Fainting and dizziness during pregnancy

The time spent waiting for a baby to be born is the happiest time in any woman’s life. However, in addition to pleasant emotions, the expectant mother is accompanied by some minor annoying troubles. Some of these troubles include dizziness and fainting, the causes of which vary. Very often, dizziness is a sign of pregnancy; it is from this symptom that a woman realizes that she is pregnant.

It’s a rare pregnant woman who can boast that she has never had the feeling that the ground is starting to disappear from under her feet. And more than anything else at this moment, the expectant mother wants to sit down. Moreover, most often, pregnant women complain of dizziness in the early stages of pregnancy much more often than in later stages. Even in the medical literature describing the symptoms of pregnancy, dizziness is one of the first places. By the way, the fact that the first signs of pregnancy are dizziness and weakness is also explained by the hormonal levels of the expectant mother that have begun to change dramatically.

Fainting in early pregnancy is one of the most unpleasant phenomena. And this, in general, can be explained very, very simply - even a huge belly, which makes a woman clumsy, does not cause as much inconvenience as a feeling of nausea, dizziness and weakness. But in the early stages of pregnancy, your “interesting” position is still completely invisible to others. And your pale skin and dilated pupils may go unnoticed by others at that very moment. When you need help most - unfortunately, modern society has almost completely become indifferent and inattentive to the people around them.

But if you suddenly feel bad, and there are no loved ones nearby, be sure to turn to those around you for help, informing them about your condition. In this matter, embarrassment is completely inappropriate - after all, we are talking about the well-being of not only you, but also your baby. After all, you don’t want to spend precious time unconscious without receiving any medical help? And dizziness during pregnancy gives such a chance.

What is fainting?

Very often, people go to various extremes and confuse fainting with severe dizziness and weakness, or even with coma, becoming terribly scared. In fact, neither one nor the other is right. Doctors call fainting a short-term loss of consciousness - literally for a few seconds. A longer period of unconsciousness—several minutes or more—is a serious complication and requires the promptest possible intervention by medical professionals capable of providing professional medical care. This is true not only for fainting - nausea and dizziness during pregnancy can also indicate serious problems.

Fainting never occurs instantly - accompanying syndromes always appear first, such as:

Feeling of pulsation in temples
Cardiopalmus
Dark circles before the eyes, blurred vision
Increased sweating
Feeling of chills or, on the contrary, heat

If a pregnant woman does not sit down and relax, a short-term loss of consciousness is possible. This is precisely the main danger of fainting - if no one supports the woman in time, she will fall. And if the fall is unsuccessful. A woman can injure herself and harm the baby, which increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth.

What's happening?

Of course, such a feeling of malaise is very burdensome and frightening for the expectant mother. And if she still doesn’t know what exactly caused this condition, her anxiety and worry increase significantly - after all, any mother worries about her, even if not yet born, baby.

And, in addition, ignorance of the cause of one’s condition can sometimes lead to complications in the normal course of pregnancy. This happens if the ailments are caused not by physiological changes in the body of a pregnant woman, but by disturbances in the functioning of vital systems and organs. Dizziness and fainting during pregnancy in women can be caused by the following reasons:

Iron-deficiency anemia

Very often, a pregnant woman feels constantly unwell, dizzy and may faint quite often. In addition, a pregnant woman may complain of a feeling of lack of oxygen, ringing in the ears, the appearance of black spots before the eyes, weakness, increased sweating, and trembling. Moreover, the effects of any external factors, such as stuffiness or large crowds of people, are not associated with this painful condition of a pregnant woman. And the cause may be simple iron deficiency anemia or, in other words, a low level of hemoglobin in the blood, which is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to the body’s cells. Most often, dizziness in late pregnancy is caused by iron deficiency anemia.

It is not difficult to detect the presence of iron deficiency anemia in a pregnant woman - all you need to do is take a blood test. A laboratory blood test will accurately determine the level of hemoglobin in the blood of a pregnant woman and allow the doctor to diagnose the absence or presence of iron deficiency anemia. This condition can be corrected quite simply - based on blood tests, the doctor will select a pharmacological preparation containing iron and the optimal dose for each individual woman. After taking a course of the drug, as a rule, anemia disappears without a trace.

