Relieving Pregnancy Discomfort
- In This Quick Guide:
- Edema
- Constipation
- Hemorrhoids
- Vaginal Infection
- Varicose Veins
- Lower-Back Pain
- Leg Cramps
Pregnancy is a wonderful, rather short-lived, time in a woman’s life. On the flip side, however, is the reality that pregnancy often brings with it a whole bag of physical discomforts. Even though most of the discomforts experienced during pregnancy are typical and to be expected, there are things you can do to alleviate—or at least lessen—that discomfort. In this guide we will cover the most common pregnancy ailments and easy ways to handle them.
Edema
Excess water buildup in your body can cause swelling called edema. It is most commonly noticeable in the ankles, feet, legs, and hands. Edema will be most obvious late in the day, in warm weather, or after standing or sitting for a long time. Try these tricks to help ease the bloating and discomfort:
- When sitting down, prop your feet up on some type of ottoman.
- Wear loose-fitting shoes. (If your feet really swell, stick to slippers.)
- Avoid knee-high stockings that cut into your calves.
- When you sit, don’t cross your legs.
- Use support pantyhose. Put them on before you get out of bed in the morning when there is little swelling.
- Drink lots of water! Water will flush out the waste products that are sitting around your body and causing the swelling.
- Don’t overdo it on the salt. too much salt encourages fluid retention and can add to the problem.
Constipation
Most of the digestive problems of pregnancy begin with constipation. This condition is universally common in pregnant women either because the uterus is pressing on the bowel, certain hormones relax the muscles of the bowel, or because of an iron deficiency which can make stools difficult to pass.
You can do many things to avoid constipation, including the following:
- Drink lots of fluids. Water and fruit juices soften stools and keep digested waste passing through the bowel. (Prune juice is a powerful constipation zapper!)
- Eat fiber-rich foods. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are especially good at keeping stools soft and at making sure they pass easily through the bowel.
- Limit sugary, processed foods. They are binding.
- Exercise. Not only does exercise keep your muscles in shape, it boosts blood circulation and brings more oxygen to all organs (including the bowels) to help them do their jobs more efficiently.
When you are constipated, don’t take a laxative. Not only can it wash necessary nutrients out of your system, it might be harmful to your baby. Talk to your doctor before taking any medicated remedy for constipation.
Hemorrhoids
Straining during a bowel movement to pass hard stools can cause hemorrhoids. If you see blood on your tissue when you wipe after a bowel movement, or if you have pain or excessive itching at the opening of the rectum, ask your doctor to check for hemorrhoids. If you have hemorrhoids, they will accompany you through the pregnancy and will probably get worse during the pushing stage of delivery. If you take good care of them, however, they might disappear after the birth.
The following tips should help prevent hemorrhoids, or treat them if you do have them:
- Avoid constipation.
- Try not to strain during bowel movements.
- Put your feet up on a small stool during bowel movements to make the movement easier.
- Don’t read on the toilet. If you get into a good story, you’ll sit there longer than necessary; this puts unnecessary strain on the anus.
- Avoid standing still or sitting for very long periods of time.
If you are bothered by the pain or itching of hemorrhoids, take action:
- Use a over-the-counter topical hemorrhoid cream.
- Apply a compress of witch hazel or ice to the hemorrhoids.
If the pain is so bad you can’t sit comfortably in a chair, buy a doughnut pillow (this is an inflatable pillow with a hole in the middle so your buttocks don’t touch the chair) or just get off your feet and lie down.
Vaginal Infection
If you have a thick, white vaginal discharge and feel intense itchiness and irritation in your vaginal area, you might have a vaginal infection. This is very common during pregnancy. If you think you have a vaginal infection, tell your doctor. He will recommend one of the over-the-counter medicines such as Gyne-Lotrimin, Myclex G, Femstat, or Monistat. (Only Monistat is recommended during the first trimester.) Most of these medications come in both creams and suppositories. Your doctor can tell you which one would be better for you.
Before you use a commercial product, try to use a natural remedy for your vaginal infection:
- Apply witch-hazel compresses or ice packs to the inflamed tissues.
- Add two cups of cornstarch, plus one half cup of baking soda to a warm bath. Soak for 10 minutes.
- Eat a few cloves of garlic and a cup of yogurt containing active Lactobacillus acidophilus (check the label) culture every day until the infection goes away.
- Wear loose clothes and cotton underwear.
Here’s what you can do to help prevent vaginal infections:
- Avoid long, hot baths, which provide the warm, moist environment yeast love.
