pregnancy articles

Pregnancy A to Z by Arabella Greatorex

When you are pregnant, your body goes through immense changes which can bring a number of common ailments, many of which can be treated easily at home with natural remedies. Don't forget to seek the advice of your GP or midwife if you have any concerns about your or your baby's health.

Anaemia

This is common amongst pregnant women and can lead to tiredness so eat lots of iron rich foods, such as green vegetables, pumpkin seeds and red meat. Remember to include vitamin c in your diet as this is needed to assimilate iron. Red raspberry leaf tea also has lots of iron in it.

Backache

This can be caused by the carrying the baby's extra weight and by the relaxation of the muscles in preparation for labour. Remember to stand tall and wear low heeled, comfortable shoes. Resting with your feet up and not lifting heavy items are also important. Get your partner to give you a back massage as often as possible. If you have a desk job, make sure your chair and desk are correctly aligned and that you can see your computer screen easily and comfortably. If you have to stand for long period of time, check to see if you can change your duties or take frequent, short breaks. If in doubt, ask for an occupational health assessment.

Bleeding Gums

When pregnant, you are more likely to suffer from dental problems, including bleeding gums caused by infections, so be extra vigilant about dental hygiene and increase your vitamin c intake. Don't forget to make the most of your entitlement to free dental treatment. If you don't have a dentist, call the NHS Helpline and they can tell you your nearest NHS dentist.

Breathlessness

This is quite common towards the end of pregnancy as the large baby begins to put pressure on the diaphragm. Good posture can help to ease this, so sit and stand as straight as possible and you may need to use some extra pillows in bed. If you are at all worried about your breathlessness, do go and see your GP or midwife.

Constipation

Increased levels of progesterone and changes to your body can affect bowel movements and most pregnant women suffer from constipation. Drinking lots and lots of water and eating plenty of fibre will help keep this to a minimum.

Cramps

Night time cramps are another unwelcome feature of pregnancy. If you do suffer, try giving yourself a leg massage just before bed to improve circulation. If you suffer from an attack, strong massage and forcing the leg straight will help. Have a quick walk around when the attack has passed to ease out the muscles.

Dizziness

Slight dizziness can be suffered by many pregnant women but do check with your midwife if it is frequent or severe as it can be the first symptom of a serious illness. Otherwise, stand up and change position slowly, make sure you get up and go for short walks frequently and don't go too long without food.

Exercise

Don't use your pregnancy as an excuse to stop exercising, the fitter you are the easier the birth will be and the quicker you will recover. Do take care though and be guided by your body, now is not the time to take up a new very physical sport and it is wise to check with your midwife about the level of activity that is right for you. A walk in the park will provide you with lots of fresh air as well as some exercise (which may help you sleep better) or perhaps you could find out about yoga or Pilates classes near you.

Fluid Retention

Many women will suffer from fluid retention when pregnant, which can cause feet, legs and hands to swell. Hand and leg massages can help to reduce this swelling and remember to sit with your feet raised when possible. Homeopathic remedies such as Apis and Natrum Mur can help. If the swelling becomes severe, do mention it to your midwife or doctor as it can be the first symptom of several serious ailments.

Hair

Your hair will change quite unpredictably due to hormone changes, some women will find their hair seems thicker as less falls out, others that they lose more hair than before. Hair may also be greasier or drier than normal. Just remember to look after your hair well and, if you can, get regular hair cuts to keep you feeling on top form. It is best to avoid any chemical treatments though; there have been concerns that some of the chemicals may find their way into your body and the results can be unpredictable so you could end up with green hair when all you wanted was to get rid of your roots!

Heartburn

Even if you never normally suffer, you are likely to now. This can range from slight discomfort through to burning sensations in the upper chest. Ask your pharmacist about proprietary remedies or try peppermint tea.

High Blood Pressure

Cayenne pepper, three times a day in juice or water is said to help stabilize high and low blood pressure. Remember to follow your GP's advice as well.