However, pay attention to the following feature of the course of this disease - iron deficiency anemia can occur for a long time without any external symptoms, not manifesting itself in any way until it takes on an advanced form, in which treatment takes more time and requires some effort. This is why it is so important to diagnose the disease in time - for this purpose, a pregnant woman should regularly undergo blood tests.

Overwork, anxiety and stress

As you know, life does not stop with the onset of pregnancy. And it’s no secret that the modern rhythm of life presents people with a lot of surprises in the form of chronic fatigue syndrome and various stresses. And if there are any problems in the family of a woman expecting a child, the situation worsens significantly.

Nevertheless, these stresses not only provoke dizziness, weakness and even fainting in a pregnant woman, but also threaten the correct harmonious development of the fetus - disruption of the formation and development of internal organs, and the normal growth of the baby. Of course, no expectant mother wants this.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it may be, a pregnant woman should follow the most gentle regimen possible. Try to rest as much as possible, walk in the fresh air, and avoid conflicts as much as possible. Remember that according to Russian law, you have the right to ask for a transfer to light work, without reducing your salary.

Presence of chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system in a pregnant woman

Very often, women who suffered from any diseases of the cardiovascular system even before pregnancy experience frequent fainting in the early stages of pregnancy. In order to avoid this, a woman who knows about her disease must approach the issue of pregnancy responsibly and begin to prepare for it in advance by undergoing a preventive course of treatment. Otherwise, dizziness at the beginning of pregnancy will become your constant companion.

If, in this case, during pregnancy a woman experiences problems such as dizziness and fainting, she must immediately consult her doctor. Self-medication and ignoring this problem is unacceptable in any case - this jeopardizes the normal course of pregnancy and its successful completion.

Arterial hypotension

Another very common companion of pregnancy, especially in its early stages, is arterial hypotension or, in other words, low blood pressure. With this disease, a woman’s blood pressure drops to 100 to 60 millimeters of mercury or below. This condition occurs as a consequence of disruption of the cardiovascular system, in particular, a decrease in vascular tone.

You can suspect arterial hypotension in a pregnant woman in the following situation. The woman has a fairly high level of hemoglobin in her blood and definitely does not have any chronic cardiovascular diseases. However, this woman still experiences fainting, and not just once, which can be attributed to random phenomena.

Most often, a woman’s condition worsens significantly in the following situations: a pregnant woman is in a stuffy or crowded room, spends a long time on her feet, takes a hot bath, or simply feels hungry. Even sudden mood swings in a pregnant woman can cause fainting. As a rule, the cause of the malaise is precisely the decrease in blood pressure in the expectant mother.

Pay attention to the following nuance - with low blood pressure, a pregnant woman rarely loses consciousness sharply and suddenly. As a rule, the attack develops gradually. Gynecologists call the following signs of the onset of an attack of hypertension: a woman develops a feeling of weakness, dizziness or headache. And only if the necessary measures are not taken in time, the pregnant woman loses consciousness.

If something similar happens to you, do not rush to panic - as a rule, isolated, rare cases of loss of consciousness do not cause any harm to the health of the mother or the baby. However, it is still necessary to inform the attending physician about this. The doctor will conduct the necessary examination and be able to accurately determine the cause of dizziness and fainting in a pregnant woman. And knowing the cause, in most cases, attacks can be effectively prevented.

In the same case, if you do not do this and do not establish the cause of the malaise, attacks of fainting will continue more and more often, and their duration will constantly increase. And all this cannot but affect the condition of the fetus. Indeed, during loss of consciousness, the oxygen supply to the blood deteriorates significantly and, as a result, can lead to the development of intrauterine hypoxia in the child. That is why a pregnant woman should make every effort to minimize these complications.

What is the danger of fainting during pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a condition that comes and goes. This means that fainting will stop after childbirth! Logical? But extremely carelessly. Fainting during pregnancy cannot be ruled out in any woman. Of course, planning a pregnancy, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being attentive to the health of your circulatory system reduce the risk of fainting, but as already noted, fainting during pregnancy is absolutely physiological. They can happen only due to changes in blood circulation, and even more so as a manifestation of conditions such as hypotension, diabetes, and hormonal imbalances.

