You could have a very healthy pregnancy and still experience any number of discomforts. These discomforts are caused by the changes that pregnancy brings about in your body. Most don’t require treatment, but in many cases there are a few simple things you can do to help make matters better. You should, however, discuss any problem that bothers you with your doctor.
Inflammation triggered by hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause bleeding gums, which are common. Sore and swollen gums are less common.
See your dental provider if your gums are particularly painful or swollen or if they bleed easily.
Breathlessness is common both early in pregnancy and in the third trimester. Early on, the hormone progesterone affects the brain and causes you to breathe more deeply. During the third trimester, difficulty breathing can result from the uterus compressing the diaphragm, which presses on your lungs. During the final weeks, this problem can ease up as the fetus drops in the uterus.
Call your doctor if your breathlessness is severe or is accompanied by rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
More than half of all pregnant women suffer constipation. The hormone progesterone is one cause. It relaxes the muscles and slows down the wavelike contractions that move stool through your digestive tract. Iron in prenatal vitamins can also contribute to constipation.
If the self-care steps listed below fail, talk to your doctor. He or she might recommend a stool softener that is safe during pregnancy.
It’s not unusual to feel lightheaded or dizzy during pregnancy. Some reasons: Your overall blood pressure is lower, and the enlarged uterus can compress and block the large vein carrying blood to your heart. Either way, your brain’s blood supply can be reduced. Low blood sugar can be another cause.
Brief lightheadedness, especially when you stand up from a sitting position or lie on your back, is common. But call your doctor right away if you experience repeated dizziness or fainting.
Practically every expectant mother deals with bouts of tiredness. It’s understandable, since your body has to direct some of its energy toward supporting the growing fetus. During the first semester, your body is undergoing many changes, and by the third trimester you are carrying much more weight. Often, you are restless and suffer from interrupted sleep.
If you experience severe, persistent fatigue even after trying the self-care steps below, call your doctor.
Especially at night, many pregnant women feel the urge to urinate more frequently during their first trimester. That’s because of hormonal changes and the added pressure your growing uterus exerts on your bladder. The result: You feel a strong urge to urinate, but only pass a small amount of urine. During the third trimester, frequent urination may again occur as the fetus drops in preparation for delivery. Urinary tract infections can also trigger frequent urination.
If you experience pain while urinating, contact your doctor.
Heartburn and indigestion plague almost every pregnant woman. Again, blame the hormone progesterone. It relaxes the ring-like sphincter at the base of your esophagus, which normally closes off entry to the stomach. When that doesn’t occur, food mixed with digestive enzymes can back up into your esophagus. The result: irritation and a burning sensation in your chest. You can also feel full because of the pressure your growing uterus puts on your stomach.
Call your doctor if your heartburn persists or keeps you from eating enough to gain weight. Many effective antacids (calcium carbonate, aluminum and magnesium hydroxides and trisilicates) are safe to take while you are pregnant. Do not take other kinds of antacids without checking with your health care provider first.
Hemorrhoids — swollen veins in the rectum — affect half of all pregnant women. They occur when your enlarged uterus presses on the veins. Constipation, or straining during bowel movements, can make them worse. The symptoms include enlarged veins, painful defecation and, occasionally, bleeding during bowel movements.
Incontinence (uncontrolled urination) affects some women in the third trimester. Pressure on the bladder from the growing uterus and more relaxed pelvic muscles help cause incontinence.
Ask your doctor how to do Kegel exercises, which will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
Urinate frequently, as soon as you feel the urge.
Thigh or calf cramps are very common, particularly during the last trimester and often at night.
Increased levels of estrogen during pregnancy can inflame the mucous membranes of your nose and give you a stuffy feeling. Some women mistakenly think they have allergies. Hot air and dry conditions can contribute to the problem. This stuffiness can worsen as the pregnancy progresses, but usually goes away after delivery. The larger volume of blood during pregnancy can also swell tiny blood vessels in your nose, which are more apt to burst and cause a nosebleed with repeated nose blowing.
If your problems are severe, see your doctor. He or she might recommend pregnancy-safe medications.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause a host of skin changes. These include a darkening of your areola (the dark areas around your nipples) and a dark line running from your navel to your pubic area. Other changes can include melasma, a mask-like change in skin color on the cheeks, forehead and above the lips that is worsened by sun exposure; red palms; blue, dappled feet; a short-lived form of acne; and heat rashes. All these usually fade away after delivery. The increased weight and enlarged size of your breasts and abdomen can also cause stretch marks, which can cause your skin to itch. Small harmless growths known as skin tags can also develop, usually on the neck, arms and in the groin area. Stretch marks and skin tags may persist after pregnancy; a doctor can remove skin tags.
See your doctor about any skin changes that concern you, including skin that itches intensely all over.
Changes in your body shape are just one of the reasons that pregnancy can cause sleep problems. Hormonal changes and other pregnancy discomforts can also cause sleep problems.
Report any serious sleep problems to your doctor.
Increased hormonal production triggers increased vaginal discharge during pregnancy. But be alert for differences between benign discharges and the kind that can indication an infection. Normal vaginal discharge during pregnancy is thin and white, with a non-offensive odor. As your pregnancy progresses, your discharge volume might increase.
If your discharge is itchy or burns, otherwise causes you discomfort, has an unpleasant odor or is green or yellow, see your doctor. You might need to be tested for infection.
Varicose veins are veins that become swollen and visible through the skin. The result: Your legs might feel heavy and ache. During pregnancy, varicose veins can result from pressure the uterus exerts on the pelvis and legs, which causes blood to pool there. In addition, you have an increased volume of blood during pregnancy. This also puts extra pressure on the valves in the veins that usually keep blood from accumulating.
To keep blood circulating:
An increased volume of fluid during pregnancy can cause your ankles and feet to swell because of water retention (edema). Your hands and fingers might also swell.
Normally, water retention is harmless. But if you have swelling of the face, blurred vision or headache, call your doctor right away. You could have preeclampsia, a serious condition related to high blood pressure that can have serious effects on both you and your baby.
minimize normal water retention:
Discover How You Can Treat Infertility Naturally, Without Drugs or Surgery
Related Post :