Whilst you are glowing on the outside you may not be feeling so great on the inside,
fortunately some simple changes can often relieve your symptoms.
Always contact you treating Obstetrician or treating doctor if you have any concerns about these or any other health problems during your pregnancy.
It is quite normal to have a few discomforts though out pregnancy. Sometimes they can become quite severe and you may need some intervention.
Common concerns include:
morning sickness
constipation
food cravings and aversions
heartburn
frequent need to pass urine
back pain and tiredness
vaginal thrush
skin changes and itching
haemorrhoids (piles)
leg cramps
swollen ankles, feet and fingers
backache
fainting
Sore larger breasts
Morning sickness
'Morning sickness' despite its name can occur at any time of the day.
The cause remains unknown although it has been linked to changes in the levels of various hormones during pregnancy.
It usually starts at about the sixth week of pregnancy and settles by about the fourteenth week.
Some women will not be affected by morning sickness, but in others it can be so bad they have to be hospitalised for IV fluids. Generally the baby is unaffected by morning sickness unless your symptoms are severe and prolonged. It is of course very important to contact our rooms if you have lost a lot of weight quickly, you are dehydrated or you are worried about your health and how you are feeling.
Things you can do:
Drink plenty of fluids
It is important to drink plenty of fluids as dehydration makes nausea and vomiting worse.
Drink small amounts often.
Sometimes other fluids are managed better than water.
Flat lemonade
Lucozade / sports drinks such as Gatorade
Diluted fruit juice,
Cordial
Weak tea
Clear soup
Suck on ice or icy poles if other fluids cannot be managed.
Some people find ginger helps relieve nausea. Try dry ginger ale or ginger tea. To make ginger tea, soak three or four slices of ginger in boiling water for five minutes. Sip slowly. Ginger tablets are also available from your local pharmacy.
Reduce the severity of your symptoms:
Eat small amounts of food more often, rather than large meals.
Avoid having an empty stomach. Snack in between mealtimes, e.g. biscuits, fruit, toast.
Early morning nausea may be helped by eating a dry or plain sweet biscuit before getting out of bed or by snacking during the night if you wake up.
Salty foods may help. Try potato crisps or salty biscuits.
Try sucking on barley sugar or boiled sweets.
Avoid fatty, rich or spicy foods like takeaways, curries, hot chips, chocolate.
Make the most of your best time of the day – eat well when you feel best or whenever you feel hungry during the day.
If the smell of hot food makes you feel ill – try eating cold food instead. If possible, avoid cooking and ask for help from friends and relatives.
Choose simple dishes that are quick and easy to prepare. If you spend too much time preparing food you may not feel like eating.
Get plenty of rest.
Foods you can try:
Dry or plain sweet biscuits
Toast with honey or jam
Sandwiches with low fat fillings such as tomato, salad, vegemite
Low fat soups
Fresh or stewed fruit
Ice cream, custard or yoghurt
Grilled, lean meat
Steamed chicken
Baked or grilled fish
Boiled or scrambled eggs
Boiled rice
Mashed potato
Severe morning sickness
A small percentage of women suffer from excessive and prolonged vomiting, called 'hyperemesis'.
If left untreated, hyperemesis can lead to dehydration. It is important to call our rooms or you current Obstetrician if symptoms are severe.
How is hyperemesis treated?
- Prescription Medication
There is a range of medications of varying strengths which help to relieve severe symptoms. Make sure you take your medication regularly, as prescribed, or it will not be effective.
- Hospitalisation & IV fluids
If you are unable to drink enough fluid, you may need to attend your hospital for regular intravenous fluids. This may be recommended two to three times per week.
Drink as much as you can to keep hydrated and eat whatever you can tolerate.
As symptoms settle, gradually get back to healthy eating. This is important to replace the nutrients you have been missing out on.
We also recommend a pregnancy multivitamin supplement.