The consequences of fainting during pregnancy can be fully assessed and determined by a specialized specialist. Whether fainting is a sign of pregnancy, whether it happens extremely rarely or almost every day, report this fact to the doctor leading your pregnancy. Based on the survey, and possibly based on the diagnostic results, the doctor will draw conclusions about the causes of loss of consciousness and how undesirable such causes are. Treatment and correction of the developing condition may be needed. Let’s take a closer look at the risks of ignoring the problem.

First of all, regardless of the cause, fainting during pregnancy is, as always, a short-term and usually self-limiting, but spontaneous loss of consciousness, and, importantly, posture. That is, fainting is always a risk of injury. And if this happens in the later stages, then fainting means serious bruises. If you really want to, you don’t have to leave a pregnant woman unattended so that fainting doesn’t take you by surprise when there is no one to help. But this does not always happen, and fainting during pregnancy is always stress, bruises, and the need for outside help.

Further, depending on the reasons:

If this is simple hypoxia, in which the doctor does not see anything scary, you don’t have to worry and just be careful and attentive to your well-being. For example, avoid dangerous spaces (with stairs, sharp corners, etc.), sudden changes in body position, and being alone (when there is no one to catch you when you fall). It would also be useful to anticipate fainting and not continue the load leading to it. And in general, it would be correct to lead the most gentle lifestyle possible.
If the doctor sees hypoxia as a threat to the fetus or the woman’s health, hospitalization may even be necessary, followed by specialist monitoring of the pregnant woman’s condition. Changes in blood circulation during pregnancy are the norm, but circulatory disorders are already a pathology.
Hypoglycemia is also a condition that requires correction. Finding out about such a diagnosis and ignoring it is extremely careless for health and unpleasant for the body. Hypoglycemia can be either idiopathic or a manifestation of gestational diabetes. It refers to disorders of carbohydrate metabolism that first developed during pregnancy, as a consequence of the influence of placental hormones on an increase in insulin resistance and the generalization of carbohydrate intolerance. Fainting in this case is only a symptom; the condition itself is dangerous. Not so much the risk of developing fetal pathology, but the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in a woman in subsequent years. Complications for newborns from mothers with gestational diabetes usually include macrosomia, shoulder dystocia and hypoglycemia in the early neonatal period, as well as long-term consequences of obesity, a tendency to type 2 diabetes, and intellectual-motor disorders.
When hypoglycemia and associated fainting during pregnancy are not due to gestational diabetes, but as an expression of usually pre-existing diabetes, pregnancy should be under the supervision of a professional endocrinologist. Diabetes mellitus is not an obstacle to pregnancy, but such women are especially vulnerable during pregnancy. Of course, during pregnancy the need for insulin changes significantly, including due to its consumption by the placenta. Fainting during pregnancy in this case is more typical in the second trimester, when the course of diabetes worsens somewhat in comparison with the pronounced improvements in the first trimester. Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of spontaneous miscarriage, polyhydramnios, fetal malformations, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), macrosomia and fetal death.
Arterial hypotension in pregnant women can be stable, and then all that it communicates about itself is the readings on the tonometer. But unstable forms of hypotension with easy and frequent fainting during pregnancy also occur. Such conditions require monitoring over time and, if necessary, correction up to hospitalization. Arterial hypotension in general is called an unfavorable effect on the course of pregnancy and childbirth, the development of the fetus and newborn. The most common complications during pregnancy are early toxicosis, threatened miscarriage, prematurity, late gestosis and anemia; during childbirth - untimely rupture of amniotic fluid, weakness of labor, perineal ruptures.
In addition, fainting during pregnancy can be a consequence of physiological problems - vegetative-vascular dystonia, anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. These and any other diseases require careful attention from doctors, followed by their correction during pregnancy and continued treatment after childbirth, if necessary.

Low blood pressure

Blood pressure decreases for various reasons. One of the main, most common reasons is the sharply increased load on the entire body of a pregnant woman and in particular on the cardiovascular system. Such a load causes certain changes in the functioning of the heart, which are completely natural and reversible, but can lead to fainting conditions.

