Most women go through various discomforts when they are pregnant. While not particularly dangerous to either the mother or the baby, they can be quite unpleasant to the sufferer.
INSOMNIA / SLEEPLESSNESS
For many women, being unable to fall asleep at night is a very real problem. Some women complain that they do manage to fall asleep but wake up again in the middle of the night and then stay awake for a very long time. This occurs more often in the later part of pregnancy.
CAUSES:
Hormonal imbalances in pregnancy are the main cause of insomnia. They cause differences in the metabolism of food, in the blood flow and in your psychological bearing.
Physical discomforts: Discomforts like heartburn, backache, leg cramps can keep you awake.
Movements of the baby which appear to increase at night can disturb you.
Fears of the coming labour and childbirth.
Dreams which are usually the result of your subconscious fears can wake you up and prevent you from going back to sleep.
Increased frequency of passing urine can wake you up repeatedly.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Improve the posture you sleep in. Lie on the left side of your body – this increases the blood flow from the lower limbs to the heart and increases your comfort level.
Place a pillow under your belly for support when you lie on your side. This will decrease the dragging sensation on the skin around your abdomen and back.
Place a low pillow under the upper leg while sleeping, to support it so that it is more or less at the same level as your hips.
If your breasts are sore, invest in a good sleep bra made of soft cotton to support the breasts as they enlarge during pregnancy.
Elevate your head and upper back on a couple of pillows so that they are at a higher level than the lower part of your body. This will prevent heart burn as well as a stuffy nose.
You can invest in a good quality wedge or pregnancy pillow. This is a C-shaped or S-shaped pillow that can support your belly and upper leg. You can also use it later to support the baby while breastfeeding.
Cut back on the amount of fluids you drink after 6 pm at night. This will decrease the frequency of passing urine at night.
If an itchy, dry skin is keeping you awake, apply a moisturizing lotion liberally before you go to sleep at night.
Ask your doctor for a sedative if bad dreams are keeping you awake or you feel that the lack of sleep is affecting your health. Phenobarbitone 30 mg at night (available as gardinal tablets) have no side effects on the baby and can be used safely during pregnancy.
EXCESSIVE SALIVATION
For many women, excessive salivation may be one of the first signs of pregnancy. In some, it can even occur before the first missed menstrual periods.
Many women complain that it is one of the most uncomfortable feelings that they encounter during their pregnancy. They have their mouth full of spit at all times of the day. Spitting does not help as the mouth fills up almost at once. Some even say that they are afraid to speak, afraid that someone would say ‘ Say it, don’t spray it’.
A few women even complain that they drool at night, waking up in the morning with their cheeks and neck covered with spit.
A metallic taste sometimes accompanies the excessive salivation, spoiling their appetite.
CAUSE:
The exact cause is not known. But it is believed that the high levels of progesterone and estrogens in the body stimulate the salivary glands leading to excessive salivation.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
There is really nothing much you can do. The problem will clear up by itself in time.
You can carry around a cup to spit into from time to time.
Rinse your mouth with ice-cold water or keep an ice-chip in your mouth.
Drink plenty of water to make up for the fluid you are losing as spit.
HEADACHE
For some women, headache is a recurring problem in pregnancy, especially in early pregnancy.
The exact cause is not known, but is believed to be due to the excessive dilation of the blood vessels of the head, caused by hormones like progesterone and oestrogen. These hormones are necessary to dilate the blood vessels of the uterus, thus increasing its blood supply and helping the baby to grow.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Have your eyesight checked. A change in the power of the eyes can cause headache.
Increase your intake of fluids. Dehydration is a very common cause of headache and fatigue.
Sudden caffeine withdrawal in early pregnancy due to cutting down on your intake of tea, coffee or colas can cause headache. This will go away as your body adjusts to the decreased caffeine dose.
If the headache is unbearable, ask your doctor for medicines. Paracetamol can be safely taken in pregnancy. Ibuprofen and acetoaminophen should be avoided.
SWOLLEN ANKLES
Swollen ankles and feet are a common feature in late pregnancy.
CAUSE:
As the uterus increase in size, it presses on the veins carrying blood back from your legs to your heart. This causes the blood in the legs to stagnate. Fluid leaks out of the blood vessels into the extracellular space. The fluid collects at the ankles and feet as they are the lowermost part of the body.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Inform your doctor as soon as you notice that your ankles and feet are beginning to swell. Swelling of the ankles is one of the first signs of an increasing blood pressure and the earlier your high blood pressure is diagnosed, the better.
Lie down whenever you get a chance and rest your feet on a pillow raised at a higher height than your body. This will help your blood to flow back from the legs under the effect of gravity.
When you sleep at night, lie on your left side. This removes pressure from the inferior vena cava (the main vein carrying blood from your legs), and helps in blood flow.
Decrease your salt intake. Increased salt has been known to help in movement of fluid from inside the blood vessel to the extracellular space where the fluid tends to collect.
Wear maternity support stockings. This will support the veins of the legs and help in blood flow.
Exercise can help decrease the swelling to some extent though not totally.
VARICOSE VEINS
Varicose or enlarged veins are a common feature in pregnancy especially in late pregnancy. Older women who have been pregnant before are more likely to suffer from this problem.
CAUSE:
The enlarging uterus presses on the veins carrying blood back to your heart from your legs causing stagnation of blood in the lower limbs.
Increasing levels of circulating hormones like progesterone and estrogen relax the walls of the veins causing them to bulge.
In older women who have been pregnant for a number of times or in older women pregnant for the first time, the muscles supporting the veins are already somewhat weak. As a result, the veins tend to bulge.
Excessive weight gain puts more pressure on the veins.
Lack of exercise and a sedentary life-style can contribute to varicose veins.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Rest as much as you can with your feet raised on a high pillow. This will put less pressure on your veins.
When you lie down, lie on your left side as it helps in blood flow from your lower limbs.
Do not sit with your legs crossed. The crimp at your knees could restrict blood flow.
Exercise to increase strength in your muscles and help them to pump blood properly.
Wear maternity support stockings to prevent bulging of the veins.
Digg it!
del.icio.us
Stumbleupon
