Dizziness During Pregnancy: Causes and What to Do

Lightheadedness, a wave of faintness, or the feeling that everything's about to go dark are among the most common complaints from moms-to-be. Dizziness during pregnancy is usually tied to the natural changes your body is going through, and in most cases it's nothing to worry about. But sometimes it's a sign your body needs a little help. Below, we'll look at why you feel dizzy, which causes are harmless, what you can do right now to feel better, and when it's worth calling your provider without delay.

Why do you feel dizzy during pregnancy?

To understand why your head spins, it helps to know what's happening inside your body. From the very first weeks, the hormone progesterone relaxes and widens the walls of your blood vessels. This lowers your blood pressure slightly, so blood needs a little more time to reach your brain. At the same time, your blood volume gradually rises, your heart works harder, and your uterus grows — your whole cardiovascular system is adjusting to new demands. These are normal changes, but they're exactly what brings on that light, faint feeling.

Blood also tends to pool in your legs more easily — especially when you stand for a long time or change position suddenly. For a moment your brain doesn't get enough flow, and you feel dizzy. This is the single most common cause, and it's completely harmless.

Is dizziness a sign of pregnancy?

Sometimes mild dizziness really does show up in the earliest days, even before a missed period, alongside fatigue and nausea. But on its own, dizziness is an unreliable sign of pregnancy: your head can spin just as easily from being overtired, hungry, having low blood pressure, or right before your period. Only a test and a checkup with your provider can confirm a pregnancy. If your test is positive and you feel dizzy from time to time, it's most often just part of the overall hormonal shift that's typical of the first trimester.

Common causes of dizziness during pregnancy

Let's look at the typical situations that leave you feeling dizzy. The causes below usually aren't dangerous, and simple changes to your habits can help you manage them.

Standing up too fast — a drop in blood pressure

If you feel dizzy when you stand up from bed or a chair, it's most likely orthostatic hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure when you change position). Your blood can't reach your head fast enough, and for a couple of seconds you feel faint. What to do if you feel dizzy standing up: rise slowly — first sit on the edge of the bed, stay there for a few seconds, and only then get up. In the mornings, don't jump out of bed.

Feeling dizzy when you lie on your back

In the second half of pregnancy, you may feel dizzy when lying on your back. Your growing uterus presses on a large vein (the inferior vena cava) that returns blood to your heart — flow to your brain drops, and you feel faint and weak. This is known as supine hypotensive syndrome. The fix is simple: don't lie on your back for long, and roll onto your side, preferably the left. For the most comfortable and safest positions, see our guide to sleeping positions during pregnancy.

Hunger, low blood sugar, and dehydration

Long gaps between meals lower your blood sugar — and your head starts to spin. The same can happen with dehydration and overheating: on stuffy public transport, in a hot bath, a sauna, or out in the heat. A few simple habits help: eat small portions every few hours, always carry a snack (nuts, a piece of fruit, crackers, or yogurt), and drink enough water throughout the day.

Anemia and low hemoglobin

Low hemoglobin (anemia) is another common reason for dizziness during pregnancy. When you're short on iron, your tissues and brain get less oxygen, and you feel weak, pale, short of breath, and faint. You can read more in our article on anemia in pregnancy and low hemoglobin. Your provider may order a blood test and, if needed, recommend iron supplements.

Morning sickness and the first trimester

Dizziness in the first trimester often goes hand in hand with nausea. Morning sickness can make it hard to eat and drink normally, and the hormonal and vascular changes are at their peak right now — hence the faintness. Usually, by the start of the second trimester, once your body adjusts to its new state, dizziness bothers you less often.

Stuffy rooms, anxiety, and rapid breathing

A cramped, stuffy room, a crowd, strong anxiety, and rapid shallow breathing (hyperventilation) can all trigger dizziness too. In these cases it helps to step outside for fresh air, sit down, relax your shoulders, and breathe more slowly and deeply.

Feeling dizzy and nauseous — what does it mean?

Feeling faint and nauseous at the same time worries a lot of people, but during pregnancy it's most often explained by the same causes: low blood pressure, hunger, morning sickness, or a stuffy room. Feeling lightheaded and queasy together usually means your body is temporarily short on blood flow, food, or fresh air. If it keeps happening but eases once you've eaten and rested, there's usually no cause for alarm. What should raise a flag is a severe headache, spots or floaters in your vision, and faintness that won't let up even when you're resting — we'll cover those signs below.

What to do about dizziness: quick relief and prevention

The good news: there's a lot you can do about dizziness during pregnancy on your own. Here's how to ease dizziness quickly at home and how to keep it from coming back.

If you feel faint right now

• Sit or lie down right away so you don't fall and hurt yourself.
• If you're lying down, roll onto your side, preferably the left; if you're sitting, lower your head toward your knees.
• Raise your legs so blood flows back to your head.
• Loosen any tight clothing, open a window, or ask someone for help.
• Drink some water and eat something — a snack or something sweet.
• Get up gradually afterward — sit for a bit first, then rise slowly.

How to prevent dizziness

• Stand up and change position slowly, without sudden movements.
• Don't lie on your back for long — rest and sleep on your side.
• Eat small, frequent meals and keep a snack handy.
• Drink enough water, especially in hot weather.
• Avoid hot baths, saunas, stuffy rooms, and standing for long periods.
• Dress for the weather and try not to overheat.
• Wear comfortable shoes and avoid bending over sharply.

When to see your provider: warning signs

Most episodes of dizziness during pregnancy are harmless, but certain combinations of symptoms call for a prompt check. Contact your provider or seek urgent care if your dizziness comes with:

• spotting or vaginal bleeding;
• severe pain in your lower abdomen;
• a severe or unusual headache, floaters, spots, or other changes in your vision;
• a fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or shortness of breath;
• an actual faint — loss of consciousness;
• faintness that won't go away even after you've lain down and rested.

These symptoms can point to anemia, blood pressure that's too low or too high, preeclampsia, a heart rhythm problem, or — early on — an ectopic pregnancy. It doesn't mean something is definitely wrong, but it's worth checking without delay. If you did faint, be sure to tell your provider, even if you came around quickly.

Key takeaways

• Dizziness during pregnancy is common and usually harmless, tied to hormones and a natural drop in blood pressure.
• You're more likely to feel dizzy when you stand up suddenly, lie on your back for a long time, get hungry, become dehydrated, or overheat.
• Standing up slowly, sleeping on your side, eating small frequent meals, drinking water, and staying cool all help.
• At the first sign of faintness, sit or lie down, lower your head, and raise your legs.
• See your provider urgently if dizziness comes with bleeding, abdominal pain, a severe headache, vision changes, a racing heart, shortness of breath, or fainting.

This article is for general information only and isn't a substitute for personalized medical advice. If you have any worrying symptoms or concerns, always reach out to your OB-GYN.