Feeling Dizzy or Faint During Pregnancy

Faintness and dizziness occurs most often in the early and late stages of pregnancy.

If you are standing for long periods of time, low blood pressure may cause faintness. This is especially likely to occur in warm, crowded places or during long, uncomfortable periods of inactivity, such as standing on line at the checkout counter. In late pregnancy, lying on your back may cause your blood pressure to drop and you may feel dizzy or faint when you first get up. Faintness may also result from low blood sugar, anemia (too little iron in the blood), or even dehydration.

After the fourth month of pregnancy, be careful not to lie flat on your back. Sleep on your side or propped up on pillows. If you find you have rolled onto your back while sleeping, lie on your left side a few minutes before trying to get up.

Try to avoid standing for long periods of time. If you must stand, move around frequently to stimulate your circulation. If you're on line or in a crowd where you can't go anywhere, shifting your weight back and forth from one leg to the other will help.

To keep your blood sugar up and at a more even level, eat healthful foods in small amounts at frequent intervals throughout the day. Choose foods with complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, cereal) rather than those laden with simple carbohydrates (sugar).

If faintness is a recurring problem for you, be sure to mention it to your doctor. If anemia is dected, changes in your diet will be recommended and supplementary iron may be prescribed.

At the onset of feeling dizzy, be sure to take a moment to sit down, relax, and drink some water! If dizziness or faintness are prolonged or occurring frequently, consult with your doctor.