Hot Flashes/Dizzy during Pregnancy?

I love this board :-) I always seem to have a million questions when I'm pregnant.

I'm going to try to explain this as best I can. I had this through out my pregnancy with my son, and am now experiencing it again. If I exert myself too much, I will often start to get really hot, then I will start feeling sick to my stomach and my stomach gets tight, then I feel like I am going to pass out. The only thing that helps is to sit down. Some days it won't bother me at all, and other days it is so bad that just going up and down my basement stairs causes it. My last pregnancy the doctor said it was low blood pressure and I just had to take it easy. But this time, my blood pressure was actually high, so I don't think my BP is what's doing it. I know someone who had the same thing when she was pregnant, but again the doctor didn't seem concerned.

The only reason I am concerned is because some days it severely limits what I can do and I'm afraid that if I do pass out, I will get put on bed rest. And I am just really curious as to what it could be. Has anyone else experienced this?

I had the same thing when I was pregnant with my daughter but it was low blood pressure. Could the high blood pressure be doing the same? I know my dad has high blood pressure and he gets like that sometimes.

Are you eating regularly? I would feel like I was going to pass out if I went more than a few hours without food, my blood sugar would drop like crazy when I was pregnant.

I had a ton of questions when I was pregnant to and I go onto a forum for that its called http://www.pregnancy.org/ you can join your birth board with people having the baby at the same time as you.

Hmmm it could be that the high blood pressure is causing the same thing. Of course, my BP has only been checked once so far this pregnancy so it could have just been high that one time.

Yeah, I make sure I eat regularly 'cause I get low blood sugar if I don't.

I had that during my pregnancy as well, but it was because of low blood sugar, like Rachel said. It came on strong and fast. The only thing I could do is sit down and eat something. My midwife didn't seem concerned, she just said to eat something, and make sure the DH was taking good care of me.

Yep I had it near the end... probably for 2 reasons: she was sitting very high and I had hard times breathing especially walking up stairs which in turn would be me feel sick and then due to my high blood pressure.

Mine was due to low blood pressure and low iron. The doctor wasn't really concerned that I was passing out because I've had it happen even when I wasn't pregnant. The only reason she told me to stop working early, is because it started happening more frequently towards the end, and it was unpredictable.

It happened a few times while I was on the skytrain and we all know how helpful people are on public transit. (I was being sarcastic here) Eight months preggy and no one would give me a seat. About 45 mins on the train on my feet, who wouldn't pass out.

Yes, public transit - I got the same 'treatment' here in Toronto too when I was eight months pregnant! Getting a seat is like pulling teeth!

I found myself getting hot flashes (a preview of menopause?) and dizzy spells throughout my third pregnancy. I am now due in 12 days - almost there! Since my blood pressure was, and has been normal during all pregnancies, I thought that I might be missing something else. All tests showed up ok, except for one, that indicated I was suffering from iron deficiency. Once I began taking iron supplements (I made sure to get the ones at the health store that do not constipate), it took almost a month and I felt much better. My energy levels increased significantly and no more dizzy spells! I still get the odd hot flash, but it's not too severe now.

:-)