Ugh... So I have an issue where if I stand for too long, I faint. It has been an issue for me since I was 15 (Almost 7 years). If I'm walking around and doing things, I'm fine. But if I'm just standing in one spot, I start to feel faint after a while.
Yes, I make sure that I'm not "locking" my knees. I make sure to drink plenty of water. I make sure to eat the appropriate amount of food and get the right amount of vitamins/nutrients. I have had done several times and everything always comes back just fine. After an X-ray, the doctors did find that the top two vertebrae in my spine are angled weirdly but they assured me that I was probably born like that and that it has nothing to do with my fainting issues.
It got a little worse when I was pregnant with Oliver, but was still manageable. However, since becoming pregnant with this kiddo it has gotten ridiculous. I can't even stand long enough to wash the dishes. I have to scrub 5 to 10 dishes, sit down for a while, rinse off those dishes, sit down for a while, scrub 5 to 10 more, sit down for a while, etc. And by 'for a while', I mean it takes at least 5 minutes before I feel like I can stand up without fainting.
I have only actually fainted twice... Once a couple of months before I got pregnant with Oliver and once when I was about 10 weeks pregnant with Oliver. Both times I was at work as a cashier.
So, since I've applied for several cashiering jobs and am really hoping to get one of them... I'm kind of freaking out about how I'm going to manage this. I have to work. I can't just not work. We can't afford it. I can't go back to being a nanny. I was making enough for us to get by, but not enough for us to actually get a little ahead and spend money on things like baby clothes... Which we obviously need. Oh and before everyone starts with the comments about how we shouldn't have another baby if we can't afford it... Waited until we were financially stable before we started TTC for this baby. When we started TTC and the entire 9 months that we were TTC, we were coming out ahead every month and putting money into savings. We could afford another baby. Then a few weeks after finding out that we were expecting, I lost my job (I was a nanny and they didn't need me anymore). I haven't been able to find a job for months (Not including the one that I recently posted about because I only had it for a week and didn't get paid), during which time car problems (My car and my husband's car took turns breaking down. Seriously, as soon as one was fixed the other one broke down) got rid of our savings. So now we are not able to afford a baby, but we are still expecting and have no intentions of "getting rid of" our daughter... So just don't bother with the comments :)
ANYWAYS, I'm going to talk to my doctor about this at my next appointment but that isn't for another week and a half. Until then... Any suggestions?
Are you very tall by any chance? My 5'10" friend had this problem but only when pregnant. Her doctor said it is more common in tall people but I don't remember why.
You need to talk with your doctorS - not just your general practitioner - OB/GYN and a specialist.
You need to get to the root of the problem, which you have been told by numerous people over the years...If you faint again - are you going to refuse the ambulance?
You need to be checked for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), high blood sugar (Diabetes), iron (anemia), heart problems - yes - HEART PROBLEMS and/or blood vessel problems - so they need to REALLY look at your body - being pregnant may mean that some tests cannot be conducted - they may have to do a full body scan with contrast to see how the blood flows in your body....
If and when you feel faint:
* Make sure you're in a safe place, then sit down right away so you don't fall and injure yourself or your baby.
* Lie down after you've safely reached a sitting position. Prop your feet up on some pillows or a jacket so that your feet are above the level of your heart. Doing this raises blood flow to the heart and in turn the brain--exactly what you need.
* If you can't lie down, place your head between your knees to increase circulation to your brain.
* Turn onto your side to prevent choking if you feel nauseated and start vomiting.
Here's some links on fainting...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003092.htm
http://www.babycenter.com/0_dizziness-and-fainting-during...
http://www.childrenscolorado.org/wellness/your_health/hea...
http://firstaid.about.com/od/chronicillnesses/qt/08_Faint...
I hope you read each one carefully - the common denominator? HEART PROBLEMS - UN-DIAGNOSED heart problems.
Sorry that you had things happen that drained your savings. Sucks. Life happens. Then you move on. As to the car problems? Prevention is the best means to keep it from happening...oil change, paying attention to what's going on with your car - not just putting gas in it - tire pressure (to prevent flats) and getting better gas mileage.
I'm not sure who would tell you to "get rid of your baby". Stuff happens. You thought you had a great job - it fell through. Still not sure why you "HAD" to quit - but really - taking "any" job? Scary.
Taking a job where you know you will be standing all day is NOT a good thing. It's poor planning. I "GET" that you "NEED" a job. However, I would STRONGLY suggest that you get a certification in SOMETHING instead of just taking ANY job. Go to your local university or community college - and find out if you qualify for a grant or scholarship - and go to school - even get a certification on something!
Work on your photography. You can grow your business and take on clients as you need.
You state that you "eat healthy" - but you don't state if you are a vegetarian or what. Do you get enough protein? The vitamins you take - do ALL of your doctor's know what you are taking?
Do a food diary - keep track of what you eat EVERY DAY for two weeks to a month - keep track of when you feel faint - did you eat something different that day? Did you not have enough water? Protein?