The increased load on the heart occurs due to the fact that a pregnant woman’s metabolic processes in the body are significantly enhanced in order for the fetus’s nutritional needs to be fully satisfied. In addition, a pregnant woman’s total blood volume increases noticeably, as an additional placental circulation appears and a natural increase in body weight occurs.

In addition, the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the diaphragm, and creates increased pressure in the abdominal cavity of the pregnant woman. All these factors together have a direct impact on the usual rhythm of the heart. To reduce stress, the body relaxes the heart muscles. This is what ultimately leads to a decrease in blood pressure in a pregnant woman. However, this feature is typical for 6–9 months of pregnancy. Immediately before childbirth, the body mobilizes and, in preparation for the upcoming load during childbirth, returns the functioning of all systems, including the cardiovascular system, to its previous full mode.

Another common reason for low blood pressure in pregnant women is a radical change in hormonal levels, a natural process while expecting a baby. A change in the content of various hormones in a pregnant woman’s blood often leads to a change in the rhythm of work of many vital organs and systems of the body, which in turn leads to a decrease in blood pressure - regular or periodic, depending on the individual characteristics of the body of each particular woman. The causes of dizziness during pregnancy are the same as those of fainting.

Worrying symptoms during pregnancy

Bleeding is one of the most common reasons why pregnant women go to the emergency room - these are various bleeding associated with pregnancy or diseases of the reproductive organs.

Obstetric hemorrhage is a discharge mixed with blood or blood released from the genital tract of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period. The intensity and duration of such bleeding can vary greatly depending on the cause that caused it - from scanty blood smears on underwear to heavy and prolonged bleeding.

They can occur at any stage of pregnancy and when they appear, the patient most often feels general malaise, dizziness, and may experience lightheadedness or severe pain in the lower abdomen and lower back.

Causes of bleeding during pregnancy:

1. Spontaneous miscarriage or abortion - this pathology can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but the highest risk is during the first three months of pregnancy, at this time, for a variety of reasons, the pregnancy is threatened with termination, fetal rejection begins, the placenta is expelled, which may cause miscarriage. This is accompanied by the following symptoms: bloody discharge or bright scarlet blood appears from the genital tract, the woman feels acute pain, hypertonicity of the anterior wall of the uterus is noted - the stomach “turns to stone.”

Any manifestation of the first signs of a miscarriage is a reason to urgently seek medical help, and until the ambulance arrives, remain completely at rest, do not get up and take 1-2 tablets of antispasmodics (no-spa, metacin or a suppository with papaverine). With timely medical care, the chance of maintaining a pregnancy increases.

2. Placenta previa is a gynecological pathology in which the placenta is attached to the site where the fetus exits the uterus. This arrangement does not interfere with the normal growth and development of the child, but greatly increases the risk of bleeding.

Symptoms of placenta previa are unexpected bleeding or spotting that occurs despite complete well-being after the twentieth week of pregnancy. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately call an ambulance, while waiting for doctors, lie on your left side and try to give the lower half of your body an elevated position - put a pillow or something soft under your hips.

3. Premature placental abruption - “baby place” - is the connection between the unborn baby and the mother; if this connection is untimely disrupted, there is a serious threat to bearing the child. The risk of such a pathology increases in the last months of pregnancy; the first signs of threatening placental abruption are pain, bleeding from the genitals, weakness, hypertonicity of the uterus, and possible contractions.

If such symptoms appear, you should immediately call an ambulance until it arrives, try not to make unnecessary movements, lie down, apply a heating pad with ice to your lower abdomen, and do not take food or water.

Any discharge from the genitals mixed with blood in a pregnant woman is a sign of serious obstetric pathology, which may threaten not only the life of the unborn child, but also the life of the pregnant woman. Such symptoms are a clear indicator for emergency hospitalization in the gynecological department. While waiting for an ambulance for pregnant women, you need to stop all activities and be completely at rest.