Insomnia

Caused by anyone of a number of factors, general discomfort and the need to wee frequently being common ones. Don't forget to keep drinking water through out the day, though you could reduce your intake after about 7pm to see if this helps with the latter.Move around the bed to find your most comfortable position, which is often on the right hand side. A banana shaped pillow can be very comfortable and can be used to breastfeed when the baby has been born. Remember to relax for an hour before you go to bed, turn off the television, have a warm bath, ask your partner to give you a massage or read a book. A cup of hot milk or teaspoon of honey and cider vinegar in warm water can help you sleep better. Taking regular, light exercise during the day will help, especially if you managed to get out into the fresh air.

Itching

Another common and usually minor but irritating side effect of pregnancy, it is often caused by sweating. Wearing loose clothes made of cotton or other natural fabric will help as will frequent cool baths or showers. Applying calamine lotion to the affected area can help but do check with your doctor if you suffer from severe itching on your hands or feet as this could be a symptom of a serious illness called cholestasis.

Morning Sickness

Some women will hardly suffer, others will carry on being sick all the way through their pregnancy. It doesn't just strike in the morning either. Some will actually be sick, others will suffer from nausea for hours without needing to be sick. Strong smells (especially artificial ones) can make it worse, so ban spray air fresheners and the like. Ginger helps with nausea, try a ginger biscuit before you get out of bed in the morning or make ginger tea by steeping grated fresh ginger in hot water for a few minutes. Eat little and often, even if you don't really feel hungry, have a dry biscuit or banana and stave off the hunger pains later in the day. Fatty, rich or spicy foods often make things worse, so try eating plainer foods such as potato, pasta or breads.There are several homeopathic remedies that you could try: pulsatilla is good when nausea comes on in the evening; ipecac for continued nausea not relieved by vomiting; nux vomica helps with nausea that is worse in the morning; sepia if the nausea is made worse by the smell of thought of food.

Smoking

It is now well known that all smoking (including passive) during pregnancy is harmful to the baby as well as to you. If you can, stop altogether and get your partner to as well. If not, at the very least, try and cut down as much as possible. You could try saving the money you would have spent on cigarettes and put it towards a relaxing massage for you or a really special present for your baby, that way you will see a real reward for giving up as well as having the satisfaction of knowing you are giving your baby the best possible start.Talk to family and friends about giving up and ask them for help, either moral support or simply not smoking in front of you. Talk to your GP about aids that you can use when you are pregnant and check out support groups in your area.

Stretch Marks

These are red lines that will eventually turn silver and are caused by the skin stretching as the body changes shape. Keeping the skin supple, with lots of massage and good moisturiser, will help. Vitamin e creams are especially good as is aloe vera.

Weeing

At various stages of your pregnancy, you are likely to find that you pass water frequently, typically early on in the pregnancy when the uterus is still low and towards the end when the baby presses against the bladder. If it wakes you at night, you could try drinking more during the day and less as the evening progresses but don't cut down on the total amount that you drink.

Chill Out: how to keep your cool this summer by Arabella Greatorex

When the heat is on, life can become very hard when you are pregnant. Instead of looking forward to those long, hot August days, you may find yourself dreaming of igloos and frozen ice-caps, so try out these tricks to help you keep your cool when the temperature rises.

Clothes

• Wear loose fitting clothes that will let the air circulate - tight waistbands in particular will make you feel hot and bothered.
• Natural fabrics such as cotton are best, as they will allow your skin to breath.
• You may need to buy some larger shoes, particularly if your feet start to swell.
• Water, Even if you are still suffering from morning sickness, it is vital that you drink 8 glasses of water a day as it is very easy for pregnant women to become dehydrated.
• Try to avoid coffee and fizzy drinks as they can act as diuretics.

Summer food

• Think carefully about your food hygiene - it is very easy to get food poisoning in the summer.
• Use commercially frozen barbecue foods as the freezing process kills the toxoplasmosis parasite and always make sure food is cooked right through.
• Check that mayonnaise is made with pasteurised eggs and always wash fruit and vegetables.

Shopping

• If you can, get your partner to take care of the big weekly shop.
• If not, why not try shopping over the internet or at a less busy time, maybe on a Friday evening?

