Taking Care of Yourself
The following text describes what you can do for some of the common health problems you may face during your pregnancy; alternative therapies are included in some cases. Remember, though: You should never hesitate to call your doctor about any discomfort or illness you experience while you’re pregnant.
Abdominal Pain
To relieve sharp pains or cramps from stretched abdominal muscles and ligaments, particularly when sitting or lying down, use a warm heating pad. Regular exercise will strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles. (See Pregnancy Exercises.)
Backache
Keep your weight gain under control with proper diet and exercise. Avoid taking analgesics; instead, use a heating pad to relieve pain. Special exercises to strengthen abdominal muscles can also help reduce backache. Try a pregnancy girdle or elastic sling to support your abdomen. Wear shoes or shoe inserts designed for pregnant women, and avoid high heels.
Don’t stand for long periods and don’t stretch to reach high places. Sit straight without slouching, and whenever possible, sit with your legs elevated. Sleep on a firm mattress.
Be careful when lifting heavy loads - especially children. Bend at the knees, keep your back as straight as possible, hold the object or child close to your body, and raise yourself slowly.
Chiropractic. See a licensed chiropractor for treatment of possible spinal misalignment brought about by the stress of the pregnancy.
Massage. Sit backward on a straight chair. Lean over the back with your head resting on your crossed arms. Have the massager use long strokes, working upward and outward from the lower back, avoiding pressure on the spine.
Breast Discomfort
Wear a bra that gives your enlarged breasts proper support. If your breasts leak small amounts of fluid, use nursing pads in your bra.
Breathlessness
Some breathlessness is common and normal. Keep your weight gain within the recommended limits and maintain good posture, especially when you are sitting. Sleep on your side, not on your back.
Constipation
To keep stools soft and bowel movements regular, get plenty of dietary fiber from fresh fruit, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and breads and dried fruit. Avoid using over-the-counter laxatives. Fiber or stool softener agents may be helpful. Try psyllium (Plantago psyllium), an herbal bulk-forming agent. Drink lots of fluids and exercise regularly.
Contractions
Mild, painless uterine contractions usually start sometime after the 20th week of pregnancy. If they cause discomfort, try changing positions. If contractions start coming at regular intervals, notify your doctor.
Cystitis (Bladder Infection)
If you develop a bladder infection or any type of urinary tract infection, ask your doctor about appropriate treatment.
Many bladder infections are triggered by sexual intercourse. Remember to empty your bladder immediately after sex and watch for symptoms.
Nutrition and Diet. Several glasses of cranberry juice a day are said to be helpful in preventing urinary tract infections.
Dizziness and Faintness
Slow down when you stand up or get out of bed. Dizziness when you rise too quickly from a sitting or prone position is called postural hypotension. If you’re in a crowd and start feeling dizzy, step away and get some fresh air; if possible, lie down with your feet elevated or sit with your head between your knees.
Fatigue
Get a full night’s sleep and rest with your feet up for at least 15 minutes several times a day.
Headaches
Make sure you get enough rest, eat regularly, and drink six or more glasses of water daily. Avoid aspirin or other over-the-counter painkillers except for acetaminophen; instead, try such stress-reduction techniques as yoga or meditation. Or try taking a hot bath with a cold pack on your forehead.
Heartburn
Avoid heavy meals and spicy, greasy, sugary and acidic foods. Stick to a bland, high-fiber diet, drink lots of fluids and exercise daily. Don’t lie down right after a meal. Raise the head of your bed two to four inches with a stable support such as wooden blocks. Antacids can be helpful.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids may develop due to the increased blood in your body during pregnancy, plus the increased pressure to the blood vessels in your pelvis. They usually disappear after the birth. Eat a high-fiber diet to keep your stool soft, drink lots of fluids and don’t strain during bowel movements. To relieve hemorrhoidal itching or pain, try a warm sitz bath or apply an ice pack or a cloth soaked in witch hazel. Kegel exercises, designed to strengthen the pelvic muscles, can improve circulation in the area. Getting off your feet may also help.
Leg Pains and Cramps
Wear support hose during the day, and elevate your feet when resting, if possible. Use a heating pad or gentle massage on the back of your thigh to ease sciatica. When a leg cramp hits, straighten your leg and slowly flex your ankle and toes, massage your calf, or soak your leg in hot water. You may be able to prevent night cramps by wearing socks to bed or by pressing your foot against the bed board. If painful cramps persist, ask your doctor about calcium or magnesium supplements.
Morning Sickness
You may feel nauseated at any time of the day, typically in the first trimester. Try eating frequent light meals rather than three full meals. Keep your diet high in protein and complex carbohydrates, and low in sweet and fatty foods. Drink plenty of fluids, and eat fresh fruits and vegetables, which are high in water content. Try 50 mg of vitamin B6 three times a day. Antacids sometimes help, especially if heartburn is part of the problem. In general, try to minimize stress in your everyday activities.
Mouth and Gum Discomfort
Pregnancy can be demanding on your teeth, so see your dentist early in your pregnancy for a checkup and cleaning. Brush your teeth and tongue at least twice a day, and floss regularly. Sugarless gum can be substituted for an after-meal cleaning if it isn’t feasible to brush your teeth. Supplemental vitamin C, calcium and coenzyme Q10 will strengthen your own teeth and ultimately your baby’s. Or try a folic acid rinse, but do not swallow it.
Nasal Congestion or Nosebleeds
Use a vaporizer to humidify your bedroom at night, and lubricate each nostril with a dab of petroleum jelly during the day to prevent nosebleeds. Avoid nasal sprays, which can constrict blood vessels.
