Here are some of the ways I worked around the problems I faced during my pregnancy. It may or may not work for you but heck, it doesn't hurt to share...
What do I about...
1. Leg cramps:
To prevent it, trying wearing socks to sleep. Caution: do not use tight socks if you have severe oedema (or swelling of the feet and ankles, you have been warned.) It's best to use socks that are about 1 or 2 sizes bigger than your feet (use your hubby's or partner's with no promises to return them intact).
2. Nausea
Some say to take assam or sour plums (or other form of soury stuff) but it is best to avoid pineapples throughout the whole pregnancy for fear of miscarriage. Don't quote me on that, but this is one theory I ain't testing.
Also, the taste of sweet beverages or food with heavy tastes will linger in the mouth longer than usual, so rinse your mouth after every meal to get rid of the taste. I had nausea between the 2nd month until my 4th month.
A colleague of mine even joked that if you suspect that you are pregnant, do not confirm it until you are into your 3rd month, because once you know you are pregnant, all the problems come. Strangely enough, I agree with her.
3. Putting on pants during pregnancy
It will get harder to put on underwear and pants as you get along in your second or third trimesters. You will find lifting your feet just to shift something on the floor to the side, a big chore. And don't get me started on the ligament pains (you will feel them on your tummy where it meets your thighs).
And so to get through this, wear maternity dresses or when you put on pants, sit at the side of your bed put both your legs through the holes of the pants then lie down, lift your hips to pull the pants up and try to scramble back to an upright position.
Good luck!
4. Lower back pains.
Get those really comfy but firm pillows and place them on your lower back or on your back below the shoulder blades to pop you up on an upright position when you are sitting down. Do not bend too much or lift heavy things anymore. Take calcium supplementary pills or drink more milk to give more strength to your weary bones. It is best to do it before the pain starts so you won't have to go through the pain.
5. Fatigue
Rest, rest and rest. People tend to forget that you are pregnant during your first trimester, because in fact, you don't really 'show' until the fifth month or so, particularly if it is your first baby. Or maybe you just haven't told anyone you are pregnant.
Either way, if you are tired, relax a little, and take a rest. Your body is providing for two individuals now and believe me, the other person is taking in more than what your own body is taking in.
In the later trimesters, sleep whenever you can (when the brat is sleeping and not kicking you inside out)
6. Swollen feet and hands
First, the swollen feet. Doctors will tell you to put your feet up high. My dad says to put it higher than your head. Another doctor tells me to go shopping more. The idea is to move around more to get the circulation in your feet moving so the 'water' does not 'collect' or pool near the bottom of your body (where the feet is).
None of those worked for me. My only remedy is my husband, his hands and a nice massage and steady light punching of the soles of the feet. Works like a charm every time.
As for the hands, when you sleep too long on one side of your body, blood circulation is kinda blocked and therefore your hands may feel numb and won't be as responsive in the morning. Do not panic, just clench your fists for five seconds, then let go, stretch them all out for five more, and repeat. Once you get your senses back into your hands clench and stretch your fingers periodically until the swelling subsides.
If you are a heavy user of the keyboard like I am, take breaks. Plus, you are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome because of the swelling near the wrists, so take it easy. Oh, and it is best to put away your wedding ring some time in the 2nd trimesters or you may have to chainsaw through your finger. What? It's your wedding ring! The finger will grow back.
7. Stretchmarks
What do I about...
1. Leg cramps:
To prevent it, trying wearing socks to sleep. Caution: do not use tight socks if you have severe oedema (or swelling of the feet and ankles, you have been warned.) It's best to use socks that are about 1 or 2 sizes bigger than your feet (use your hubby's or partner's with no promises to return them intact).
2. Nausea
Some say to take assam or sour plums (or other form of soury stuff) but it is best to avoid pineapples throughout the whole pregnancy for fear of miscarriage. Don't quote me on that, but this is one theory I ain't testing.
Also, the taste of sweet beverages or food with heavy tastes will linger in the mouth longer than usual, so rinse your mouth after every meal to get rid of the taste. I had nausea between the 2nd month until my 4th month.
