I hiked Mount Major this weekend and I was surprised at how hard it was. I had a hard time catching my breath and had to stop about 10 times to rest. Mt. Major is a hike that I would rip off in 40 minutes or less without needing a break except maybe to slug a little water just a few months ago.
At about 8 weeks, I hiked Mount Monadnock and thought I was going to
die. I was shocked at feeling so out of control of my physical
fitness. I quickly I lost my breath and had to stop and rest over and
over again. I felt light headed and breathless within 5 minutes of
hiking.
I had expected, at 8 weeks, to feel all of those things. In the first
trimester, it is normal for a pregnant woman to get lightheaded easily
because blood pressure can be low as the body is trying to make up an
additional two liters of blood to supply the growing uterine muscle,
additional blood vessels and the baby. I had guessed that this far
into my second trimester that things would be a lot easier.
My midwife says that it is completely normal. Even though my body has
completed the needed two extra liters of blood and my blood pressure is
back up to normal, there is still an increased demand for oxygen from
the fetus and seven liters (instead of 5) of blood to oxygenate. It
all makes sense, but I was not expecting it.
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