Questions and concerns in pregnancy
Skin Itching…
Increase in blood volumes in pregnancy can create itching and heat rashes. Calendula cream, pinetarsol baths and calamine lotion can be tried to help relieve itching. Acupuncture can help with PUPPs and other issues in pregnancy.
There are a few conditions that can cause alarm so please discuss any itching of palms of hands and soles of feet with your midwife.
Persistent itching on palms and/or soles of the feet after 20 weeks of pregnancy can be a sign of your liver not functioning correctly—It is important you tell your midwife URGENTLY
Swollen Feet…
This is a normal occurrence in pregnancy. It mainly occurs in the third trimester.
Try:
· Elevating your legs
· Gentle walking to aid your bodies systems to remove the retained fluid
· PET flight stockings from a chemist
Dizziness and Fainting…
This is common and usually associates with a lowered blood pressure common in pregnancy.
· The most important treatment is not to get up in a hurry; so as to avoid falling
· keeping up a good fluid intake of water or watered down isotonic drinks
Constipation and Haemorrhoids (Piles)…
These are common ailments in the third trimester and can be very painful. Your bowel is already a little slow due to pregnancy hormones
· Eat a high fibre diet to keep your stools soft
· Keep up with a higher intake of water
· Kiwi crush and/or prunes - - adding Metamucil to your daily routine will keep everything soft
· Don’t wait to go to the toilet it can allow the faeces to get harder
· Daily pelvic floor exercises
· Cold compresses to the area to reduce swelling
· Vinegar applied to the piles reduces them
· Witch hazel has been said to help
Your midwife or GP can prescribe medication and laxatives as a last resort to help alleviate any serious constipation
It is important that these issues are resolved prior to birth as they can have an impact on the birth so please talk to the midwife if you have a concern
Pelvic pain, back pain and ligament pain…
There is a lot of changes occurring within your body as your pregnancy progresses. There will be times when you get aches and pains and uncomfortable feelings that are not easily explained.
Please talk to your midwife regarding any pain you have so we can treat it or reassure you that it is normal if it is.
We are more than happy to refer you to the appropriate service to help with aches and pains if they can be helped.
Many people find acupuncture very good with pains and issues relating to pregnancy.
Optimal Baby Positioning for Birth…
Sitting upright and using good posture even while watching TV at night, keeping on your side, swimming and leaning forward after 30 weeks of pregnancy may help position your baby to allow for a more timely and less difficult delivery.
Bleeding/spotting in pregnancy...
HEAVY and PAINFUL bleeding at any stage of pregnancy is cause to call your midwife immediately for a discussion and possible assessment of the situation.
Spotting...
Bleeding in the early days of pregnancy is common, and is unlikely to harm your baby. About one in five mums-to-be have some bleeding in the first three months of their continuing pregnancy. It usually happens at about the same time that your period would have been due, and may last for a day or two.
Though experts aren't sure of the cause, it may be due to:
Bleeding in early pregnancy is common, but it's important that you tell your doctor or midwife if you have it.
To try to find out what's causing your bleeding, and to make sure that all is well, we may:
Doctors sometimes describe early pregnancy bleeding as a "threatened miscarriage", though this doesn't necessarily mean that you will go on to miscarry. Usually, the signs of miscarriage are period-like pains and heavy bleeding that may include clots.
Sometimes, it's not possible to work out why minor bleeding happens. If the bleeding is light and settles down, there is a good chance that all is well and your baby is fine.
Increase in blood volumes in pregnancy can create itching and heat rashes. Calendula cream, pinetarsol baths and calamine lotion can be tried to help relieve itching. Acupuncture can help with PUPPs and other issues in pregnancy.
There are a few conditions that can cause alarm so please discuss any itching of palms of hands and soles of feet with your midwife.
Persistent itching on palms and/or soles of the feet after 20 weeks of pregnancy can be a sign of your liver not functioning correctly—It is important you tell your midwife URGENTLY
Swollen Feet…
This is a normal occurrence in pregnancy. It mainly occurs in the third trimester.
Try:
· Elevating your legs
· Gentle walking to aid your bodies systems to remove the retained fluid
· PET flight stockings from a chemist
Dizziness and Fainting…
This is common and usually associates with a lowered blood pressure common in pregnancy.
· The most important treatment is not to get up in a hurry; so as to avoid falling
· keeping up a good fluid intake of water or watered down isotonic drinks
Constipation and Haemorrhoids (Piles)…
These are common ailments in the third trimester and can be very painful. Your bowel is already a little slow due to pregnancy hormones
· Eat a high fibre diet to keep your stools soft
· Keep up with a higher intake of water
· Kiwi crush and/or prunes - - adding Metamucil to your daily routine will keep everything soft
· Don’t wait to go to the toilet it can allow the faeces to get harder
· Daily pelvic floor exercises
· Cold compresses to the area to reduce swelling
· Vinegar applied to the piles reduces them
· Witch hazel has been said to help
Your midwife or GP can prescribe medication and laxatives as a last resort to help alleviate any serious constipation
It is important that these issues are resolved prior to birth as they can have an impact on the birth so please talk to the midwife if you have a concern
Pelvic pain, back pain and ligament pain…
There is a lot of changes occurring within your body as your pregnancy progresses. There will be times when you get aches and pains and uncomfortable feelings that are not easily explained.
Please talk to your midwife regarding any pain you have so we can treat it or reassure you that it is normal if it is.
We are more than happy to refer you to the appropriate service to help with aches and pains if they can be helped.
Many people find acupuncture very good with pains and issues relating to pregnancy.
Optimal Baby Positioning for Birth…
Sitting upright and using good posture even while watching TV at night, keeping on your side, swimming and leaning forward after 30 weeks of pregnancy may help position your baby to allow for a more timely and less difficult delivery.
Bleeding/spotting in pregnancy...
HEAVY and PAINFUL bleeding at any stage of pregnancy is cause to call your midwife immediately for a discussion and possible assessment of the situation.
Spotting...
Bleeding in the early days of pregnancy is common, and is unlikely to harm your baby. About one in five mums-to-be have some bleeding in the first three months of their continuing pregnancy. It usually happens at about the same time that your period would have been due, and may last for a day or two.
Though experts aren't sure of the cause, it may be due to:
- Breakthrough bleeding, which happens when pregnancy hormones cover up your usual menstrual cycle, but that cycle continues for a while. You may have this bleeding more than once.
- Implantation bleeding, which may happen when the fertilised egg implants in your uterus (womb). It's thought that this is less common than breakthrough bleeding.
- Your softening cervix and a raw area that forms (cervical erosion or ectropion). Bleeding can also be linked to vaginal or cervical infection, or a harmless growth (polyp). These three conditions could all result in bleeding if your cervix has been chafed, for example, during sex.
Bleeding in early pregnancy is common, but it's important that you tell your doctor or midwife if you have it.
To try to find out what's causing your bleeding, and to make sure that all is well, we may:
- Test your blood or urine, to check your pregnancy hormone levels.
- Examine your cervix, to check that it's closed.
- Arrange for you to have an ultrasound scan.
- Check your baby's heartbeat by ultrasound.
Doctors sometimes describe early pregnancy bleeding as a "threatened miscarriage", though this doesn't necessarily mean that you will go on to miscarry. Usually, the signs of miscarriage are period-like pains and heavy bleeding that may include clots.
Sometimes, it's not possible to work out why minor bleeding happens. If the bleeding is light and settles down, there is a good chance that all is well and your baby is fine.
