.
Weakness during pregnancy - why and when? How to get rid of it
- Author: Yulia Ivanovna | Category: Pregnant health - all about illnesses and diseases
Weakness during pregnancy - why and when? How to get rid of it Pregnancy is not only a happy time of waiting for the birth of your baby. Pregnancy is a huge burden on the mother’s body - after all, for 9 whole months a woman is in a “2 in 1” state - she has to eat “for two”, the heart works with double load. And if you consider that hormones “play” in the blood, weight increases every day, and surprises in the form of toxicosis are quite possible, then it becomes clear that the expectant mother will need a lot of strength to bear and give birth to a healthy toddler.
Physiological processes in the body of a pregnant woman are intended by nature, but sometimes they lead to the woman experiencing severe weakness, getting tired quickly, and constantly wanting to sleep. But this condition cannot be called a pathology - it is simply an individual feature of pregnancy. But you shouldn’t endure such a loss of strength; you can and should fight it.
First signs of pregnancy
Our ancestors also noticed that if a young, healthy woman suddenly began to get tired quickly, constantly sleepy and pale, then serious changes would soon occur in her life - she would become a mother. Much has changed since those times; diagnostic methods make it possible to find out about the addition of a family long before the appearance of a rounded tummy. But still, some of the first signs of pregnancy are weakness, drowsiness, slight dizziness and morning sickness.
Up to 12 weeks, weakness and drowsiness are most often explained by increased levels of progesterone. If this is only the case, then by about 8-9 weeks the mother’s body adapts, emotional upsurge begins, and a surge of energy appears.
Weakness, nausea and dizziness are symptoms of toxicosis
Sometimes the happy waiting time is overshadowed by toxicosis in the first half of pregnancy. Morning sickness, aversion to certain foods, even vomiting - this is not only exhausting and spoils your mood. This condition leads to a lack of nutrients, microelements and vitamins in the woman’s body that are necessary for the development of the baby. But the child develops and continues to receive everything he needs from his mother. This means that the deficit increases and the weakness intensifies. If toxicosis manifests itself in a mild form, then there is nothing to worry about ; a normal balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are enough. severe toxicosis occurs , weakness increases, health deteriorates, then you cannot do without the help of doctors.
Hypotension is the scourge of modern women
Hypotension is often the cause of weakness and drowsiness throughout pregnancy. Even before pregnancy, blood pressure below 110/70 causes a lot of trouble, and for an expectant mother, low blood pressure is a real test. Severe weakness, constant drowsiness, frequent dizziness and even fainting, muscle and joint pain, decreased performance. And the other side of this “coin” is that the child experiences a lack of oxygen , the mother develops apathy, and it can even lead to depression. In the second half of pregnancy, hypotension in combination with anemia can lead to delayed fetal development.
Therefore, hypotension must be combated. But during pregnancy you cannot take most medications, and with herbs everything is ambiguous. But there is a way out. Worked well : light physical activity - walking, swimming, gymnastics for pregnant women, yoga. A cool (not cold) shower in the morning will help quickly bring your blood vessels into working tone; a glass of fresh orange juice will also be healthier than coffee or tea. By the way, if you have hypotension during pregnancy, you should not categorically refuse tea - green or black, and coffee. In this case, a portion of an invigorating drink will not cause harm, but you should not get carried away with them either.
Weakness in late pregnancy
You suffer the most from weakness during pregnancy in the first trimester. Then the body adapts to the new state, and most problems disappear. In the second trimester, periodic attacks of weakness are possible, but they appear as a symptom of gestosis, anemia, or due to an increase in temperature due to acute respiratory infections or other diseases.
But closer to childbirth, there comes a period when the expectant mother again feels exhausted. Weakness at 34-38 weeks is explained by the pressure of the uterus on the inferior vena cava. Blood stagnation occurs, reflex vasodilation and a sharp decrease in blood pressure occur, which can even lead to sudden fainting. To avoid this, you need to wear special support bandages. It is better to rest on your side - this way you can avoid unnecessary stress.
From 37-38 weeks the body begins to intensively prepare for childbirth. At this time, the level of oxytocin increases, the pelvic joints begin to soften, the uterus periodically begins to contract and the cervix dilates. Due to the activity of the autonomic nervous system, sometimes the expectant mother experiences severe weakness in her legs and dizziness. This condition does not require special treatment and goes away after childbirth.