Weight loss form morning sickness
It is not uncommon to lose weight whilst you are unwell.
A small amount of weight loss is unlikely to harm your baby.
For prolonged vomiting with continued weight loss, it is important to seek advice from your doctor.
Weight can be regained quickly once you begin to eat normally again.
Gradually increase your intake until you are able to eat a well-balanced diet.
As your appetite improves, you will be able to manage greater amounts and a wider variety of foods.
Aim to eventually choose foods according to the healthy food guide and drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of fluid each day
Constipation
Pregnancy hormones can slow down the muscles in the bowel and in some women this can cause constipation.
Things to try:
Include plenty of fibre in your diet.
Fibre is contained in fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal breads and breakfast cereals, dried fruit, nuts and legumes.
Take a fibre supplement such as psyllium.
Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
Exercise regularly.
Important information:
Don’t take laxatives without advice from your doctor or midwife.
Iron tablets can cause constipation
Food cravings
Some women Experience food cravings during pregnancy and te reason for this is not really understood.
The cravings are often for foods that we seem to need, such as milk (we need more calcium during pregnancy), or tomatoes and oranges (vitamin C requirements double during pregnancy).
Some women may also crave things that aren’t actually food, such as chalk or clay.
Taste changes and food aversions
Women sometimes find that foods taste different or they 'go off' certain foods such as tea, coffee or meat.
This usually settles down as the pregnancy progresses.
If you have found it difficult to eat particular foods that are important for your diet, you may like to try them again later in the pregnancy.
Heartburn
Heartburn is quite common during pregnancy and can be triggered by hormonal changes as well as the growing baby pressing on your stomach.
Heartburn is a burning feeling in your chest, accompanied by a bitter taste of fluid in the mouth.
Things to try:
Eat small meals frequently and slowly.
Avoid fatty, fried or spicy food.
Sleep semi-upright, well supported by plenty of pillows.
Drink a glass of milk before you eat
Avoid drinking with meals.
If these practices don’t seem to be helping then speak with your doctor who may prescribe an antacid.
Tiredness and difficulty sleeping
During pregnancy your sleep can be disturbed by nightly visits to the toilet, heartburn, a kick from the baby or just a general feeling of discomfort when you lie down.
Some women may experience disturbing dreams or nightmares in the last couple of months, which can be due to anxiety about approaching childbirth and parenthood.
Things to try:
Lie on your side with a pillow under your tummy and another between your knees.
Rest during the day.
Avoid stimulants such as tea and coffee before bedtime.
Wait until you are very tired before you go to bed at night.
Go for a walk, or do some other exercise, in the late afternoon or early evening.
Try a relaxing activity before bed such as soaking in a bath, listening to music, massage or meditation.
Haemorrhoids (Piles)
Haemorrhoids are swollen veins around the rectum and anus that may be itchy, ache or feel sore.
Piles may bleed a little and can make it very uncomfortable to go to the toilet. They can be triggered by constipation or pressure from the baby's head, or both.
Things to try:
Include plenty of fibre in your diet such as fruit and vegetables, wholemeal breads and breakfast cereals.
Avoid standing for long periods.
Avoid straining when sitting on the toilet.
Talk to your midwife or doctor about a suitable ointment or suppository if bleeding and pain persist.
Vaginal thrush
Vaginal discharge affects most women at some stage during their pregnancy.
If the discharge smells unpleasant, causes soreness, itching or is discoloured, you may have a vaginal infection.
The most common infection is thrush.
It is important to contact our rooms for treatment.
Frequent Urination
It may feel like you are always running to the toilet.
In early pregnancy this is due to hormonal changes, but in later pregnancy it is because your growing baby is pressing on your bladder.
In late pregnancy, you may also find it difficult to completely empty your bladder.
Leaking Urine
In the last few weeks of pregnancy you may 'leak' urine when you cough, sneeze or lift something. This is usually due to the pressure on or the weakening of your pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor exercises are crucial during pregnancy and throughout your adult life to avoid continence problems as you get older.