I don't think you should wait 10 days to see your doctor. If you are truly fainting, and you are pregnant, they need to know NOW and see if there is some test they can run to what's going on. You can wear a heart monitor for 24-48 hours - and they can find out if it's a heart problem.
Hope you find out what's causing this.
When I was in cadets as a teen we often had to stand at attention for long periods of time, and it was not uncommon for kids to faint. We were always instructed to make sure we were wiggling our toes inside our boots to keep our circulation going and prevent fainting. When you are washing dishes or cashiering try to make sure you are moving your feet.
Drink more water - like 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Maybe slightly up your salt intake a bit if your dr says it's ok.
Some possible causes:
low blood pressure
low blood sugar
inner or middle ear infection (they are not always painful)
some people faint from stress (I think you've got enough going on for this one to be possible)
heart problems
In addition to the other great advice, a very common problem when standing still ( and not just locking your knees) is that people fail to contract their muscles.
So, when you are standing in front of the mirror, brushing your teeth, applying make up, or doing dishes - those are common places to stand still, you must alternate your weight from leg to leg, you must learn to contract your muscles, from calf up to thigh, and in reverse. See if this helps.
Basically, you can stand still, but actively engage your muscles. Since you do have this problem, you do have to incorporate methods to avert fainting.
HTH!
Look for a TED talk on youtube by Lissa Rankin, MD. She talks about the mind-body connection. One question she asks all of her clients is: "If you tune in and listen to your body, what is it telling you that you need?" If you could stop and really listen to your body, what would it have to say about your life that it may need you to change or add or let go of?
Definitely look into this. It could be a condition called orthostatic hypotension. Do you feel woozy and faint when you stand up from sitting or laying down? If you bend down to pick something up do you get a vision disturbance or your hearing gets muffled for a few seconds until you kind of just snap back to normal? Standing for too long can also cause the sensation of fainting or like you might black out and then it passes. I may be totally off base but what you are describing sounds an awful like orthostatic hypotension. One of my daughters has this and it was really bad during puberty because her body was changing and lots of hormones were coming into play. It also is aggravated by pregnancy as well. The blood pressure runs very low and it drops suddenly when shifts in body weight or gravity takes over when standing up or just standing for a long time. The vessels have a hard time getting the blood up to the brain fast enough to compensate for your movement. The key is to keep blood volume way up....lots of fluid, must stay well hydrated, keep sodium levels up to increase blood pressure, get up from sitting or laying down slowly and allow the body to adjust the blood pressure before jumping to your feet. Sometimes it will go away over time or with age. Other people have this for years and just do the best they can to manage it with preventative measures. First things first....get a proper diagnosis from your doctor to be sure. It might be this, and it might not. Only the pro's will know!
I'm sorry you have so much on your plate right now. I'm glad you're going to talk to your doctor soon. This is just off the wall, but... low blood pressure, maybe?
Several things come to mind which have also caused me to be light-headed before:
1. Hypoglycemia. You mention you eat well, but do you eat protein every couple of hours? If I don't, I get very lightheaded, my heart races, I shake and feel sick. As a teen, I passed out standing working a cart at an amusement park when they made me work through break.
2. Low blood pressure. Mine is extremely low, which also makes it easier for me to get lightheaded.
3. Low iron. Did they check for this? When mine gets too low, it also causes problems for me.
Sorry, I haven't read all responses. Sounds a lot like me and I am anemic. An iron pill in addition to my multi-vitamin (taken at different times) tends to keep it in check. Good luck!
Do you have low blood pressure? Do you have low sodium?
Those of us that live with low blood pressure often feel like this. My MIL added salt to everything to keep hers up. She even salted her toast a bit. If you're at all in this category try adding a little salt/sodium to your diet and see if it helps.
If you have higher blood pressure it could be that you're heart is working too hard when you're standing and it's shooting up.
It could be your baby is sitting back against the aorta. It supplies a lot of blood and if it's already smaller than usual, having a baby compress it will make matters worse.
Yes...definitely discuss it with your doc.
I'm surprised this hasn't been resolved by now!
Scary stuff.
Good luck!
I really dont' know what anyone can suggest. It's going to be really hard to find a job while you're pregnant and then on top of that to ask an employer to accommodate your fainting thing. I'm afraid they will just move on to the next applicant who doesn't have all these issues.
You really CAN'T be a nanny - what would happen if you were to faint while you were caring for someone else's children. I think you need to start looking for/applying for jobs that don't require you to be on your feet all day. Again, finding a job while you're pregnant is going to be really tough. Perhaps you can survive on unemployment compensation until after you have the baby. You can get pretty much everything you'll need from thrift stores. You don't have to spend a fortune and have all brand new things.
Good luck! When it rains, it pours!
do you have the store Aldi near you? the cashiers sit in chairs there...
Congrats on your pregnancy (yay!), and there's good advice below. I'd suggest extra iron supplements if ok with doc, and also, remember to take deep, slow breaths when standing. Always try to think about something which will distract you from your anxiety. I've had the same problem since I was little to the point where when my mother cut my hair, I often had to hold on to something so I wouldn't feel faint. I still have the same problem while standing in long lines at busy stores. Wishing you good health and less stress. :)