How to cope with weakness during pregnancy
The means of combating weakness must be chosen based on the reasons that cause the weakness at the moment. In the early stages, this is most often hypotension and toxicosis, sometimes anemia. Therefore, methods aimed at improving the general condition of the body . If you are weak, regular restorative procedures will be effective - a light cool shower, frequent walks in the fresh air, swimming, yoga or special gymnastics for pregnant women.
raise your blood pressure with medications, herbal decoctions, or strong tea and coffee, since the smooth muscles of the uterus are also sensitive to the effects of caffeine and plant alkaloids, which can lead to hypertension and the threat of miscarriage. In such cases, it is better to start the morning with a glass of fresh orange or apple juice - a portion of light carbohydrates, seasoned with natural vitamins, will have a mild tonic effect and help cope with weakness.
In the later stages of pregnancy, regular proper rest should be added to the already familiar methods of combating weakness. For an expectant mother, it is necessary to sleep at least 10 hours a day. And not only at night - it’s good to rest 2-3 times for 30-60 minutes during the day in a calm environment and lying on your side, this will help restore normal blood circulation and gain strength.
In severe cases, when weakness is caused by severe toxicosis, gestosis or any diseases, only a specialist will prescribe the correct treatment. So don't hesitate to tell your doctor about any concerns you have.
Pathological weakness during pregnancy
If, while expecting a child, a woman constantly feels tired, and weakness does not go away even after several hours of full sleep, then this condition can be caused by the following pathologies:
- Anemia of pregnant women. During gestation, the volume of blood in a woman’s body increases, but the amount of hemoglobin in it remains the same. This leads to a deficiency of oxygen entering the tissues and, as a consequence, hypoxia, that is, oxygen starvation. Characteristic symptoms of the disease are dizziness, pale and dry skin and mucous membranes, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath, bluish color of the sclera and cheilitis - cracks in the corners of the mouth and near the wings of the nose. As a treatment for anemic syndrome, iron-containing drugs and a nutritious diet, including meat, dairy and vegetable dishes, are prescribed;
- acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections. In case of illness, you need to ensure complete rest. Sleep a lot, eat regularly, drink enough fluids;
- Preeclampsia is one of the severe complications of pregnancy. It usually appears at 6-9 months. Accompanied by vomiting, dehydration, leg muscle cramps and a feeling of constant weakness and malaise. This condition is caused by a violation of protein metabolism and general intoxication of the body. If symptoms of gestosis appear, you should urgently seek medical help.
Feeling weak is a condition that causes discomfort to most pregnant women at some stage of gestation. To improve your well-being, you need to eat right, protect yourself from stress and get enough rest. However, if the feeling of weakness and fatigue constantly bothers you, you should consult a doctor to prevent the development of any pathology.
In the early stages
Weakness during pregnancy in the first trimester is normal and, in the absence of any alarming symptoms, does not require drug treatment.
Pregnancy or gestation is a period of active restructuring of the body. In the first 7-9 weeks, the placenta, which acts as a buffer between the body of the mother and the fetus, is not yet formed. As a result, the woman’s immune system reacts to the embryo as a foreign body and tries to reject it. That is why a pregnant woman in the early stages of gestation may be bothered by weakness, poor health, fatigue, etc.
In addition, during this period, the pregnancy hormone progesterone is intensively produced. It helps thicken and strengthen the mucous layer of the uterus, promotes embryo implantation and the formation of the circulatory system between the fetus and the mother. However, the effect of the hormone negatively affects the condition of the pregnant woman. The woman begins to experience fatigue, muscle weakness, and a constant desire to rest. In addition, progesterone negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It is the action of this hormone that causes toxicosis: nausea, increased reaction to odors, changes in taste preferences and dyspeptic symptoms.
So that you are not so worried about weakness in the early stages of pregnancy, you need to follow some recommendations:
- In the morning, before getting out of bed, drink a glass of juice or fruit drink prepared the night before and eat cookies. It is best if the drink is slightly sour, this will significantly reduce nausea;
- Help your body adapt to pregnancy: rest more, allow yourself to sleep during the day, if nausea and headaches appear, go outside or ventilate the room;
- Severe weakness accompanied by toxicosis can be dangerous in the first trimester of gestation, since uterine spasms do not allow the fertilized egg to attach to the uterine wall. If you are concerned about frequent bouts of vomiting, be sure to consult a doctor;
- Take vitamins, drink rosehip and lemon balm decoctions, herbal teas and fresh juices. All this will help your body get stronger and make it easier to endure the first months of pregnancy.
Infectious diseases
In the early stages, a natural decrease in immunity occurs in a woman’s body. During this period, the risk of colds and viral infections is high. When infected, the expectant mother experiences weakness, drowsiness, headache and chills. Catarrhal manifestations require symptomatic treatment. All cold medications are used only as prescribed by a doctor in an individual dose.
Weakness in early pregnancy is considered common and rarely causes concern to gynecologists. With increasing gestational age, unpleasant signs disappear on their own. To make sure there is no threat to health, it is necessary to be examined.
