…yep, it’s official. I can’t breathe.
I know the books all say that one should expect shortness of breath thanks to the increased blood volume your heart is pumping around, but wow, today was the first time it was abundantly clear that I have lost my breathing mojo.
It all started when C and I walked 1/2 mile down the street this afternoon to play some tennis for the first time in months (and for only 2nd time this summer – so sad!). I started off winning…and then lost…and lost…and won(!)…and lost…and lost. Yeah, 2-4, game, set, match, or whatever they say. I was breathing like I’d just run a marathon and C hadn’t even broke a sweat, but I was determined to not give up, so we switched sides.
Lose. Lose. Lose. Barely breathing. I QUIT!
We decided to take the long way home to try and get a little more exercise and some quality chat time together, but… um, yeah, that was hard. It was only one mile instead of a half of a mile, but I was dying! My slow moving, ambling walker of a husband kept having to shorten his stride so that I could keep up with him. That is just weird!
To be fair, our house is at 7,100′ – the tennis courts are at 7,025′ – and taking the long way home you go up to 7,150′ before dropping back down to our house, but still, a 125′ elevation gain didn’t use to take it out of me like that, and the restaurant I work at (and run stairs in!) is at 7,800′ and I don’t feel like I get nearly so short of breath. Craziness.
*did I mention that I sneezed while we were playing and peed myself a little bit? sweet. time to work on those kegels.
OMG – I sneezed the other day and did the exact same thing. At work. In a dress. The joys of pregnancy.
I didn't know it got that bad, I better exercise more now to prepare myself.
🙂 welcome to pee land. It doesn't go away right away after birth either.Hey now, give yourself major props for exercising though!! I did nothing and I'm paying for the extra weight now 🙂
Is it too early for carting around one of those little oxygen tanks? 🙂 You could bedazzle it or something. In all seriousness, Im sorry you are having trouble! It must be so frustrating when you still want to to fun things and be active!
Even though you've been living up there for a while, you've never experienced it while pregnant. I'm sure that altitude still makes a huge difference! Maybe it will gradually get better as your body adjusts..hopefully!Good for you for playing tennis. We keep saying we will but haven't made it out yet…and the summer is almost over!
We are two peas in a pod my dear! I too have been having a hard time even with short walks (and I don't have the elevation you have) AND I may have squirted a little pee upon sneezing the other day as well. Oh the fun!
Hahah oh the sneeze-pee. what fond memories :). Well the elevation isn't probably as big of a deal as the fact that someone is squishing your lungs up into your ribcage, since you have been living there for several years now. But should you want to try to see if it is easier to breathe down here, I am not going to stop you from coming to visit 🙂
I am having the hardest time wtih breathing too. I get out of breath just sitting on the couch and I know that is not normal. Crazy! Just to think, we are only half way there so its only gonig to get worse….so worth ever issue though 🙂
I'm sure the elevation doesn't help matters! Also, it could be the baby's positioning… maybe you are carrying him/her kind of high, and he/she is in your ribs a bit? I've been waiting to pee myself, but it hasn't happened yet. Funny (and I'm sure a little embarrassing) that it happened to you! Work on those kegels, lady!