It's happened to me several times this pregnancy - never before, though. And it's always been near supper time when I've been 5 hours or so without eating anything. I've had to sit on the floor right where I am a couple of times. This is a little graphic, but another time I was throwing up, and all of a sudden everything was going black and I was seeing stars and I felt like my arms on the counter and wall were all jelly-ish and wouldn't hold me up. I felt like my head was going to fall right into the toilet. I made it to the floor okay, but my heart was pounding and it really gave me a scare.

I have a glucometer for Benjamin so I checked my blood sugar and it was low-ish every time that happened. I find now if I have a small mid-afternoon snack I'll be fine. If it's happening to you in the morning before you've eaten, you probably should eat something or have a drink of juice as soon as you get up. I don't think it's a problem that needs medicating or anything - pregnant women are just prone to fast drops in their blood sugar levels.

Definitely mention it to your doctor, but in the meantime don't go long between snacks.

Good luck!

It only happened to me once, during my first pregnancy. I was in a grocery store and had to be helped out to the car where my husband was waiting for me. That was 52 years ago and I can't remember if I told my doctor or not. I went on to have five more children but it never happened again. A lot of help I am huh. I would call my doctor if I were you. Vique.

It happened to me all the time with my last pregnancy. I had a low blood pressure problem (it didn't adjust properly and was especially low when I would be standing still in one place for a while - like in line at the store or cutting vegetables on the counter). Heat, or just opening the door on a summer day made me feel like fainting too. Later in the pregnancy I did end up with gestational diabetes so that could have contributed to the problem. Who knows.

I would think eating a little something may help but I would run your concerns by your doctor.

It happened to me during my 2nd pregnancy Steph, and every time it was because I got too hot. Once I was standing under a heating vent in K-mart, which is why I know it was the heat causing it...and yes you need to eat something as soon as you can - that will help more than you know.

The almost fainting thing makes you feel bad most of the day, I remember thinking if I'd just gone ahead and fainted I would have felt much better lol.

Next time run cold water over your wrist after you get to feeling better and see if cooling you down helps any.

Hugs ;0)

I kept saltines and animal crackers on my night table when I was pregnant. Whenever I got up - middle of the night or in the morning - by the time I got from my bed to the bathroom, the entire room would twinkle and then go black. I found that if I ate something and just sat up in bed for a few minutes, I would feel much better. It prolonged my mornings, but not as much as if I had fainted and hit my head on something :)

Good luck!

Not me, but it must be fairly common because fainting was used in a lot of old movies to show that the woman was pregnant, i.e., no one suspected her condition until she fainted.

In your case it sounds like low blood sugar might be the culprit.

It used to happen to me when I was pregnant.
Linda

I never fainted during pregnancy, but I have fainted masybe five or six times, in various situations. A couple of time I was kneeling at church, once I was standing and talking to a friend when I suddenly felt ill. Not sure what causes fainting, coulkd be low blood sugar (not eating) or low blood pressure. It's an awful feeling. Definitely tell your doctor about this. My best friend's father had a bad heart and was prone to fainting.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals and drink more fluids.
If you have juice first thing in the morning be sure you eat something containing high protein.
Take care of yourself, Steph and please call your doc to report the episode. You may need a blood count to rule out anemia.
Keeping you and the baby and Grant in my prayers.

The quick answer is yes. They were usually due to low blood sugar.

It's not something to panic about if drinking a bit of juice or eating a few crackers first thing helps. But do mention it at your next check-up.

Yes and even now many years later. In my case it is low salt, or blood pressure or heat/humidity. I put wet cold wash cloth on the back of my neck, and will sprinkle a trace of salt in my hand and have a large glass of water. But you do need to check with your Dr.

Yes, both with Claire and Evelyn although with Claire it was just vertigo and weakness. Laying on the couch on my left side worked. With Evelyn it was severe vertigo and weakness and nothing, not even snacks or drinks would help. I never did find out what it was. It went away when I was about 18 weeks pregnant. I hope it doesn't last Steph! Please take care of yourself!

Danielle

i fainted twice in my first pregnancy 33 years ago - never before, never after
the doctor, all those years ago, said something about the baby being in a position that cut off some off some of my circulation-who knows
once i was standing in a resturant just went down to the floor the other time i was sitting in a car having a conversation with someone at my window!
everything just went black from the outside in-weird- i'd hate to have it often!!

I have diabetes and those sure are the symptoms I have when I have low blood sugar.

Yes, but I was worse after the baby. I felt exactly as you described. It turned out to be my blood pressure--too high then too low. I was also anemic. Get those things checked out when you can, and take care of yourself and little bit! Let us know how you're feeling later, ok?

Here is a link that might be useful: Blood pressure story on my baby page...

Yes, it was with my last two pregnancies. It was very scary, but nothing ever came about it for me. I think that Carlie was due to heat. Not sure about Taylor!

Yup.
Jesse would lay on a vessel/vein (A big one) and constrict the flow of blood to back to my heart. I never did go completely out but at times I thought I would. Laying on my right side would occasionally make the little bugger roll off the vessel but most times I just had to wait her out.

Scared the life out me the first time it happened.
Custer too.
We rushed to the doctor and he explained it to us.
This doesn't hurt the baby makes makes Mom feel weak and dizzy. I laid on the kitchen floor several times.
The episodes only lasted a few weeks.

Lori

Well, I've never been pregnant past the first trimester, and it's been eons since the last time I was pregnant (I was spayed in '91), so I'm no help there...

But, I have fainted several times. And always in church. The last time was when I was in high school (and that was last Century!).

I am Catholic, and my fainting in church was a direct result of not being able to eat anything before taking Communion. And we always seemed to go to 11:00 or noon Mass, so I would have been without food since an evening snack the night before. I would think that your not having eaten anything before these almost-fainting spells would be a strong factor.

I use to faint like that during my first pregnancy. I had gestational diabetes and needed to be monitored by my doctor. Sounds to me like you should get that checked out on your next visit.

Karen

Yes Steph, that happened to me. I never had morning sickness but I sure did get dizzy. I would get hot like you said and it would kind of go in waves. After I sat a while I would be ok. It passed with the first trimester with me.

Karen, every time I go to the doctor (Monday was the last time), they test my urine for sugar levels and other things that would indicate gestational diabetes. It's always been fine, so far. My blood pressure is also fine.

I think I just need to eat in the morning. I got up this morning and had apple juice and will have some food shortly. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and input.

I had awful morning sickness with both my pregnancies. It did NOT go away after the first trimester. I kept juice boxes and crackers next to my bed. I was okay if I ate or drank something just as I woke up. Good luck, Steph. Hope you are feeling better.

I have a few fainting during pregnancy stories!

I was pregnant at the time of the great Chicago snow storm of 1979. I always took the train to work, and the trains were very crowded for several weeks after that storm, so by the time I boarded, all the seats were taken and I had to stand.

I was standing near the doors to the vestibule, next to the stairs to the upper level, when I felt faint. I sat down on the stairs, and the next thing I knew I was coming to, with my face against the leg of a man who was sitting on the stairs above me!

I don't know what he thought of that!

IMO (and we all know I am not a professional! LOL)
Its just from an empty tummy, too many hours without food. Keep food with you at all times and eat about every 2-3 hours.

DD was pregnant with Drew and had an awful time, she never did faint completely but sounds like you felt.
She carried fruit and crackers,juice and slim jims even to work with her every Monday morning and stuffed her bottom desk drawer! LOL She'd have to eat mid morning besides breakfast, then would be ok til lunch and then mid afternoon had to eat again. She said it wasn't always a nibble either!

I meant to add, I hope it goes away soon for you Stephanie!