You are 11 weeks and 6 days

If you're out of breath at the top of the stairs, accept it as a normal side effect of pregnancy.

197 days until your due date

By the end of the first trimester, it's normal to feel a little breathless, because your heart and lungs are working much harder to supply oxygen for all the changes that let your baby grow.

You need about 20 percent more oxygen than usual in pregnancy, some for the placenta and baby and the rest for your other organs. To get it, you breathe faster and deeper, almost hyperventilating, so you feel short of breath, especially when exercising.

The breathlessness may continue or get worse as pregnancy goes on. As the baby grows, your uterus expands upward and your other organs shift to make room, pushing against your diaphragm, so it's harder to take a deep breath and you have to breathe faster to get enough oxygen. Progesterone may also affect how fast you breathe.

If you're worried about breathlessness, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor.

Ask a Doctor

I've gone from an A cup to a D cup. Will it last forever?

Most women who've had babies report a permanent increase in breast size, but it's unlikely to be this much! Estrogen causes fat to be laid down in the breasts, and when your milk comes in after the birth they'll get bigger still, but they'll shrink again once you stop breastfeeding.

Focus on

Health: Feeling better?

By the end of this trimester, many early pregnancy symptoms are likely to have passed:

Nausea may be easing, and it can be a huge relief to wake up without feeling sick. Your appetite will return, and you can stop worrying about whether your baby is getting enough nourishment, a common worry for women with morning sickness.
You won't need to urinate as often, because your uterus is moving up into the abdomen and pressing less on your bladder.
The tiredness of the early months is likely to have lifted, and you may be sleeping more deeply as you relax into your pregnancy.

If your sickness hasn't passed yet, don't worry; for some women it lasts longer.

Explainer

Energy returns

Some of your usual energy should start to come back toward the end of the first trimester.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.

I've gone from an A cup to a D cup. Will it last forever?

Health: Feeling better?

Energy returns

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