The wonderful thing about human beings is our uniqueness; there isn’t another person exactly like you, or me, or anyone for that matter, therefore it is impossible to know in advance, how pregnancy will affect you. What we can do, however, is list some of the conditions a woman can experience during a pregnancy.
- Pelvic pain – Known as lightning crotch, you may experience pelvis pain in the first trimester and it can be very painful. These sharp jolts typically occur in the 3rd trimester and can best be described as a sharp lightning pain, almost like an electric shock, which doesn’t usually last very long. If this is very painful, talk to your doctor or midwife and see what they have to say.
- Sore breasts – This is a very common condition for a woman carrying a child and it happens in the first trimester, as the milk glands develop, causing soreness. This can last for the entire first trimester and wearing a bra one size up can help, as can wearing a support bra. You do get used to it and when the baby is born, the soreness should have vanished. There are some great websites full of useful information regarding every aspect of pregnancy, plus there are mobile apps with very useful features that connect you with other mums.
- Morning sickness – Sadly, the majority of women suffer from feeling nauseous in the morning and if you do vomit after you get up, try sipping water and avoid eating anything for an hour or two, until the feeling subsides. While this is not life-threatening, it could lead to losing essential nutrition, so do keep an eye on that. Here are a few tips to improve the atmosphere at home when things are stressful.
- Weight gain – It is totally normal to put on weight when pregnant, which is regarded as a good thing, as long as it is not too much. Your doctor may ask you to gain or lose weight, depending on your situation, and let’s not forget to exercise, which is an essential requirement.
- Constipation – The hormone progesterone slows down muscle contractions and this can lead to constipation. If you are taking an iron supplement (you should) then this adds to the problem; you should eat more fibre and drink plenty of water.
- Mood swings – Another common condition, sudden changes in your mood is the result of your hormones going off the chart; you might burst into tears over nothing, or get angry for no apparent reason. Knowing that this is normal does help and it won’t last forever; your partner and those around you will be very tolerant during this time and hopefully, it won’t be too extreme.
You might be lucky and breeze through the pregnancy, but either way, there is a lot of useful information on the Internet to help you through this amazing chapter of your life. Here is some information on maternity allowance from the UK government.