Numbness
Avoid lying on your hands while sleeping. If your hand feels numb when you wake up, shake it over the side of the bed. Soaking the hand in warm water or using a heating pad twice daily may help ease numbness, or try wearing a wrist splint (See Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.) If numbness persists, try 50-mg vitamin B6 supplements three times a day.
Skin Changes
Rashes from hormone changes during pregnancy generally go away after the baby is born. To prevent freckles or a dark pregnancy mask called chloasma on your face, wear a wide-brimmed hat or use sunblock on sunny days. Lubricate dry skin around your abdomen with a moisturizing cream; stretch marks usually fade and decrease after the birth. For heat rash, try to stay as cool as possible and use cornstarch powder under your breasts, on your thighs or wherever your skin tends to chafe.
Sleep Problems
Women who are pregnant often experience sleepless nights and daytime fatigue in their first and third trimesters. During the first trimester frequent trips to the bathroom and morning sickness may disrupt sleep. Later in pregnancy, vivid dreams and physical discomfort may prevent deep sleep. (After delivery, the new baby’s care or the mother’s postpartum depression may interrupt sleep.)
Fatigue during the first trimester of a pregnancy is likely due to changing levels of hormones, such as progesterone. Toward the end of a pregnancy, some women find it difficult to sleep because they are uncomfortable due to the size of their abdomen. Some women are too excited, anxious or worried about becoming mothers to sleep well. Other women who are pregnant complain that vivid dreams prevent them from getting restful sleep. Sleep apnea, especially if it’s severe and causes your blood oxygen level to drop during sleep, is a risk to the fetus.
Pregnant women who experience insomnia during pregnancy may find relief by taking afternoon naps, drinking warm milk or taking a warm (not hot) bath before bedtime. (See the Sleep Solutions Clinic) Exercise during the day should help, too. Expecting mothers may find it more comfortable to sleep on their side, with pillows supporting their head, abdomen and topside knee. Women who are pregnant should not take sleeping pills or herbal sleeping remedies without talking with their doctor first.
Swelling
Monitor your weight gain throughout your pregnancy. To control swelling in your legs and ankles, wear support hose and avoid standing for long periods. Wear shoes that fit well and give good support, or buy shoe inserts designed especially for pregnant women. Getting off your feet helps the most. Lying down is better than sitting.
Taste Changes
You may find some foods unpalatable and develop a craving for others, especially sweets. Use mouthwash often; chewing gum, mints or hard candies may also chase away unpleasant tastes. Iron supplements may leave a bad taste in your mouth; talk to your practitioner if this is a problem.
Urination Problems
Kegel exercises can help you control stress incontinence - losing a small amount of urine when you sneeze, cough or laugh. You can also use a sanitary napkin. Leaning forward while urinating helps to empty your bladder completely.
Vaginal Disorders
A thin, mild-smelling discharge is normal in pregnancy. Use sanitary napkins, but do not douche without your doctor’s approval. Any red or brown discharge is a signal to call your doctor immediately. Vaginal itching and soreness may indicate an infection, which requires treatment by your doctor. Vaginal yeast infections may be common in pregnancy and may disappear without treatment after the baby is born.
Varicose Veins
Pregnancy puts extra strain on the blood vessels in your legs. Support stockings or pantyhose can help relieve the discomfort. Exercise regularly, but don’t stand for long periods. Raise your legs above hip level when sitting, if possible. Lie on your side in bed, or put a pillow under your feet.
Nutrition and Diet. Ask your doctor or a nutritional specialist about taking vitamin C supplements to strengthen blood vessels.
Vision Changes
If your eyes swell from fluid retention and hard contact lenses become uncomfortable, switch to soft lenses or glasses.
WARNING! Caring For Two
* The most dangerous time to take any medication is during the first trimester, when the fetus is developing rapidly and is more vulnerable to injury. Always check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter or prescription drugs, including those that may have been prescribed before you became pregnant.
* Several diseases pose special hazards to pregnant women and the unborn child, among them rubella, chickenpox, fifth disease (erythema infectiosum), mumps, cytomegalovirus, chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, genital warts, syphilis and AIDS. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you have been exposed to any of them. If possible, get vaccinated against rubella, chickenpox and mumps before pregnancy unless you’ve had those diseases already. Ask your doctor about testing for chickenpox and rubella if you can’t remember having either infection, and get the vaccines before or after pregnancy.
* Smoking during pregnancy increases the risks of vaginal bleeding, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and many other potential problems that you and your baby don’t need. Smoke-filled rooms, car exhaust and industrial fumes can also be hazardous to pregnant women: Avoid prolonged exposure to environmental pollutants as best you can.
* Avoid inhalation of or skin contact with chemical household cleaners, paints and insecticides.
* A growing baby can throw you off balance, so be careful walking and getting out of the shower or tub.
* Check with your doctor before you start exercising. Some otherwise normal activities should not be undertaken during pregnancy, and others need to be modified.
* Most couples are able to have sexual intercourse until near the time of birth. Check with your doctor about the advisability of intercourse if you have a history of miscarriages or preterm birth, any infection or bleeding, if the placenta is in an abnormal position (known as placenta previa), or during the last trimester if you are carrying multiple fetuses. Avoid sex after the amniotic sac has broken or fluids leak. If you develop pain or abdominal cramps that continue or worsen more than an hour after having intercourse, call your doctor, your cervix could be dilating.
* Avoid having unnecessary X-rays. If you must get an X-ray, be sure to tell the doctor or the technician that you are pregnant.
* Don’t get overheated, avoid exercising in hot and humid weather, and stay out of hot tubs, saunas and whirlpool baths. If you have a fever, cool down with a shower or cool bath and take acetaminophen.