Keep cool

• Pregnant women have up to a third extra blood in their system, which means they feel the heat more, so keep out of the sun as much as possible, especially between 11am and 3pm.
• Make sure you use a high factor sun screen - some women find their skin is extra sensitive when they are pregnant.

In the swim

• Swimming is an excellent way of exercising when you are pregnant and will help to cool you down.
• Don't forget to check with your doctor or midwife if you are worried about your fitness levels.

Take it easy

• Try not to get worked up about things - this will only make you feel hotter. If things do get on top of you, sit down and take a few deep breaths.
• If you can, put your feet up and have a rest during the hottest part of the day.
• As you near the end of your term, you may need to think about cutting down on the amount of walking and standing that you do. If in doubt, talk to your midwife or HR department.

Older children

• You may find it harder to relax if you are busy all day with older children, perhaps you could ask a friend to baby sit for a couple of hours to give you a rest.
• Invite friends round to your house, instead of going to the park. They will probably keep you supplied with cool drinks if you ask them nicely!
• Paddling pools are a great way to keep your feet cool - sit in the shade and dip your toes in, your toddler will love this!

Work

• If you are still working, make sure your office is kept cool and your working conditions are suitable to your stage of pregnancy. If in doubt, call the Maternity Alliance on 020 7490 7639.
• If you use public transport, perhaps you could change your working hours to avoid the rush hour crush.
• Ask if you could work from home one day a week - that extra hour in bed can make all the difference.

Feet treats

• When you can, sit with your feet up and try not to cross your legs as this can reduce blood flow.
• Pamper your feet at the end of a long day. Soak them in a basin of cool water before using a foot scrub and finishing with a massage of you feet and legs - absolutely divine if you can get your partner to do it for you!

'Fear is the Mind Killer' - Why fear of Labour can make it painful by Lisa Cole

It is difficult to find active birth teachers where I live, they get booked up quickly, so I thought I'd give the local clinics antenatal class a try. It left me furious for a week and I decided never to return! Why the anger? I knew I wanted a drug free home birth, and I knew the best way to get what I wanted was to trust in myself. The class set up such a fear of labour that one woman was wincing every time the word itself was mentioned. The emphasis was on how to control and stop the pain with drugs.

Labour is nothing to fear, Websters dictionary describes it as to do one's work under conditions which make it especially hard'. It is hard work and it can hurt a lot, but being scared of it will only make it hurt more. Dr. Grantley Dick-Read coined the phrase fear-tension-pain cycle' in the 1930's and that's exactly what happens. You fear being hurt, you tense up and blood and oxygen is drawn away from organs that are not needed to flight or fight. Dr Dick-Read said that a scared woman in labour has a white uterus, and a blood free womb just doesn't have the energy of a nice rich red one, so it hurts.

I don't know why I wasn't scared, it might have been just sheer contrariness. It may have been that I was immune to birthing horror stories, because it seemed as if every mother on my street wanted to tell me about their 48-day labour, or how the midwife had to chainsaw them open to get the baby out! I was probably not scared because I truly believed that normal childbirth is a natural process instead of a medical one. I was also busy being truly terrified of how to deal with the baby itself when it arrived.

I think I discovered the fear-tension-pain cycle for myself at the dentist after a root canal job. I realised afterwards that I had made the whole thing so much worse for myself by being so stressed. The next time I went, actually to have the tooth out, I recited in my mind the Litany against Fear from Frank Herbert's book Dune'

I must not fear.

Only I will remain.

It worked, I kept myself calm and the tooth came out with a slight twinge.

I am not saying that childbirth for me was just a twinge, I had a quick labour but there wasn't much time for me to collect myself between contractions. It did hurt, and at times it was nasty but it wasn't a terrifying pain. It felt hugely productive and as soon as the baby was out, all sensations other than overwhelming love and bewilderment were forgotten. And I'm not good with pain, I cry if I bump my elbow, get stung or trip up. I am self-confessed wuss! But I trusted in myself and in the amazing resources and stamina a woman giving birth can have. It was a beautiful birth, an amazing thing to do and it turns out I'm not scared of the baby either!