Pregnancy pain relief

Pregnancy is not easy on the female body. Your hips move apart, your stomach muscles stretch, your back has to support extra weight, and your hormones are out of whack so you have all sorts of other issues on top of it. Pregnancy pain is very real, and not just during labor and delivery. So, let's take a look at some of the discomforts of pregnancy, and some of the things you can do to ease them.

Back pain:

The most common pregnancy discomfort is that of back pain. This is all over, both the upper and lower back will be in pain at some point during the pregnancy. For each person the degree of pain, and the location of the pain will change slightly. So, let's take a look at what causes back pain, what you can do about, and how to alleviate it.

Cause- When you are carrying child your uterus expands. It can expand up to 1,000 times its normal size. You take that into account along with the extra weight you will be carrying, the change in posture, and the relaxation of ligaments during pregnancy, and you basically get a painful back. Your body will be off balance, and you will hold yourself funny to compensate for the extra weight and decreased ligament support.

What can you do? Well, the first thing you want to do is avoid the things that add to the problem. This would include things like wearing really flat shoes (flip flops for instance) or tall shoes (heels). These do not provide the support you need, and can really add to the pain you are feeling. So pack them away and find some shoes with great arch support. Other things to avoid include picking up heavy objects, and sleeping on your back. When you are pregnant you should avoid lifting packages, toddlers, and anything else that might be heavy. Instead, ask someone else to do it for you. If you have to lift heavy things, make sure you use the right lifting posture, which would mean squat and bend at the knees not the waist, and keep your back straight as you lift. When you can help it, do not sleep directly on your back, sleeping on your side will help eliminate much back pain.

 In addition to avoidance, there are things you should be doing, for example, you should keep your weight gain at the right levels, of between 25-35 pounds. Anything extra is just going to put undue stress on an already maxed back. You also want to make sure that when your back does hurt that you use a heat pad, or a warm bath to soothe the muscles. Sitting with the right posture, and using chairs with proper lumbar support, and elevating your feet are all things that can help alleviate the pregnancy back pain as well.

Swelling:

Many women have a pregnancy discomfort caused by swelling, especially in their feet and ankles. This is a common occurrence for women in the third trimester. Usually your feet will be okay in the morning, but by mid afternoon, or early evening, your feet can be quite swollen. For some women it can take a few weeks after delivery for this ugly problem to go away. It can be painful because it makes shoes tight, and feet ache.

Causes- Basically the cause is simply extra fluid circulating your body during pregnancy, and it is very common, in fact, about 75% of pregnant women will have some swelling in their feet. However, if you swell in other places, such as the hands or face, it could indicate a more serious and dangerous complication during pregnancy called preeclampsia.

What can you do? If you want to reduce the swelling in your body, particularly your feet, you need to keep your legs elevated. Gravity causes that extra liquid to pool in your feet, so when you sit down, pop your legs up. If you can help it, do not stand for any sort of extended period of time.

If you are pregnant when it is hot out, then try to avoid being out in the heat too often, instead stay indoors, and turn on that AC. Cool air that is being circulated can help the problem.

Avoidance of the wrong shoes can help, as well as avoidance of salty foods. These things can add to the problem. Salty foods can cause you to retain water. Instead, wear flatter, comfortable shoes with great arch support. Also, opt for foods that are diuretics naturally, such as asparagus, and grapefruit.

While fluid retention is the problem, you should still stay hydrated. Make sure you drink at least 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. It can help flush stuff out of your body so that you do not retain it.

If your swelling is really bad, consider using a cool bath to help circulation. Put some mint extract in it for an even further cooling solution. If you are concerned it is more than just excess fluid, or if none of the above suggestions help to reduce the swelling, consider talking to your health care provider about other possible solutions.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Often times in pregnancy women suffer the pain of tingling and numbness in palms, fingertips, wrists, or even all the way up their arms. This is a phenomenon that occurs during the second trimester typically, and can really limit your functionality in your arms. It can be quite painful as well, but usually goes away after you have your baby.

Causes- The real cause of CTS or carpal tunnel syndrome is really just genetics. Of course other factors add to the problem. Some of the causes include too much weight gain, or too much fluid retention. The reason for this is that you have a ligament that goes around your wrist like a bracelet, this is the carpal tunnel. It runs through the median nerve. If you gain weight too fast, or by too much, you put pressure on this nerve, and cause it to swell and be very painful.

What can you do about this pregnancy pain? Well, the real answer is to avoid the things that cause it, but because genetics plays such a big role, you will also want to consider using a brace to add some support to your wrist and hand. You may also want to try some exercises that can strengthen the ligament. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has come up with a set of exercises to help strengthen the wrist. Basically, to do these exercises you will want to curl fingers into a fist, and bend your wrist toward the palm. Then straighten your fingers and stretch your wrist the other direction. You do these in sets, and try doing at least ten a day.

Last but not least, if you are doing things that add to the problem, such as frequent typing, or frequently picking up a toddler, make sure you stretch your wrists some time, and that you take breaks so that you do not put too much pressure on the nerves.

Hemorrhoids:

Hemorrhoids are really very uncomfortable. They are not just embarrassing, but can also be highly painful, which is never fun when you are already suffering from several other pregnancy related pains and aches.

Causes- Hemorrhoids are caused by an accumulation of blood in the veins caused by pressure from the uterus. They are varicose veins in the rectum.

What can you do about them? These painful veins in the rectum are treatable, and most people find that the best form of treatment includes warm baths followed by witch hazel treatments. You can use Tucks medicated pads. You can also use warm wet tea bags, or Preparation H on the area. If you really want to help them, and aren't too grossed out by it, one thing that can be very helpful is to gently massage the hemorrhoids while you are in the shower. And, of course, you want to stay off them when sitting until they start feeling better, so consider investing in a donut shaped pillow for sitting.

There are all sorts of pregnancy pains, and each one has their own little set of pain relief options. You can talk to your doctor about what pains you, and in many cases they will be able to give you a prescription or advice on how to remedy that pain. Do not ignore pregnancy pains, and play them off as a normal part of being pregnant. While it is often true that pregnancy pains are normal, sometimes they are an indication of a more serious problem that should not be ignored. So, listen to your body and know that it is better to ask too many questions of your health care provider than not enough of them.