5 Common Problems Pregnant Women Face

Pregnancy symptoms and complications can range from mild and annoying discomforts to severe. Keep in mind that there are ways to manage problems that come up during pregnancy. Always contact your prenatal care provider if you have any concerns during your pregnancy.
Total
0
Shares
pregnant-woman-

Pregnancy in the movies may seem all breezy, all happy going and pleasant but in reality, it comes with a set of issues that can really be troublesome for the mom to be.

Here are 5 common problems that I get asked about and this is what you can do about it

Constipation

You are in your first trimester and it’s hardly been a month since that pregnancy kit tested positive. Along with nausea and vomiting, you feel constipated.

The hormone Progesterone is the one to blame here. It relaxes the intestines causing hard stools.

This could be added upon by any antacids that you might be consuming for acidity. Don’t be surprised if it takes more than half an hour in the loo.

What you can do about it

  • Taking lots of water and a high fibre diet like green leafy veggies, fresh ripe fruits, prunes etc things that might come in handy.
  • Changing the antacid (if any).
  • Light exercise, even walking helps.

If that’s not helping, your doctor can prescribe you laxatives which can be given depending upon your severity of constipation.

Backache

Even though you might be expecting backache in your 3rd trimester, you will be surprised when that hits you in your early pregnancy and not only that you also have other joint pains.

The hormone to blame here is Relaxin.

Its actual purpose is to prepare your body so that it can accommodate the baby and for that, it stretches the joints and as it doesn’t know which joint to specifically act on, it acts on all of them and it reaches its peak in almost 14th week itself.

As the pregnancy progresses it will be added upon by pressure due to the baby’s weight and altered posture too.

What you can do about it

  • Rest
  • Stretching exercises do help, but you need to talk to your doctor before as there might be a few high-risk factors that may need strict bed rest on your part.
  • Pregnancy belly support band or a wrap, even a cotton saree can be used to wrap but keep in mind, it should be snugly fit and not tight. Using this may help not only reduce the baby’s weight pressure but also supports the back.
  • Pregnancy pillows are also available as  C or U Shaped pillows. This can be used to support your back while sleeping and sitting but can also be doubled up as a breastfeeding pillow and even a baby support pillow as the baby grows.

Both the pillows also provide good support to the belly and also our legs while sleeping in a sideways posture.

Swollen Feet

This is usually more prominent in the second or the third trimester.

Remember the hormone progesterone? That, plus almost 50% increase in the fluid volume and weight of the uterus causing slowing down of the blood from the legs can all contribute individually or together to the swollen feet.

How to know that the swollen feet aren’t due to some other complication?

Preeclampsia is a high-risk factor to keep in mind when you have swollen feet.

Usually, the swollen feet that you get due to the pregnancy changes are more prominent in the early morning when you wake up and the swelling reduces as you walk about during the day.

If you notice sudden swelling of your feet or the swelling is also associated with swelling of the face or entire body or there is a sudden increase in weight or there is headache or blurring of vision or vomitings, consult your doctor right away.

What you can do about it

  • Feet elevation, especially while sleeping using a blanket or a pillow under your feet reduces the swelling.
  • Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking at least 2 litres of water
  • Reducing the caffeine intake
  • Wearing comfortable shoes and airy clothes and going even for a 10-minute walk helps at the same time avoid standing continuously for a long time.
  • If you also have varicose veins, compression stockings help.

Itching

Itching can be a very irritating problem which can hamper a good night’s sleep which is already a rarity thanks to the frequent urination.

Now,even though itching seems to be a simple problem,it’s a symptom not to be taken lightly.

Most of the times the hormonal changes or the stretching of the skin (especially on the tummy) or dryness of skin or allergy to  deodorant/ creams /fabrics are the common causes of itching.

Conditions like PUPPP where the rash is especially around the stretch marks or prurigo (can come anywhere in the body) can also be there and for that you have to consult a dermatologist.

Sometimes ,the itching could be a symptom of a condition called as Cholestatis (ICP) which is a serious condition and needs immediate treatment.

What you can do

  • Avoid  contact with new chemicals and always do a patch test before applying anything new to your body.
  • Using a moisturizer or even a calamine lotion over the area helps.You can also use coconut oil or olive oil as they also have moirturising effect and also help with the stretch marks
  • Wear airy clothes.
  • Even if you think that the itching is tolerable,always get it evaluated to rule out cholestatis.

Hemorrhoids

Also knows as piles this condition tends to be very common during pregnancy.

Due to the pregnancy changes,there will be increased blood flow in the all the blood vessels and that includes the vessels near the anus.

It might be shocking to see bright red blood when you go to the loo and you didn’t even feel any pain.

There are two types of hemorrhoids,external (painful) and internal (painless). They can also be associated with soreness,itching or swelling near the anus. Some can be painful too and even worse when associated with constipation.

What you can do about it

They usually reduce on their own after delivery but managing them during pregnancy is also important.

  • Ideal thing would be consulting a surgeon to know the severity of the piles.
  • Taking lots of water,high fibre diet reduces the constipation and also the bleeding as the stool is soft.
  • Sitz bath with Epsom salts in case of external piles really helps.
  • Your doctor may prescribe local treatment (in case of external piles) and also laxatives.

But if the condition is severe there are surgical methods like sclerotherapy or hemorrhoidectomy,banding etc can be attempted depending on the severity, although preferred treatment is conservative.

Every pregnancy is unique and  you may or may not have these issues but it is important that you don’t take any symptom lightly. Everyone will suggest some home remedies, which you can follow provided you know for a fact that they are safe.

Always ring up your doctor even if you have the slightest doubt,after all, its your health and your baby we are talking about!!

 

Leave a Reply

KSP NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to get the latest news & updates delivered directly to your inbox.

You May Also Like