Common Pregnancy Woes by Rebecca Garland

There is no doubt that pregnancy is a blessing, but with that blessing comes a few woes. Pregnancy can be tough on the mind, body and spirit – and this is perfectly normal even with the tremendous amounts of joy and enthusiasm you have for the pregnancy. It is acceptable and even acknowledged that pregnant women are not filled with joy all nine months of the pregnancy – and here’s why.

Morning Sickness
Ask any mother hunched over the toilet or diligently sipping on warm water and eating crackers if she’s excited about the pregnancy and she will most likely tell you yes, she can’t wait for a baby, but she didn’t really plan on THIS.

Morning sickness, which is really all day and even all night sickness, hits about 80% of pregnant women. Some have a heavy dose that requires medication and even hospitalization to control. Others just feel queasy all day which can sometimes be helped by eating, and other times made worse by eating. This nausea is usually the first clue to a newly pregnant woman that making a baby is not all fun and games.

Ligament Pain
What is affectionately called Round Ligament Pain, or more generally ligament pain, can be killer. It can be a general ache in your joints and abdomen or it can be a sharp pain. You should always ask your doctor about pain during pregnancy, but this particular kind is common.

First time moms don’t usually get to experience it until they are about six months in, but repeat moms can complain of ligament pain within the first trimester. (It makes a wonderful addition to morning sickness.)

Your ligaments hurt because they are stretching. And that’s not just in your belly. Your body releases a chemical during pregnancy to loosen up your joints so that your hips can spread for delivery. This means that all of your joints spread, but your hips may give you the most trouble. It is not uncommon to have you hips “pop” or feel sore if you walk too quickly, take steps that are too big or even just stand for too long. The pressure and possible pain increases as your weight increases. This is also why a lot of pregnant women have trouble sleeping and waddle near the end of pregnancy.

Sleeping
Sleep is interrupted constantly during pregnancy. First you have to use the restroom more often around the clock. That means you might be up at night making frequent trips. If you are especially unlucky, you might also be experiencing a bit of night sickness to accompany your morning sickness. Finally, as your belly grows and your hips loosen, it is frankly uncomfortable to lie on your side without the right kind of support.

Make pillows your new bedmate and use them liberally. Put one behind your back, one under your head, one between your knees, and one under your belly as needed to offer support. Sure your husband can’t come anywhere near you in bed, but that’s what got you in this in the first place.

Weight Gain
The big one for many women is weight gain. Pregnancy would be a lot less painful if there weren’t “recommended” amounts of weight gain. Some women feel stressed because they lose weight in the first trimester thanks to severe morning sickness. Others gain “too much” weight initially as they eat to quell that same nausea.

As the pregnancy progresses, you become hungrier and your body craves certain things. Some are healthy, some are not. But a pregnant woman is already limited on what she can and can’t eat, so taking away the comfort foods is just plain misery. Some will argue that there is no need to gain more than 25-35 pounds with a pregnancy (unless you have multiples), but others argue that the body sometimes just gains what it wants to gain.

It’s hard to let go of body image issues and simply allow your body to gain what it wants while you eat a marginally healthy diet, but try. It makes pregnancy less stressful, and you’ll be amazed after delivery. Yes, you gained thirty-five pounds, but almost all of it will be gone within a few months and rest can be lost with a bit of diet and exercise. Babies like going on walks anyway.

Don't forget to create your pregnancy website too!

Rate this article:

Save this article on del.icio.us 

Email to a Friend

 

 

Copyright TotSites Staff. All Rights Reserved. Use without explicit permission is prohibited.

Create a Baby Website
Member Login