A colleague of mine even joked that if you suspect that you are pregnant, do not confirm it until you are into your 3rd month, because once you know you are pregnant, all the problems come. Strangely enough, I agree with her.
3. Putting on pants during pregnancy
It will get harder to put on underwear and pants as you get along in your second or third trimesters. You will find lifting your feet just to shift something on the floor to the side, a big chore. And don't get me started on the ligament pains (you will feel them on your tummy where it meets your thighs).
And so to get through this, wear maternity dresses or when you put on pants, sit at the side of your bed put both your legs through the holes of the pants then lie down, lift your hips to pull the pants up and try to scramble back to an upright position.
Good luck!
4. Lower back pains.
Get those really comfy but firm pillows and place them on your lower back or on your back below the shoulder blades to pop you up on an upright position when you are sitting down. Do not bend too much or lift heavy things anymore. Take calcium supplementary pills or drink more milk to give more strength to your weary bones. It is best to do it before the pain starts so you won't have to go through the pain.
5. Fatigue
Rest, rest and rest. People tend to forget that you are pregnant during your first trimester, because in fact, you don't really 'show' until the fifth month or so, particularly if it is your first baby. Or maybe you just haven't told anyone you are pregnant.
Either way, if you are tired, relax a little, and take a rest. Your body is providing for two individuals now and believe me, the other person is taking in more than what your own body is taking in.
In the later trimesters, sleep whenever you can (when the brat is sleeping and not kicking you inside out)
6. Swollen feet and hands
First, the swollen feet. Doctors will tell you to put your feet up high. My dad says to put it higher than your head. Another doctor tells me to go shopping more. The idea is to move around more to get the circulation in your feet moving so the 'water' does not 'collect' or pool near the bottom of your body (where the feet is).
None of those worked for me. My only remedy is my husband, his hands and a nice massage and steady light punching of the soles of the feet. Works like a charm every time.
As for the hands, when you sleep too long on one side of your body, blood circulation is kinda blocked and therefore your hands may feel numb and won't be as responsive in the morning. Do not panic, just clench your fists for five seconds, then let go, stretch them all out for five more, and repeat. Once you get your senses back into your hands clench and stretch your fingers periodically until the swelling subsides.
If you are a heavy user of the keyboard like I am, take breaks. Plus, you are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome because of the swelling near the wrists, so take it easy. Oh, and it is best to put away your wedding ring some time in the 2nd trimesters or you may have to chainsaw through your finger. What? It's your wedding ring! The finger will grow back.
7. Stretchmarks
Unfortunately, you can't do anything about stretchmarks. Creams and lotions do not help. Don't believe what they tell you. They only help with the itching so baby oil works as well. Stretchmarks are bound to happen but they worsen if you gain weight too fast in a short period of time. So watch your weight during the whole 9 months. Do not go on a diet! If you are still thinking about dieting, you will get stretchmarks and unsightly broken vessels popping up near your thighs.
8. Wind
No, not the windy beaches kind of wind, the other one. The evil kind. Otherwise known as gas, wind is second nature to pregnant moms and we don't like 'em.
To prevent them, avoid bean sprouts, onions, kangkung, spicy food if you are not used to them and other types of food such as cheese/coffee/milk/curry/etc that give you wind, pre-pregnancy. Believe me, the effects are aggravated during pregnancy.
To get rid of wind, ah.. this part will be a bit gross but when you're desperate... Lie down on a flat surface, lie down to one side (e.g. left side), this will put the weight off your gastro tract and 'things will slide' through more easily. You will pass gas. Then, lie down on the other side (e.g. right side) and you will pass more gas. Repeat step 1 and 2 until you feel better. At times in the middle of the night if the pain is unbearable, you may need to sit up to make room for the gas to make its way down the gastro tract. Don't worry, this is not permanent and as long as you take care of your diet, it will not be a main problem.
