Many women experience bothersome problems that are part of a normal pregnancy. I have a few suggestions to help.
During those first few months of pregnancy many women have bothersome problems and sometimes have them during the entire pregnancy. These problems can vary for each expectant mother. A lot of these problems can be managed with caring for oneself or even with medication from a physician. There is hardly a woman who doesn't have these bothersome problems when expecting.
Diet can help to control a lot of these problems.
Morning sickness, or nausea is not just a morning problem, it can continue the entire day but usually it lessens after the first three months.
A few helpful thoughts would be to keep some dry crackers perhaps on or in the bedside table just in case you need to nibble before getting out of bed or even during the night. When you get out of bed try to do it slowly, don't jump up suddenly as such movements may make you feel dizzy or nauseated. Try to drink lots of liquids including water and juices between meals. Also eat very small, but frequent meals as nausea is worse when the stomach is empty or almost empty. During nausea you might try eating : potatoes, crackers, pastas or breads as they are well tolerated during nausea. Vitamin B6 supplement is often prescribed as a treatment for nausea. It usually takes about two weeks of taking this vitamin to see results.
Sometimes also a woman will be eating far too much and have a drastic weight gain and this lessens the nausea but the weight gain can lead to vomiting. The best solution for nausea is to plan your meals with nutrition in mind. Avoid those foods that have strong odors such as coffee, strong flavored vegetables and fried foods. Remember, you need to gain weight steadily and the weight gain does need to be within limits set by your physician.
Heartburn is certainly a common probably usually around the last few months of pregnancy as the baby is pressing hard on the stomach. This pressure can cause digestive juices in the stomach to spurt up into the esophagus and a pain is felt near the heart. If you will try to keep your stomach from being too full and eat small but frequent meals this may help the heartburn during those last few months of pregnancy.
Constipation can be a very real problem during pregnancy when the hormone progesterone is released into the body in high amounts. This can cause the muscles of the intestines to lose some of their strength and as a result the passage of food through the intestines slows down. The weight of the fetus toward the end of pregnancy pressing down on the intestines can also contribute to constipation. If this constipation is not relieved you could develop hemorrhoids. By eating foods rich in fiber such as: bran cereals, green peas, rolled oats, grits, dried beans, whole wheat bread, cooked cabbage and cracked wheat you can consume more fiber thus eliminating most or all of the constipation. Other foods that will help are: white bread, apples, raw plums, banana, strawberries and pears. Fiber absorbs water and by attracting more water, fiber makes stools bulkier and soften, enabling them to move more easily through the intestines. Twelve to fifteen grams of fiber are recommended daily to prevent constipation. You do want to watch and not consume fiber over 15 grams per day as excessive fiber can lead to diarrhea and also the incomplete absorption of nutrients from your food.
Be sure also to drink plenty of fluids, at least ten servings per day and exercise as this helps also to prevent constipation.
Leg cramps can certainly be a problem for pregnant women, especially during the night and usually this involves the calf muscles of the leg.
Eating a well balanced diet and drinking plenty of liquids has be down to help leg cramps. When a cramp occurs try massaging the muscle or applying a warm compress.
Poor appetite sometimes becomes a problem as it can lead to an unbalanced diet, a weight loss during those first few months and failure to gain along during the other months. A vitamin and mineral deficiency can reduce your wanting food and can cause nausea and vomiting. Check with your physicial about a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement.
Excessive appetite can also occur during this time. You will need to plan your daily nutrient and plan a new and healthful diet and really stick to your plan and your goal as you know this is best for you and also for your baby. Consult your physician about exercise during pregnancy as exercise and eating less go hand in hand. Your physician can tell you the amount of calories you should consume daily during these expectant months.
Food cravings are often experienced by pregnant women and these food cravings are not related to a need for attention or emotional insecurity as most people will tell you. It is not known why these food cravings occur but they just do happen and shouldn't be a worry. Just don't let your food cravings cause problems with your plan for healthy eating.
Swelling of the ankles is another problem caused by the fetus putting pressure on the blood vessels that lead to the mother's legs. This causes fluid to move from the blood into the surrounding tissues, and eventually the fluid gravitates to the lowest part of the body to the ankles. To keep this swelling under control make sure you are not restricting your salt intake. Be sure also to get enough protein as protein acts as a diuretic. It will draw fluid into the blood, enabling the fluid to be excreted eventually by the kidneys.
Preeclampsia is a disorder that involves swelling of the ankles, hands and feet accompanied by high blood pressure and a spillage of protein into the urine. This will affect the kidney and circulatory system and is unique to pregnancy. The cause is unknown. Maintaining a balanced diet will help to keep this under control but be sure to consult your physician if this condition exists.
Nutritional anemia can result if there is a shortage of one or more of the nutrients in the blood that are required to build red blood cells. The management of anemia caused by an iron or folacin deficiency calls for a well balanced diet that contains foods rich in iron and folacin. Try to eat at least two iron rich and two folacin rich foods each day. Consuming a well-balanced diet will also help prevent anemia from developing again.
