Get through The Bump-y Ride Part - I

I had so many problems while I was pregnant, on the other hand when Falak was pregnant she had a very smooth pregnancy. Falak enjoyed her pregnancy so much, she often says it was one of the best days of her life. Unfortunately it isn't always so... A woman’s body goes through a lot during pregnancy-hormonal changes send the body into a kind of tizzy. Sometime the changes create uneasiness thus making the pregnancy difficult to handle.

Some issues strike hard during the first trimester & more or less loosen strength by the second trimester but some stay all through the pregnancy & some appear by the onset of the third trimester. These hurdles are part & parcel of being pregnant but sometimes a few need urgent attention & need to be discussed with your gynecologist.

• Nausea & morning sickness: The most common pregnancy hiccup is nausea & morning sickness. This kicks in on the onset of pregnancy & is believed to be caused by change in hormonal levels namely Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), stress levels, more acute sense of smell & other bodily changes. Morning sickness is actually a misnomer because the queasy feeling doesn’t necessarily hit only during mornings, it can last all day & in some cases all through the pregnancy. As opposed to regular myth, vomiting & nausea does not affect the foetus.
  Tips for expectant mothers suffering from nausea: 
• Avoid heavy & oily food
• Split your meals into smaller meals. Ideally one should have 6-8 meals/day.
• Munch onto snacks before bed-time, this ensures you don’t wake up with an empty stomach.
• Try acupressure-a variety of morning sickness acupressure wrist bands are readily available in the market.
• Incorporate ginger in your diet.
• Very recently FDA has approved the drug “Diclegis” for pregnant women to combat nausea. However this approval has been a highly debatable topic & Momsters suggests going the natural way & avoiding such drugs unless absolutely necessary & prescribed by your gynecologist.

• Heartburn or Acid Reflux: Tummy problems are one thing no expectant mother can escape. Heartburn occurs mainly because of two major reasons-relaxing of stomach muscles leading to digestive juices backing up & enlargement of uterus leading to compression of stomach thereby resulting in acids coming back into the esophagus.
  OK so the bad news is this problem seems inescapable but the good news is that we can help beat it. Here is what to do & what not to do.
• Avoid heavy & oily food, caffeine, sodas, citrus fruits, chocolate, mint.
• Take smaller meals at regular intervals-Ideally 6-8 small meals a day.
• Munch onto light & healthy snacks before bed-time, this ensures you don’t wake up with an empty stomach.
• Go easy on fluids while eating meals.
• Sleep with your head propped on an extra pillow.
• Needless to mention NO ALCOHOL & CIGARETTES PERMITTED DURING PREGNANCY.
• Home remedies like having saunf (fennel) water with honey helps.

Photo Credit Satvik Shop

• Constipation: Progesterone, the pregnancy hormone relaxes intestine movement thereby resulting in constipation. The body however, does this to delay the digestive process so nutrients are absorbed better for you & your growing baby. Other factors that cause constipation during pregnancy are uterus enlargement.
  
  Like all other pregnancy hurdles this too can be dealt with, a little patience & some common sense.

• Include high-fiber foods into your diet viz. fresh fruits & vegetables, legumes, dry fruits, whole-grain breads & cereals.
• Avoid diuretic drinks viz. tea, coffee & yes, NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED DURING PREGNANCY. 
• Avoid refined foods like white bread, white rice, etc.
• Drink plenty of water, fruit and vegetable juices.
• Exercise & stay active, even a short 10 minutes walk can facilitate bowel movement. Make sure you speak to your doctor about it. 
• Split meals into smaller 6-7 portions per day.
• Aromatherapy has proved successful in curing constipation-black pepper oil, a blend of rosemary+basil+marjoram essential oils, ginger essential oil, lemon essential, etc. help in relieving constipation. However, do consult a professional for the right blends.

There are many other pregnancy problems that women face, the second part of this post will try and cover the other problems.