To prevent them, avoid bean sprouts, onions, kangkung, spicy food if you are not used to them and other types of food such as cheese/coffee/milk/curry/etc that give you wind, pre-pregnancy. Believe me, the effects are aggravated during pregnancy.
To get rid of wind, ah.. this part will be a bit gross but when you're desperate... Lie down on a flat surface, lie down to one side (e.g. left side), this will put the weight off your gastro tract and 'things will slide' through more easily. You will pass gas. Then, lie down on the other side (e.g. right side) and you will pass more gas. Repeat step 1 and 2 until you feel better. At times in the middle of the night if the pain is unbearable, you may need to sit up to make room for the gas to make its way down the gastro tract. Don't worry, this is not permanent and as long as you take care of your diet, it will not be a main problem.
9. Depression and regrets over pregnancy
Everyone has their moments. It is nothing to be ashamed about. We are not built to adapt to such major changes to our bodies and our lives over such a short period of time, and sometimes without warning.
So when you get depressed about it, stop and think: This is a gift and a privilege bestowed upon your life. Think about the many couples out there who are missing out on this, or those who weren't given the chance to have a complete family like you will get at the end of your pregnancy.
If you are the kind who resent men because they get the 'easier' way out, ask yourself why women have to go through the torture of pregnancy and the agony of labour.
Because we can take it.
We will whine about it, complain about it, cry about it, but we can take it. Men go into panic mode if they can't find the remote control. Would you want someone like that to be carrying your baby for 9 months?
Okay, jokes aside, women are more adapted to give life to this world because
1. we get to cry without being laughed at (hey, you try going through labour without shedding a tear)
2. we have instincts when something goes bad. Men aren't built to follow instincts, they follow instructions through and through and are left with extra parts at the end of the assembling process.
3. we become mothers and martyrs once we have kids. Save the baby, save the baby. (either that or I've watched too much tv).
4. we have the most amazing organ in the world: uterus. From the size of a pear, it will expand over 9 months to house a 3-kg or 8-lb baby (on average) with a maximum capacity to house 8 babies (the record so far) and at the end of it all, it will shrink back to the size of a pear. Take that, you eye pupil.
5. we are very supportive of our own kind.
I can go on forever but a few things are for sure, we do this with the child ending up carrying the father's surname, we having to consent to the father's weird ideas for baby names at the very last minute, and having to accept the fact that while we tear our lower bodies apart to become a mother, men hold on to your hand and the videocam, and at the end of the day smoke cigars and say "I am a father!"
And we're cool with that. Go mommies!
So when you get depressed about it, stop and think: This is a gift and a privilege bestowed upon your life. Think about the many couples out there who are missing out on this, or those who weren't given the chance to have a complete family like you will get at the end of your pregnancy.
If you are the kind who resent men because they get the 'easier' way out, ask yourself why women have to go through the torture of pregnancy and the agony of labour.
Because we can take it.
We will whine about it, complain about it, cry about it, but we can take it. Men go into panic mode if they can't find the remote control. Would you want someone like that to be carrying your baby for 9 months?
Okay, jokes aside, women are more adapted to give life to this world because
1. we get to cry without being laughed at (hey, you try going through labour without shedding a tear)
2. we have instincts when something goes bad. Men aren't built to follow instincts, they follow instructions through and through and are left with extra parts at the end of the assembling process.
3. we become mothers and martyrs once we have kids. Save the baby, save the baby. (either that or I've watched too much tv).
4. we have the most amazing organ in the world: uterus. From the size of a pear, it will expand over 9 months to house a 3-kg or 8-lb baby (on average) with a maximum capacity to house 8 babies (the record so far) and at the end of it all, it will shrink back to the size of a pear. Take that, you eye pupil.
5. we are very supportive of our own kind.
I can go on forever but a few things are for sure, we do this with the child ending up carrying the father's surname, we having to consent to the father's weird ideas for baby names at the very last minute, and having to accept the fact that while we tear our lower bodies apart to become a mother, men hold on to your hand and the videocam, and at the end of the day smoke cigars and say "I am a father!"
And we're cool with that. Go mommies!
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