Help! 10W Pregnant, Extremely Faint (Needing to Eat) After Napping...?

Updated on October 11, 2011
J.G. asks from Minneapolis, MN
7 answers

I have spoken to both my OB and my RE about this and they have kind of dismissed it as pregnancy stuff, my OB is having me monitor my blood sugar 2x's a day until my appointment at the end of the month (at my description of having problems with low blood sugar feelings nearly constantly throughout the day) but I am growing more desperate by the day. They both say it's not a very common complaint so I'm wondering if anyone else has had experience with this perhaps you can give me some guidance in regards to what I should bring up to my doctor.

I have put on way more weight in this first trimester than I did with my previous pregnancy. That is because I have to eat nearly constantly and typically (when not pregnant) eat very little but I am of an average build. I feel shaky,faint, flushed and a little foggy if I don't eat every 1-1.5 hours--I'm also nauseated constantly without vomiting, but I've been trying to eat stuff recommended for gestational diabetes **(I have not been diagnosed with this, though)**

But the problem I am having is that I am exhausted and when I take a nap in the middle of the day no matter whether I take a nap right after lunch or in the later afternoon after a snack, no matter how long 30 minutes or 2 hours, I wake up feeling jittery, faint and feverish and I need to eat immediately. Sometimes I'm concerned I'm going to actually faint as if I'm right on the edge of passing out. I eat immediately and keep sinking into that awful feeling until the food kicks in and then I feel sick to my stomach as if I am going to throw up or sometimes I have to run to the bathroom.

I really can't afford to feel like this, I'm worried whatever is going on is harming my baby and I have a toddler to care for and I'm so worried I'm going to actually pass out one day and nobody will be around to help. Any guidance would be helpful. Thanks so much.

**I was pregnant with twins, I lost one at about 5 weeks**

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So What Happened?

I just went tonight to purchase a glucose monitor and I will start testing tomorrow, I also picked up some of those glucose tabs as recommended. I really appreciate the ideas for snacks/meals. The problem is that I've been so ill I find it difficult to shop, difficult to figure out what to eat when I'm suffering from the brain fog so I end up going for oatmeal or almonds or something like a protein bar and too much protein ends up making me sick...so I do need to eat more dairy like cottage cheese, and higher fat milk and I was afraid that I couldn't eat deli meat like turkey--I've been too weak to make it myself in the oven, and afraid of buying packaged meat from the store but I just read that if you heat it to 160, it's safe to eat. I need to get into see my doctor right away, I think she's a great doctor I just don't think she really grasped how serious it is and I think it's gotten worse since I last saw her. I will follow up with the advice and with my doctor and try to remember to post how things turn out. Thanks to all.

More Answers

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D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

Take a look at what you are eating. You need things that are long(er) acting. Proteins will stay with you longer. Things like apple, peanut butter and skim milk. Cheese and whole wheat crackers, cottage cheese and fruit, a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with some skim milk, yogurt with fruit and granola, almonds, oatmeal with apples, raisins and wheat germ mixed in (and make it with skim milk instead of water). Sprinkle wheat germ on lots of things that you eat for added folic acid, vitamins, good fats and protein.

I had to eat at least every 2 hours with my first pregnancy.

2 moms found this helpful

L.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I never had gestational diabetes, but I would suggest getting a second opinion. You want to have your mind at rest about this. It could be gestational diabetes. Low blood sugar can be dangerous - I would get it checked out.

1 mom found this helpful
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I.S.

answers from Boston on

First, I'm so sorry you lost one of your twins. From what I've read it's my belief that you do have either gestational diabetes or some form of diabetes. The fact you have many moments throughout the day where you feel jittery, faint and feverish worries me. When you say feverish does that mean you have a fever or just feel like you do? How long has this been going on? As an EMT I would get a second opinion right away!! Being that you stated you blood sugar is low a lot of the time you could go into hypoglycemic shock, signs would be confusion, acting like or feeling like you're drunk, slurring words, it's very serious. Do you monitor your blood pressure? If it's within a range such as 100/60 or lower that's another cause for concern. The fact that your doctors said it's not a very common complaint would be a red flag for me, I'd think it would be a red flag for them and the fact that it's not makes me think you need to see someone else ASAP. I totally understand your fears about passing out and I'm not going to lie to you, it's possible. One thing you can do is buy some glucose tubes, you can find that at CVS or Walgreens, etc. Glucose is not going to hurt you or your baby but rather raise you blood sugar fast enough that you won't pass out, it's a good thing to have in the house, even in your purse. Do you own a glucose meter? If not you need to buy one, the test strips DO NOT come with it nor do the lancets needed to poke your finger to test your blood. There are ways to get free ones, if I can find a website I'll send it to you. Please go get some help, some help from doctors that will take your symptoms very seriously.
Keep up the food intake. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich's, all kinds of juice, protein such as chicken and steak, the iron in the steak is a benefit. Keep you blood sugar up as much as you can. If you have meter, test you blood sugar right before you eat and then an hour or two later. If the number is within a similair range you're body is rejecting the sugar for some reason. Healthy blood sugar levels range from 70 to 150, anything lower or higher is cause for concern, more so if it's lower than 70, such as 60 or 50, that would really worry me. If you're getting a reading of 70 one to two hours after eating, that's a problem. Sorry to be so blunt but your situation sounds serious and it needs to addressed. I wish you the very best of luck. Don't stress, just demand the help you need.
Blessed be.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.K.

answers from Phoenix on

I always felt that way with my 2nd son. I was told to make sure I ate every 2hrs. I was also given a list of foods, if I remember correctly. To ease your fears about the health of baby, my son was perfectly healthy. It's odd though, b/c he has always been one of those kids that has to eat every couple hours or he will have those same symptoms.

1 mom found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I always feel this way around that time too, I am right now 9 weeks pregnant with my 3rd. One of the only things that helped was taking Zofran 2-3 times a day while eating very frequent meals packed with protein and a side of carbs.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.F.

answers from Bloomington on

I felt this way a lot in both of my pregnancies. I never had gestational diabetes. I had to keep the foods I could stomach nearby and eat often. I felt so much better after 13 weeks with the first and around 28 weeks with the second.

I doubt you are hurting your baby if you are listening to your body. Make a food journal with how you feel through-out the day and take that with you. It might be a good keepsake for baby #2 down the road, too. :)

Good luck! I know it really sucks to feel this way.

1 mom found this helpful
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V.F.

answers from Shreveport on

Silly question, but are you sure it is not multiples?

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