Dizziness is when you feel light-headed, weak, unsteady or as if you might faint.
Many pregnant women feel dizzy at times. It is sometimes the first sign that you are pregnant.
Dizziness is common in weeks 0 to 13 of pregnancy.
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP or midwife if:
you are dizzy or feel faint and have:
- a mild headache
- slightly blurry vision at times
Emergency action required: Contact your maternity hospital or emergency department immediately if
you are dizzy or feeling faint, and you have:
- bleeding from your vagina
- pain in your tummy
- severe dizziness that does not go away
- shortness of breath or chest pain
- irregular or very fast heart beat
- severe headache
- severe blurred vision
- high blood pressure
- pre-eclampsia
What to do if you faint
Contact your maternity unit if:
- you fell on your tummy or hurt your tummy
- your baby's movements have changed since you fainted
- you have high blood pressure
- you have pre-eclampsia
- you have abdominal pain
Urgent advice: Contact your GP or your out-of-hours GP immediately if:
- you hit your head when you fainted
- this is the first time you have fainted
If you faint you will usually be unconscious for 20 seconds. It is normal to feel disorientated for a few seconds after you wake. You may feel tired and weak for 30 minutes or more after fainting.
It is a good idea to rest. It is best not to drive. If possible, get somebody else to drive you home.
Helping someone when they faint
If a pregnant woman has fainted you should:
- Gently put them on the ground.
- Roll them onto their left side, with their left knee pulled up towards their chest.
Emergency action required: Call 112 or 999 if they:
- do not wake up after 1 minute (make sure they are not on their back)
- have a fit, a convulsion, or jerking movements
- injured themselves seriously during the fall
Stay with them until they wake up or help arrives.
What to do if you feel faint
There are things you can do if you feel faint.
Do
-
tell someone - they can support you and get help if needed
-
sit - lower your head towards your knees
-
lie on your side
-
take deep breaths and breathe out slowly
-
get someone to open a window
-
loosen any tight clothing
Don't
-
do not try to move from where you are
-
do not eat or drink anything - when the dizziness improves, drink some water and have a snack
Signs you might faint
Signs you may faint include:
- feeling light headed
- feeling confused
- blurred vision or spots in front of your eyes
- ringing sound in your ears
- sweating or feeling cold and clammy
- feeling sick
- fast or unusually deep breathing
Causes of dizziness and fainting
The main causes of dizziness and fainting during pregnancy are:
- hormone changes - this can cause your blood pressure to drop and less blood to get to your brain
- overheating
- low blood sugar - keep a snack with you and avoid skipping meals
- low iron levels
You may also get dizzy if you lie on your back during the second and third trimesters. Lying on your back puts extra pressure on a major blood vessel that leads to the heart.
Prevent dizziness and fainting
To help prevent dizziness and fainting:
- get out of bed slowly - sit on the side of the bed for a minute before standing
- avoid very hot baths or showers
- get out of the bath or shower slowly and carefully
- avoid standing for long periods of time
- do not skip meals - eat small amounts of food often, even if you have morning sickness
- drink plenty of fluids
- do small amounts of physical activity often to improve your circulation
- avoid lying on your back, especially from your second trimester