Treatment of fainting

Very often, pregnant women are afraid to report their fainting and dizziness to a gynecologist, believing that they will definitely be hospitalized in a hospital for treatment and preservation of pregnancy. However, this is not entirely correct. Knowing how to avoid fainting is not enough. If fainting conditions are caused by serious health problems, hospitalization is simply necessary - otherwise the life of the child and the health of the mother are at serious risk. In this case, staying at home is the height of negligence and irresponsibility - perhaps not a pregnant woman’s best friend.

If you are absolutely sure that there are no serious abnormalities in your body, and you do not suffer from chronic diseases, and also if your gynecologist gives his consent, you can deal with the problem of fainting at home . However, be prepared for the fact that you are unlikely to be able to completely normalize your blood pressure to “non-pregnant” numbers. And, strictly speaking, it’s not worth it - the main goal that a pregnant woman should pursue is stabilization of her condition and good health.

Below are the main methods for stabilizing a pregnant woman's condition and preventing fainting. All these methods are approved by leading gynecologists and will not cause any harm to either the pregnant woman or her child. However, before you put them into practice, still show your doctor - it is rare, but sometimes it happens that individual characteristics of the course of pregnancy or health conditions may become a contraindication for these methods to eliminate dizziness and weakness during pregnancy.

First aid

What to do if fainting occurs during pregnancy? First of all, you need to call a doctor. If the doctor takes longer than usual to arrive, it is better to provide first aid yourself.

At the first stage, a pregnant woman will need a bed or any other soft surface without a pillow. The head should be raised.
To increase blood flow, it is recommended to place something under your feet.
Next, it is important to ventilate the room as much as possible (an influx of fresh air is necessary). Clothes can be unbuttoned.
A cotton pad is moistened with ammonia, and the temples are lubricated with it. If there is such a need, then it is better to let the girl inhale the vapors of the product herself.
When entering the patient’s consciousness, it is recommended that she be offered boiled water with the addition of a few drops of valerian or sweet tea.
It is strictly forbidden to give nitroglycerin. It helps lower blood pressure (hypotensive effect).
The doctor may prescribe an examination, after which placement in a hospital for treatment is possible.

Physiotherapy

There is a misconception that a pregnant woman should try to rest and lie down more. However, in reality this is not the case at all. After all, pregnancy is not a disease, and a pregnant woman is not a sick person. Such tactics can lead to a variety of consequences, in particular to excessive weight gain and problems during childbirth.

Gynecologists have long noticed a strict pattern - the more active a pregnant woman leads, the easier she tolerates the inconveniences associated with pregnancy, and the easier it is for her to give birth. Of course, we are not talking about a woman placing unbearable, exhausting physical exertion on herself. However, physical activity is simply necessary for the normal course of pregnancy. In addition, it is necessary for the well-being of the expectant mother.

A properly similar set of physical exercises not only tones the body of a pregnant woman, but also has a very beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart muscle, lungs and nervous system, and also maintains normal abdominal muscles, which is important for a pregnant woman. Well-developed abdominal muscles effectively support the expanding uterus, acting as a natural bandage, and also provide an invaluable service during pregnancy.

In addition, in women who exercise during pregnancy, their blood pressure levels return to normal very quickly and the tendency to faint disappears. Thus, exercises will help stabilize the condition of any pregnant woman.

However, under no circumstances choose a set of physical exercises on your own - this should be done by a specialist. Ask your doctor to tell you more about this - your clinic may have special classes for pregnant women. If there are none, your gynecologist will prescribe for you a whole range of exercises that you can do on your own at home.

Also in big cities there are special schools for expectant mothers, where classes are provided for pregnant women. In some of them, pregnant women do gymnastics in swimming pools. However, remember that the activities of such organizations must be licensed by the Ministry of Health. After all, pregnant women entrust to them the most precious thing - the life and health of their children.

