Many pregnant women encounter various discomforts throughout their pregnancy journey. Apart from back pain, fatigue, and morning sickness, headaches are a common complaint among them. Some may even experience severe headaches leading to fainting spells.

Causes of fainting in pregnancy

Fainting is one of the most common complaints experienced by pregnant women. According to NHS, fainting can occur due to hormonal changes during pregnancy. Fainting can occur when the brain does not get enough blood and oxygen intake, causing people to lose consciousness.

Apart from lack of oxygen, fainting can also be caused by changes in the cardiovascular system, where the heart beats faster and has to pump more blood than usual. During pregnancy, blood vessels dilate, so blood pressure tends to decrease gradually.

Some situations that can cause pregnant women to faint include:

Abrupt standing

When you sit, blood will gather more in the legs. The increasing size of the fetus makes it quite difficult for the blood flow in the legs to rise to the heart. Therefore, if you stand up suddenly, the blood flow from the legs will rise slowly and cause you to want to faint.

In addition to standing up too suddenly from a sitting or lying position, the position that causes pregnant women to often feel dizzy and will faint is when standing for too long. When standing, too much blood gathers in the legs making it difficult to rise upwards.

Vasovagal syncope

Vasovagal syncope can also be experienced by pregnant women. Vasovagal syncope can occur when the heart rate and blood pressure drop suddenly, causing fainting. This fainting is generally triggered by tension, stress, standing for too long, as well as being in a hot place for too long.

Anemia

Anemia is a condition in which there is a lack of red blood cells. This condition is often experienced by pregnant women and can cause pregnant women to be at risk of fainting. The lack of red blood cells makes the body not get enough oxygen so that it experiences shortness of breath, dizziness, and fainting.

Dehydration

Dehydration can also make pregnant women prone to fainting.  When dehydrated, pregnant women generally experience low blood pressure and low blood sugar levels, which often lead to dizziness and fainting. If you are traveling, make sure to always bring a water bottle to prevent dehydration.

How to prevent fainting in pregnancy?

Fainting pregnant women is generally not a dangerous thing. However, if you faint and fall in an unsafe place, this can increase the risk of impact injury to pregnant women. Some ways to prevent fainting in pregnant women include:

Avoid sudden movement

Standing up suddenly, from either sitting or lying down, has a high risk of causing the mother to faint, especially if she is not in a fit condition. To prevent this, stand up slowly once your position is stable.

Drink enough water

Pregnant women need to drink more since their needs for fluids increase throughout pregnancy. Make sure expectant mothers get enough water throughout the day to combat this. Ensure that expectant mothers consume adequate fluids throughout the day.

Maintain your diet

Anemia during pregnancy is generally caused by iron deficiency. Pregnant women can enrich their iron intake by taking supplements or iron-rich foods such as spinach and beef liver.

Rest

Pregnant women who experience fatigue, overheating, or are prolonged standing should take immediate rest to prevent dizziness and fainting. If signs of fainting,, such as blurry vision, start to appear, it's important to promptly sit or lie down in a-well-ventilated area. Once the situation stabilizes, they can resume their activities.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.