Pregnancy and Shortness of Breath: What You Need to Know and How to Help

For any healthcare concerns, make sure to speak with your healthcare team. This article is not intended as medical advice.

Pregnancy and Shortness of Breath: Understanding, Coping Strategies, and Exercises

Hey there, expectant parents! Did you know that every month, over 12,000 people search for information about shortness of breath during pregnancy? If you’re one of them, you’re definitely not alone. As someone who’s been there (hello, third trimester!), I totally get how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be when you’re struggling to catch your breath.

Let’s dive into why this happens and, more importantly, how to deal with shortness of breath during pregnancy. Trust me, there’s hope!

Is it normal to have shortness of breath during pregnancy?

Absolutely! As your baby grows, they start taking up more space in your abdomen, which can push up against your diaphragm. This can make it feel like you can’t take a deep breath. But here’s the kicker—it’s not just about your growing belly. Your upper body plays a huge role in how well you can breathe, and it’s often overlooked.

Why Your Upper Body Matters

Your upper body, especially your rib cage and thoracic spine (that’s your upper back), is crucial for comfortable breathing, managing pressure in your core, and even preventing issues like diastasis recti (abdominal separation) and pelvic floor dysfunction, and has a huge impact on birth ease and efficiency (yes—the upper body actually has a ton to do with easier birth! I always assess and work with the ribcage when I am helping someone prepare for easier birth).

When these areas are tight or restricted, it can make breathing even more challenging during pregnancy.

The good news? There’s help with shortness of breath during pregnancy, and it starts with understanding how we breathe.

1. Breathing Up:

Also known as “chest breathing.” This is when your collarbones move up and down as you breathe. It’s often associated with stress and the fight or flight response and can lead to neck issues and anxiety.

2. Breathing Down:

Also known as “belly breathing.” This is when you push everything downward into your belly as you breathe. While our abdomen will move when we breathe, if all the air is going down into the abdomen, it can increase pressure on your core and pelvic floor— not ideal when you’re pregnant!

3. Breathing Out (into the ribs):

What I like to call “3D Breathing.” This is the golden ticket! It’s what we want to aim for three dimensional expansion of the ribcage. Your ribs are designed to move this way, and it puts less pressure on your core and pelvic floor. Additionally getting the ribs moving will get the PELVIS moving (really important for birth!) as they are designed to mirror each other’s movements as we breathe to regulate the pressure in the abdominal cavity. Pretty cool!

The Challenge: Breathing Into Your Ribs

Here’s the tricky part—many of us have lost the ability to breathe into our ribs due to lifestyle factors like tight bras, sitting at a desk all day, chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation, etc. Our rib cages can become restricted as a result, making it harder to breathe properly, especially during pregnancy. But don’t worry! I’ve got some simple exercises to help improve your upper body mobility and make breathing easier as your pregnancy progresses.

Exercises to Improve Upper Body Mobility

1. 3D Breathing Practice: Sit or stand comfortably and bring a yoga strap or scarf around your rib cage. As you inhale, feel your ribs pushing into the strap or scarf all the way around your ribcage. As you exhale, slowly blow out all the way until the end of the breath, feeling your core gently cinch in and up at the end of the breath. Inhale slowly fill your lungs as you again expand 3-dimensionally. Practice for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Notice if there are areas of the ribcage that move more than others.

2. Arms on a Stool: From a kneeling position, bring your elbows to rest on a stool. Walk your knees back until you feel a gentle stretch in your upper back and shoulders. Keep your spine in a neutral position. Breathe deeply, focusing on expanding your ribcage. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, feeling the stretch in your upper body and arms. This exercise helps to open up your chest and improve thoracic mobility.

3. Floor Angels: Either reclined back or seated, do an “angel” by externally rotating your shoulder so that your palms are up and thumbs point down to the floor. Keeping your shoulder blades wide and your ribs down, slowly make the motion of a snow angel. Make sure you are not thrusting your ribs forward as you move your arms and your shoulders are in line with the base of your neck and not hunched up to the ears.

4. Hands and Knees Rotation: Come to your hands and knees. Keep a neutral spine (no tucking your pelvis or collapsing your chest). Inhale and raise your right hand toward the right, up to the sky. Turn your chest as you do so, twisting gently. Lift away from the ground, reaching up and do not let your right shoulder hunch up to your ear. Gently move your chest in the direction of the sky, facilitating a twist in your upper body. Flow with your breath through five to eight repetitions per side.

Remember, the key to dealing with shortness of breath during pregnancy is patience and practice. These exercises can help open up your upper body, giving you more space to breathe and potentially easing that “I can’t get enough air!” feeling.

As always, listen to your body and consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise routine during pregnancy. You’ve got this, my friend! Breathe easy and enjoy your pregnancy journey.