Common Pregnancy Complaints

As your body changes to accommodate your growing baby, you may experience some minor discomforts. Here’s what to do.
Morning Sickness
Avoiding whatever makes you nauseated is the best cure. For example, cooking smells like garlic or particular spices, and scents such as perfume or aftershave may be intolerable to some mothers-to-be. Eating plain cookies or crackers about 20 minutes before getting out of bed in the morning may help. To avoid nausea, try not to eat too much at one meal: eat five or six small meals during the day instead of three big meals. Avoid rich, spicy, acidic or fried foods and drink fluids between (not during) meals.
Constipation
During pregnancy, both the pressure of your growing uterus on your rectum, and the hormone progesterone, which relaxes muscles, may be responsible for slowing down the digestive system, and iron supplements can make matters worse because they can also slow down digestive activity. Eat high fiber foods: have whole wheat bread, prunes or figs at breakfast, and include plenty of raw vegetables and fruits in your diet. Drink plenty of fluids. A cup of hot water first thing in the morning may be helpful. Exercise is also very important to avoid constipation, so try walking or swimming after getting your doctor’s approval.
Heartburn
Heartburn is caused by acid from the digestive tract in the stomach bubbling up into the esophagus. Pregnant women suffer from this more than others, because the baby pushes against the stomach, and progesterone relaxes the valve at the upper end of the stomach, which allows the acid to escape. A lot of women have trouble with foods that are spicy, high in fat or contain onion or garlic, so if you find that certain foods like these irritate your stomach, avoid them. Your doctor may be able to prescribe an antacid that is safe during pregnancy.
Abdominal Pain
Some women experience pain during pregnancy that resembles menstrual cramps. The pain occurs when the ligaments supporting the uterus stretch. This is normal, and you don’t have to worry about it. A hot water bottle might relieve cramping, or try sitting or lying down with your feet up.
However, if cramping comes with other symptoms such as bleeding, fever, chills or vaginal discharge, this could be the sign of a more serious situation such as miscarriage or early labor. In this case, contact your doctor right away.
Backache
To avoid an aching back, wear low-heeled shoes. Maintain good posture and stand with your weight evenly distributed on both feet. Rest whenever you can, and keep your knees bent while lying down, as this can limit back pain. Make sure your mattress is firm enough. Put a cushion behind you to support your lower back when sitting or driving. Don’t stay in the same position, whether sitting or standing, for long periods. Avoid lifting heavy objects and when you do lift something from a low position, never bend from the waist: instead, squat down by bending your knees and keeping your back straight. Ask your doctor about exercises that strengthen the back, legs and abdomen or enroll in an exercise class designed for pregnant women. If your back is already aching, a cold or hot compress on the painful area might bring relief.
Painful Hands and Wrists
Tingling in fingers and pain in hands and wrists is a result of pressure on a major nerve in your wrist that controls the movement of your hand and fingers. This condition is known as carpal tunnel syndrome. To ease tingling and pain, rest with your arms raised, or wiggle your fingers vigorously. Bend your fingers often, and stretch and turn wrists occasionally to make them feel more comfortable. Also, be sure to maintain good posture, because when your head and shoulders droop, this puts pressure on the nerves in your arm and wrist, causing tingling and pain. This condition usually goes away after the baby is born.