Also remember that you can engage in physical therapy only if the pregnancy proceeds smoothly, without any serious abnormalities. Otherwise, therapeutic exercises will have a completely opposite effect and will bring a lot of trouble both to the pregnant woman herself and to the doctors. Below are some cases in which physical activity is strictly prohibited:

Chronic cardiovascular diseases, leading to circulatory disorders and being in the acute stage. Women with such diseases should exercise only under the supervision of an experienced specialist in the field. Classes should be strictly according to an individual course, selected taking into account the course of the disease in each pregnant woman.
Lung diseases that are in the acute stage, such as open form of tuberculosis, pulmonary neoplasms, pneumonia, pleurisy of any origin.
Diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract in the acute stage.
Threat of miscarriage - increased uterine tone, any type of bleeding, regardless of what caused it. By the way, I would like to note that if a pregnant woman experiences bleeding of any intensity, she needs to seek medical help as quickly as possible - this condition poses quite a big threat.
Toxicoses of the second half of pregnancy - gestosis.
Any acute infectious diseases.

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Taking decoctions and medications

Even our grandmothers, with such complications, took various decoctions of herbs that have a tonic effect. However, be careful not to change the recommended components yourself, as many other herbs are strictly contraindicated for women during pregnancy. Do not use this decoction under any circumstances if you have previously experienced allergies to any other herbs. In addition, be sure to consult your doctor before taking the decoction.

To prepare a tonic decoction, you will need the following herbs, which can be purchased at the pharmacy:

Herb St. John's wort
Dry or fresh strawberry leaves
Dry or fresh rose hips

These components must be taken in equal parts and crushed. Place three tablespoons of the mixture in a thermos, pour three glasses of boiling water. Close the thermos with a lid and leave the broth for 6 hours so that it infuses properly. After this, use a gauze cloth to strain the broth. A pregnant woman should take it at least three times a day, half a glass, half an hour before meals.

If you are not a fan of preparing various decoctions at home, you can replace them with ready-made drugs that can be easily purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription. However, remember that even these harmless drugs can be used by a pregnant woman only after prior agreement with your attending physician - a gynecologist, who can realistically assess the possible benefits and harms of these drugs.

For example, aralia tincture can normalize low blood pressure in a pregnant woman in about one week of use. The recommended dosage of the drug is about 30 drops, which must be dissolved in half a glass of clean cold water. You need to take the tincture twice a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and before bed.

Eleutherococcus extract has approximately the same effect. However, this drug has another pleasant side effect - it increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood of a pregnant woman. This feature is especially effective in helping to normalize the condition of a pregnant woman whose doctor has diagnosed iron deficiency anemia. To achieve maximum effect, take the drug as follows - dilute 10 drops of extract in 100 grams of milk and drink 5 minutes before meals. The tincture must be taken at least 3 times a day.

The drug “Pantocrine”, which includes an extract from deer antlers, can have a very good tonic effect on the body of a pregnant woman. As a rule, there are no contraindications for taking this drug. Doctors recommend that pregnant women take the drug according to the following regimen. You need to take one tablet in the morning and evening, and two at lunchtime. You can take the tablets regardless of meals.

Preventing fainting

In addition to taking tonic medications, it is very important to take other precautions. An exhausted, tired pregnant woman is much more likely to faint than a well-rested and well-slept one. The recommended average daily sleep duration for a pregnant woman is at least 12 hours. In addition, the expectant mother should spend at least 2 hours outdoors - be sure to take a walk.

Water procedures work real miracles - swimming and swimming are very useful for expectant mothers. However, keep in mind that hot baths are strictly prohibited for pregnant women, and when taking a contrast shower, you need to make sure that the water is neither too hot nor too cold.

Be sure to pay close attention to your diet - a pregnant woman should receive all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary for the harmonious development of the unborn baby. It is also very important to include in a pregnant woman’s menu food rich in proteins, which are necessary for the growth of the child.

Also, gynecologists advise a pregnant woman to change her usual meal schedule - meals should be fractional. Reduce the amount of food, but increase the times you eat it. On average, a pregnant woman should eat every two hours. This measure will not only help prevent fainting, but will also relieve a pregnant woman from such an unpleasant pregnancy companion as heartburn.

Fainting during pregnancy: precautions and prevention

It is useful to know about this regardless of whether any measures are taken to treat, that is, eliminate the risk of fainting during pregnancy .

