The pregnancy experience is different for all individuals and someone’s experience shouldn’t dictate our understanding or reaction to being pregnant.
Important to know that pregnancy is not an illness and majority of women have normal pregnancies, safe deliveries and healthy babies. Ensuring this enjoyable and safe pregnancy and delivery requires commitment to receiving antenatal care. During these visits, education is given, physical examination is done and investigations carried out.
These ensure mother and baby are in good health. Any problems during pregnancy are recognised and treated promptly. It is important to take all medications prescribed and advice given during these visits. Those of us who have an aversion to taking meds are in trouble now.
The 9 months journey is conveniently divided into 3 based mainly on the changes taking place and some of the discomforts experienced. This article will attempt to outline some of these discomforts and basic relief methods.
The First Trimester, or loosely, the first 3 months can be the most trying and difficult period of the journey. Apart from what happens on the surface, it is during this period that most of the development and formation of the organs of the foetus occurs. It is critical that we use extra caution to prevent birth defects. Some useful tips are not to take any drugs before cross checking with your obstetrician or at least reading the pregnancy caution, to avoid alcohol, smoking, and radiation and to be on your folic acid supplementation.
Discomforts of this trimester include: morning sickness or nausea and vomiting, tiredness or dizziness, tenderness in the breasts and frequent urination. For morning sickness it may help to eat dry foods such as dry biscuit and yam; eat small frequent meals; ginger helps some people; and generally avoid greasy or oily foods. I know someone who would puke every time she drank water but discovered she tolerated and actually enjoyed taking ice chips! So find what works for you. Let someone else do the cooking (take a rest!). Husbands, TLC works wonders!! A little emotional support goes a long way. In extreme cases, drugs can be given and some may even need admission and intravenous fluids and medication.
Second trimester, the heartburns kick in. With associated tiredness, backache, changes in the colour of the skin, increased fluid from the vagina and ptyalism or increased salivation…u sure don’t feel sexy now, huh? For heartburns, eat several small meals and avoid lying down immediately after eating, less caffeine and spicy foods also help. Here again, emotional support is need to overcome low/negative self image.
Third trimester,: feeling bloated?, increased tiredness, backache, pressure in the pelvis, increased fluid from the vagina, non-labour contractions (Braxton- Hicks), muscle cramps especially in the legs, frequent urination, heartburn and gas, constipation, increased varicose veins, stretch marks on the skin of the abdomen, shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles and feet. For varicose veins, prop up feet when sitting, do not stand for long periods of time, and regular exercises improve circulation in legs. To control constipation, helps to eat lots of vegetables and fruits, regular exercises, drink plenty of water, and avoid enemas.
Not to cause unnecessary fear and panic but important to be aware of some of the indicators of cause for concern in pregnancy and to report as soon as possible for check up. These include bleeding from the vagina at any period of pregnancy, persistent headache and epigastric pain especially in the later stages of pregnancy, jaundice in pregnancy, inability to perceive movements of the foetus and lactating, or producing breastmilk before delivery.
So, all things being equal, we all hope our journey of “a 9 months” will end in the safe delivery of a beautiful, healthy baby; the mode of delivery which can be determined before hand during our antenatal visits. Husbands’ support is needed to complete this journey. Man, it’s time for you to give the back rub you never gave, that feet rub when our feet and ankles are swollen and hurting, to try your hand at cooking when even the thought of entering the kitchen sends us running to the toilet to hurl and to look us in the eye and tell us we look beautiful when our face is now multicoloured, we feel as round as a ball and our nose has grown big and taken over our face. We need you.
Have a safe journey!!
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