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Pregnancy can bring with it numerous physical changes – changes that can leave you feeling uncomfortable and susceptible to certain illnesses. While some people find that their pregnancy goes by very easily, this isn’t the case for everyone, and many women suffer from everything from mild to major symptoms.
Though stopping the effects of these symptoms entirely may not be possible, it is possible to manage them to reduce discomfort as much as possible. Here are some tips that you can use to ease your pregnancy symptoms.
Dealing with Nausea
The simplest way to deal with nausea 1is to change the way you eat. Eat smaller meals, and don’t skip breakfast. Also, avoid triggers where you can – if the smell or sight of a particular food makes you feel nauseous, avoid that food as much as possible.
Greasy, high-fat, and spicy foods should be avoided where possible – they are difficult for your body to digest and can make your nausea and vomiting worse. On the other hand, carbohydrate-rich foods are easy to digest and also provide you with much-needed energy.
Managing Migraines
Migraines 2are a relatively common symptom during pregnancy, and about 15-20% of pregnant women experience migraine headaches. If you’re experiencing migraines and other similar forms of pregnancy sickness for the first time and have no history of the same, you should contact your doctor to ensure that it isn’t something more serious. Once your medical professional has cleared you, you should take care to avoid migraine triggers, such as stress3.
Some measures you can take that don’t involve taking medication include applying cold packs, sleeping, and resting in a dark room. However, if you’re still experiencing severe migraines, speak to a doctor for help. Regular over-the-counter medications should be avoided because of the risk to your child, but your doctor will be able to advise you regarding safe medication options you can try instead.
Addressing Back Pains
Backaches are relatively common in pregnancy. The weight gain, combined postural and hormonal changes, additional stress, and muscle separations put pressure on the area of your back where your pelvis meets your spine, causing your back to hurt.
To manage this pain, you should try regular exercise to strengthen your muscles – particularly the pelvic rock4. Additionally, you should stretch regularly and apply heat and cold compresses to your back. However, make sure you only apply these compresses to your back and not to your abdomen.
Other options include elevating your feet while sitting or lying down and avoiding standing in one place too long. The good news is that unless you have a history of backaches before pregnancy, you’ll find that the pain eases over time, and you shouldn’t have the same issues by the time you’re ready to give birth.
Pregnancy can be challenging for women, given the many physical changes they experience. However, there are steps you can take to mitigate the worst effects of pregnancy-related symptoms. That said, it’s always best to keep your medical care provider in the loop. They’ll be able to let you know if your aches and pains are anything to be seriously worried about and can help in case of extreme discomfort that isn’t soothed by at-home strategies like those discussed above.
- Gan, Tong J., et al. “Fourth consensus guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting.” Anesthesia & Analgesia 131.2 (2020): 411-448. ↩︎
- Gazerani, Parisa. “Migraine and diet.” Nutrients 12.6 (2020): 1658. ↩︎
- Agorastos, Agorastos, and George P. Chrousos. “The neuroendocrinology of stress: the stress-related continuum of chronic disease development.” Molecular Psychiatry 27.1 (2022): 502-513. ↩︎
- Sulistianingsih, Apri, et al. “The effect of combination of pelvic rocking exercise and back massage to pain and duration of labor in primigravidae.” Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 10.G (2022): 246-252. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
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