- Avoid tight-fitting pants, nylon underwear, and pantyhose. Always wear cotton underwear.
- After a bowel movement, always wipe from front to back, in order to avoid transferring bacteria from the anus to the vagina.
- Avoid foods that contain molds, fungus, yeast, sugar, or refined carbohydrates.
A vaginal infection is uncomfortable for you, but it won’t harm your baby. If you deliver while you have a vaginal infection, there is a chance it will be passed on to the newborn. He or she will have white patches in their mouth called thrush. This isn’t serious and is easily treated.
Varicose Veins
Passed on through the generations, varicose veins appear when the walls of the blood vessels stretch so much that their valves don’t close properly, causing blood to pool. These veins pop out in pregnancy because the blood volume in the body is increased and the weight of the uterus affects lower-body circulation.
to prevent varicose veins, or to keep the ones you have from getting out of hand, try these tips:
- Watch your posture. Don’t sit with your legs crossed or with your thighs pressed against the edge of the chair.
- Don’t stand in one place. Standing or sitting for too long lets the blood pool. Move around, wiggle your feet, change positions often.
- Wear support hose, and put them on before you stand up in the morning.
- Avoid knee-highs that restrict circulation.
- Elevate your feet when you sit or lie down.
- Watch your weight. Excessive weight aggravates these veins.
- Quit smoking. Besides being a general health zapper, smoking is known to worsen the symptoms of varicose veins.
- Walk. Walking improves circulation, which improves the health of your veins.
Varicose veins often disappear shortly after childbirth. If they remain and are painful or just too ugly to keep, they can be removed surgically after delivery.
Lower-Back Pain
As your pregnancy progresses, your change in stance strains the back muscles and causes backache. The ache might worsen near the end of pregnancy because not only is the weight getting heavier, but the baby’s head might be in a position that pushes against the lower spine.
to prevent backache and reduce back pain, give these strategies a try:
- Stand correctly. Imagine there is a string attached to the top of your head that some invisible puppeteer is pulling upward. Then stand with your feet apart (about even with your hips). Don’t lock your knees; bend them slightly. Imagine your baby is sitting toward your spine.
- Sit correctly. Sitting (especially for long periods) puts a lot of stress on your spine. When you sit, sit up tall, don’t slouch. Keep your feet elevated if possible. Don’t cross your knees. Stay away from extra-soft and backless chairs. Put a pillow between you and the back of the chair. Don’t sit too long; after a half-hour, get up, walk, and stretch for a few minutes.
- Don’t wear high heels. Wide two-inch heels are okay, and you might find them even better than flats for keeping your posture straight.
- Avoid standing still for too long. If you must stand still, try to keep a small step stool near by so that you can keep one foot elevated and relieve some of the pressure on your spine.
- Watch your weight. Gaining more than necessary will strain your back.
- Sleep on a firm mattress. If yours is very soft, put a board underneath it to give you more support.
- Exercise your back muscles.
As your body gets ready for childbirth you might feel a persistent dull backache (along with cramps sometimes). If this happens, call your doctor (even if you don’t think you’re ready to deliver).
Leg Cramps
The calf muscles in your legs might give you some trouble (especially at night) in the second and third trimesters. The muscles might cramp up on you or they might twitch and jump uncontrollably. Some research suggests this might be caused by a lack of calcium or magnesium, so you might talk to your health-care provider about increasing these nutrients, either in your diet or through supplements.
to prevent these cramps, give your legs a little extra attention. Get off your feet and put your legs up for at least a short time every day. Wear support hose to keep the blood circulating. Exercise your lower legs by flexing at the ankle and rotating your feet.
to calm a leg cramp or twitching muscle:
- Don’t point your foot; keep your ankle flexed so your toes point up toward your face.
- Gently massage the muscle (or better yet, get your partner to massage the muscle while you keep your knee straight).
to stop a cramp and avoid them in the future, try this exercise: Stand one foot away from a wall with your feet about 12 inches apart. Put the palms of your hands on the walls with your arms straight. Bend your elbows, bringing your face close to the wall and keeping your feet flat on the floor. Straighten your arms again. Do this 5 to 10 times before bedtime or when you have a cramp in your calf.
Being pregnant may have its discomforts, but armed with these techniques, you can make this time a much more comfortable one. The best news is that all of these discomforts will disappear into memory when the baby is born. Good luck, and have a great pregnancy!
From The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, Second Edition, by Michele Isaacs Gliksman, M.D. with Theresa Foy DiGeronimo
