My Pregnancy Survival Guide
Well I wrote my last post due to being constantly asked which bottle? in this post we address products, tips and avice that helped me survive my pregnancy. Now don’t get me wrong pregnancy is a wonderful time and carrying Seren was one of the best experiences of my life however I would be lying to you if I said I flew through it with no problems. Unless you are extremely lucky at some point in your pregnancy you are going to experience one or more of it’s unpleasant side affects, If you are one of the lucky ones best to keep it too yourself no woman wants to hear how unaffected you are by your growing bump when she’s had her head stuck down the loo for the majority of the day. I have put together a list of some of the most common pregnancy side affects and advice and tips that helped me to cope with them.
1. Morning Sickness: Up to 70% of expectant mothers will experience morning sickness usually in the first trimester but some women have reported it returning in the third trimester and a minority will experience it the whole way through. It ranges in it’s severity some women will only experience slight nausea while others will actually be sick and an unfortunate few will develop a more severe form called Hyperemesis Gavidarum this can cause the sufferer to vomit excessively throughout the day, she will struggle to keep anything down. This condition is serious and if left unchecked can leave the sufferer extremely dehyrated and needing hospitalization, If you suspect you may be suffering from this condition you should see your GP ASAP as it can be treated safely with anti-nausea medication. The term “morning sickness” is actually misleading as although you are more likely to suffer nausea in the morning due to a drop in your blood sugar levels “morning sickness” can strike at any time of day and can often last all day. So my advice is to get up slowly in the morning give yourself plenty of time to get up, dressed and out the door. As your blood sugar will have dipped overnight a good tip is to keep some biscuits or crackers beside the bed to nibble on before you get up, ginger biscuits are good because ginger is said to help ease nausea. It is important that no matter how bad you feel to eat little and often as this will help keep your nausea at bay so no more skipping breakfast, it’s also important that you keep hydrated so make sure you have a bottle of water handy. If like me it’s hard to stick to a healthy diet due to the fact that anything other than the blandest of foods makes you nauseous a handy tip is to drink one Innocent smoothie a day, they’re delicious and the majority contain 2 portions of your fruit and veg this way if you can only eat mashed potato your growing baby is going to get something good. Some women swear by Sea Bands these are wrist bands that press on the acupressure points that control nausea and are highly rated, you can buy them from Boots for around £20. Peppermint tea is also supposed to be a good cure for nausea if you can stomach it, I couldn’t but for those who can it’s said to be a good home remedy. An important piece of information I wish I had had is that morning sickness rarely magically disappears at the 12 week mark as most pregnancy books imply mine didn’t ease until 15 weeks but it did go. So however bad you are feeling for the majority of sufferers the nausea does eventually ease around about the beginning of the 2nd trimester.
Stretch Marks: These are incredibly common due to the hugeness of my bump I’ve been left with quite a few. It has to be said that there is no proven cure of prevention treatment for stretch marks however some women swear by stretch marks creams and oils such as Palmers Cocoa butter and Bio Oil. For these to have any visible effect you must apply them to all affected areas daily where they could prevent or improve the look of stretch marks. These unsightly marks are caused by the skin stretching to accommodate rapid weight gain, so most midwives and GP’s recommend that you steadily and gradually gain weight during pregnancy which can help you to avoid stretch marks. For those already affected these marks do fade over time so will not always be as obvious as they are when they first appear and Arnica gel if applied daily is said to help reduce their appearance.
Stretching Pains: These are usually caused by the round ligaments stretching to accommodate your growing uterus. They tend to be worse in the first and third trimesters usually they are perfectly normal and nothing to worry about however if they become stronger than period pains or are accompanied by bleeding then you should always contact your midwife or EPU for advice, if in your third trimester then triage or labour ward should be able to advise you. My advice for dealing with these is a nice warm bubble bath, water is an excellent pain killer and incredibly relaxing. For the perfect bath bubbles are essential and I highly recommend Original Source’s Lavender and Eucalyptus Bath Soak it produces tons of bubbles and the scent is gorgeously relaxing perfect for some me time. The other thing you can do is take paracetamol when necessary some women shy away from painkillers in pregnancy but there really is no need to suffer as paracetamol is perfectly safe to take you could also try applying a wheat bag or hot water bottle to the affected area and let the heat work it’s magic.
Small or Weak Bladder: This is a common blight to expectant mothers your bladder all of a sudden feels like it’s shrunk to the size of a pea. In the first trimester this is due to your uterus pushing on your bladder and you will feel the need to urinate much more often my one and only tip for this is to rock back and forth when weeing as this releases pressure on your bladder and allows you to fully empty it, meaning you should be able to go longer between toilet trips. As your uterus expands above the pubic bone is your second trimester you should get some respite until baby engages in the third trimester and again puts pressure on your poor bladder. A weak bladder is cause by your pelvic floor muscles weakening due to the baby putting pressure on them. The only way to improve this is to do your pelvic floor exercises throughout and after your pregnancy, if you don’t know how to do these ask your midwife to explain if she hasn’t already.
Difficulty Sleeping: In your first trimester sleeping is easily achievable your body is so tired from growing and forming your baby that your often ready for bed by 2pm. However as you enter your second trimester and your bump grows you may find getting comfortable enough to sleep is an issue. If you only get one pregnancy item make sure it’s a good pregnancy pillow you will come to rely on it. My advice is to opt for the Mothercare support pillow this is a long oblong shaped pillow that can be shaped around you. I found if I placed the top half under my bump and the bottom half between my legs this was the most comfortable position especially on the left side. This pillow is in my opinion much better than the traditional V Pillow or the expensive Dream Genii although like with anything it’s what suits the individual. You may find it difficult to sleep due to worry’s and anxiety’s about labour or how you will cope once the baby has arrived the best thing you can do hear is to prepare yourself for sleep have a nice warm bath, a cup of warm horlicks/ovaltine (avoid caffeine in the evening), spray your room with a relaxing scent and don’t watch TV in bed if you must do something reading a good book is preferable. Your bedroom should be a relaxing haven that induces sleep and not full of distractions that are likely to make you anything but relaxed or sleepy. If you have an understanding OH then you could politly ask if he wouldn’t mind sleeping in the spare room whilst your at your biggest. Quite often as the birth draws near women like to have their own space and when sleep is hard enough to come by a loudly snoring partner is not appreciated.
Anxiety: It is likely at some stage of pregnancy you are likely to experience some form of anxiety whether this is due to early spotting or fear of labour, anxiety is perfectly normal in pregnancy. What to expect when your expecting is an excellent book that details what will happen to your baby, your body, information about what you can and can’t eat, common pregnancy ailments and symptoms. Having at least one good book that you can consult during pregnancy is a good idea especially if it’s your first pregnancy, another good idea is to join a pregnancy form such as www.gurgle.com here you can ask anything you like and be advised by experienced mums and professionals who are always happy to advise. Gurgle has helped me no end and I’ve also made some great friends I never would have had I not joined. If your anxious about the birth the best thing to do is to talk to your midwife about what is likely to happen ask her if it’s possible to have a look around the maternity ward. What you may also find useful is to sit down and write a birth plan detail what pain relief you want, what music if any you want on, the kind of birth you would like i.e. water birth, home birth etc. This allows you to gain some control over your labour and also when you are huffing and puffing your way through contractions you may not be able to express your wishes to labour ward staff. If you have written them down however your OH or birth partner can relay them for you, you do have to bear in mind that a degree of flexibility is needed as not all births go to plan and sometimes medical intervention is needed and at the end of the day a healthy baby is more important than a perfect birth.