The number one position in the prevention of fainting is a rational and balanced diet. Nutrition for a pregnant woman has many principles and is a great topic to discuss with your doctor. Some foods may be excluded or added, but it is always best to eat during pregnancy in accordance with the following rules:

fractional - in small portions, but more often, at least 4 times a day, and preferably 5-6 meals;
regular - it is better to subordinate nutrition to a certain routine so that it is not chaotic; It will not be a bad idea to maintain this same habit after childbirth;
natural - in a megalopolis this may not be the easiest thing to do, but at least avoid as much as possible products and dishes containing preservatives, flavor enhancers, other synthetic additives, as well as fast food and semi-finished products; Ideally, it would be nice to eat organic farm products.

As for the diet that can help minimize the frequency of fainting during pregnancy , it is:

protein food,
variety of diet (which means, in addition to vegetables, hard-to-digest carbohydrates and healthy fats, more fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, cereals, grains),
abundant drinking regime - drink up to two liters of plain drinking water per day, do not deny yourself strong green tea, natural fruit drinks and juices,
herbal infusions - traditional medicine, including infusions and decoctions of herbs, an excellent help for normalizing well-being; Among the herbs used for these purposes are St. John's wort, strawberry and rose hips, and aralia.

Other methods for preventing fainting during pregnancy include minimizing stress and strain, quality rest; an active lifestyle, if there are no contraindications, yoga and meditation, gymnastics for pregnant women, and swimming can help normalize blood circulation. With regular moderate-intensity physical activity, the cardiovascular system is trained, and the blood vessels respond more adequately to changing environmental conditions, maintaining normal blood flow in any situation. Pool exercises, cool showers, foot and hand contrast baths help against fainting during pregnancy

A decrease in blood glucose or blood pressure is accompanied by irritability and susceptibility to stuffiness and dizziness. In this regard, a woman should be aware of safety measures so that the risks from the general condition are not increased by the risks from a direct loss of balance and vertical posture.

If fainting occurs frequently during pregnancy, the basic rules that must be followed include:

exclusion of situations that provoke disruption of the blood supply to the brain, for example, crowded, stuffy places or a sudden change in the position of the body;
eliminating or minimizing sudden movements and changes in body position, elevation changes and other things that affect blood circulation and blood pressure;
more walks in the fresh air and relaxation; do not overload yourself, but if possible, find company for yourself so that you have someone to help if your health worsens;
avoid dangerous spaces - even if you protect yourself as much as possible from fainting, walk or perform other activities away from sharp corners, stairs, busy roads, etc.;
quality and sufficient rest and sleep also have a beneficial effect on well-being, but learn to get out of bed correctly - slowly, wake up well, stretch, sit down, and after a while slowly rise to your feet;
in the second half of pregnancy, it is better not to lie on your back, which can affect both the blood supply to the fetus and the blood circulation of the woman herself;
being in a static and/or uncomfortable position for a long time, it is important to stretch the muscles of the body, perform simple breathing exercises, or better yet, find an opportunity to stand up and stretch the body a little, “get the blood flowing,” but again, without sudden movements.

Complications of fainting

As mentioned above, leaving fainting and dizziness without proper attention from the pregnant woman and gynecologists will only aggravate the situation and lead to the development of all sorts of, often quite formidable, complications of the normal course of pregnancy. Toxicosis of the first and second halves of pregnancy, the threat of spontaneous abortion, intrauterine hypoxia, miscarriage and premature birth - this is only the main, but far from complete, list of possible threatening conditions for a pregnant woman.

Also, very often, obstetricians and gynecologists during childbirth in those women who suffered from dizziness and fainting during pregnancy note a number of characteristic complications. Firstly, amniotic fluid comes out either too early or too late. Secondly, such a phenomenon as weakness of labor is very often diagnosed. And finally, bleeding - they can occur both during childbirth and in the early postpartum period. The peculiarity of women with low blood pressure is that even a relatively small loss of blood can lead a woman to such a state that she will need the help of resuscitators.

The postpartum period in women with low blood pressure is also often complicated by various factors. Discharge after childbirth in such women continues longer than usual. This happens due to the fact that the uterus does not contract effectively enough. And, in addition, various inflammatory processes in the uterine cavity are often encountered - in particular, acute postpartum endometritis.