Urine Infection
If you feel pain or burning when you pass urine it may mean you have an infection.
It is important to contact our rooms or your gp to arrange a urine test and prescription antibiotics.
Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramps in the foot, leg or thigh are very common during pregnancy, especially at night.
It is not clear what causes cramps.
Things to try:
Massage and stretching the affected limb or muscle during the cramp often gives relief.
Salt baths, such as epsom salt bath , (not too hot)
Important to remember:
anti inflammatory medications are NOT safe during pregnancy and it is important to avoid spa's and sauna's
Swollen ankles, feet and fingers
Most pregnant women will experience swelling in their ankles, feet and fingers.
There is extra fluid in the tissues of your body during pregnancy and some of it collects in your legs, particularly at the end of the pregnancy.
If you stand for long periods of time, especially in hot weather, this fluid can cause swelling in the ankles and feet. It is more noticeable towards the end of the day and usually goes down at night while you sleep.
Things to try:
Avoid prolonged standing.
Rest frequently with your feet elevated.
Wear comfortable/loose shoes.
Important information:
Swelling may be a symptom of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia.
Contact our rooms or your treating Doctor if you experience the following:
your ankles, feet or fingers are very swollen
the swelling is not relieved by rest
you notice swelling in other parts of your body.
Backache
Most women experience backache at some stage during their pregnancy.
Your posture can be affected by the growing baby, the loosening of ligaments due to hormonal changes and greater water retention in the tissues.
Backache is often worse at night contributing to sleeping difficulties, especially during the later stages of pregnancy.
Things to try:
Avoid heavy lifting and housework.
Avoid prolonged standing.
Rest frequently with legs elevated.
Try to maintain good posture.
Sit in chairs with good back support.
Fainting
You will most likely feel faint if you stand up too quickly as you get up from a hot bath or if you have stand for too long.
It is important to lie or sit down at the first sign of faintness.
In late pregnancy, lying on your back can make you feel faint; you will feel better if you turn onto your side.
Important to :Contact our rooms or your treating doctor if you have frequent dizziness or fainting.
Itching
As your baby grows, the skin of your abdomen gets tighter and may cause mild itching. This is common in pregnancy.
Important to remember:
If you experience persistent itching as this can be a sign of a more serious problem. Medication and further tests may be ordered.
Skin Changes
Pregnancy can change the tone and colour of your skin, this is due to pregnancy hormones.
The extra blood circulating around your body can cause your skin to 'glow', but for some women it may cause:-
red patches
acne may get worse and
areas of your skin may become dry and scaly
deeper pigmentation across your face.
Changes in pigmented skin affects nearly every woman, this includes moles, freckles and the areola (nipples) of the breasts, Genitalia, the inner sides of thighs, underneath your eyes and in your armpits may also become darker.
Some women develop a dark line running down the centre of your stomach. This is called the linea nigra.
Sunlight intensifies areas of skin that are already pigmented and many women find that they tan more easily during pregnancy.
Even after birth, the deeper pigmented skin will remain darker for some time but will gradually fade and disappear.
Chloasma
Chloasma is a special form of pigmentation also called the mask of pregnancy, which appears as brown patches on the bridge of the nose, cheeks and neck. These patches will begin to fade after the baby is born.
Stretch marks
These usually appear across the abdomen, although they can affect the thighs, hips, breasts and upper arms.
While the red streaks look prominent during pregnancy, after the birth they fade and become pale silvery streaks
Sore Larger Breasts
You may need to get some new bras. It is important to have them properly fitted, so that they are comfortable and not too tight. It is also good to avoid hard under-wire bras.
It is important to remember that if you are concerned by any symptoms you may be experiencing always contact you treating Obstetrician, Midwife or regular General practitioner for further advise and treatment.
My patients can contact the rooms on Ph: 5222 8858