Preventing Fainting

You can reduce the frequency of fainting attacks with the help of several tips:

Try not to stand for a long time: this leads to stagnation of blood in the legs. Try walking or moving your feet to increase circulation.
Rise slowly from a sitting or lying position, which is especially important after taking a bath, as blood pressure increases.
Eat regularly, avoid long-term abstinence from food, and snack throughout the day.
Refuse to take a hot bath or shower, and leave rooms where there is no flow of fresh air.
Stop sleeping on your back from the middle of the second trimester.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing to keep blood flowing.
Drink enough fluids: Dehydration can cause your blood pressure to spike.

Some women take ammonia with them to provide self-help on time. For pregnant women who often faint, doctors prescribe general restoratives: tincture of ginseng, echinacea, eleutherococcus, lemongrass or hawthorn. You should take any herbal medicines only after consulting a doctor. You should avoid overheating and oxygen deprivation during physical overload, and sleep enough time.

If you feel weak, dizzy or nauseous, do the following:

sit or lie down, lower your head;
take a deep breath;
loosen tight clothing;
ask someone to open the windows or approach the window carefully;
eat a product high in iron (apple, meat, chocolate, pomegranate juice).

Be sure to consult a doctor if fainting and dizziness are accompanied by vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain. Such symptoms may be signs of an ectopic pregnancy, placental previa, or placental abruption.

If you experience persistent dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, headaches and rapid heartbeat, you should consult a doctor. These signs may indicate severe anemia or other diseases that negatively affect pregnancy.

First aid for fainting

However, sometimes a pregnant woman still faints, despite all the preventive measures taken. And therefore, it is very important to know how emergency care is provided correctly if a pregnant woman faints. It is very important for the relatives and friends of a pregnant woman to know this information, since most often they are the ones who have to provide first aid.

The most important thing that needs to be done immediately is to lay the unconscious pregnant woman on a horizontal surface so that her head is at the same level as her heart, but in no case higher. Free the pregnant woman from oppressive clothing - unbutton the collar, untie the belt.

Be sure to always keep ammonia on hand in your first aid kit - if the pregnant woman has not regained consciousness after one minute, you can sniff a cotton swab soaked in ammonia. Under no circumstances should you sniff a jar of ammonia - this can cause a burn to the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. And if a woman has severe dizziness during pregnancy, there is no need to use ammonia.

After the woman comes to her senses, it will be very useful to give her 30 drops of cardiomin and drink hot tea with lemon, which also has a good tonic effect. Be sure to inform your gynecologist about the incident and, if he deems it necessary, seek help from a medical facility. After all, it is not always when a woman faints that first aid is the only thing necessary.

If a pregnant woman suddenly feels acutely unwell - dizziness, lightheadedness, ringing in the ears, blurred vision - she needs to try to lie down as quickly as possible, or at least sit down if this happens outside the home. Under no circumstances should you be shy - ask for help from the people around you, telling them that you feel bad - no one will refuse help to the expectant mother; emergency care for fainting is very important.

How to identify fainting

You should know not only why fainting occurs during pregnancy, but also how to provide first aid to the expectant mother. It is necessary to identify symptoms in a timely manner in order to recognize loss of consciousness.

A woman cannot always cope with fainting on her own . If the problem is systematically repeated, then you cannot do without consulting a doctor. As a last resort, it may be suggested to go to hospital for conservation.

The first signs of fainting during pregnancy include confusion and dizziness.

The main symptoms of fainting:

Severe dizziness (the woman feels that she cannot stand on her own).
Intensified sweating begins (usually cold sweat).
The girl immediately feels that standing on her feet becomes unbearable. There is an irresistible desire to sit down and lean on some object.
There is a general feeling of weakness, blood pressure decreases, the skin is pale, dark circles appear under the eyes.
A strong pulsation begins in the temples, and heat or chills are felt.
Consciousness becomes cloudy, vision drops sharply, stars begin to flash before the eyes.

The listed symptoms indicate that fainting during pregnancy will soon occur . If one of the signs begins to appear, then it is better to try to prevent loss of consciousness on your own. If the condition worsens significantly, the help of a medical specialist will be required.