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Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Body Changes

Aches, pains, and backaches
As your uterus expands pains in the back, abdomen, groin area, and thighs often appear. Many women also have backaches and aching near the pelvic bone due the pressure of the baby’s head, increased weight, and loosening joints.

To ease some of these aches and pains try:

Lying down

Resting

Applying heat

If you are worried or the pains do not get better, call your doctor.

Breast Changes

A woman’s breasts increase in size and fullness during pregnancy. As the due date approaches, hormone changes will cause your breasts to get even bigger in preparation for breastfeeding. Your breasts may feel full and heavy, and they might be tender or uncomfortable.
In the third trimester, some pregnant women begin to leak colostrum from their breasts. Colostrum is the first milk that your breasts produce for the baby. It is a thick, yellowish fluid containing antibodies that protect newborns from infection. If leaking becomes embarrassing, put nursing pads inside your bra.

Try to these tips to stay comfortable:

Wear a soft, comfortable maternity or nursing bra with extra support.

Wash your nipples with water instead of soap since soap can dry and irritate nipples.

If you have cracked nipples, use a heavy moisturizing cream that contains lanolin

Dizziness

Many pregnant women complain of dizziness and lightheadedness throughout their pregnancies. Fainting is rare but does happen even in some healthy pregnant women. There are many reasons for these symptoms. The growth of more blood vessels in early pregnancy, the pressure of the expanding uterus on blood vessels and the body’s increased need for food all can make a pregnant woman feel lightheaded and dizzy.

To feel better follow these tips:

Stand up slowly

When you’re feeling lightheaded, lay down on your left side

Avoid sitting or standing in one position for a long time

Eat healthy snacks or small meals frequently

Don’t get overheated

Call your doctor as soon as possible if you faint. Dizziness or lightheadedness can be discussed at regular prenatal visits.

Leg Cramps

At different times during your pregnancy, you might have cramps in your legs or feet. They usually happen at night. This is due to a change in the way your body processes, or metabolizes, calcium.

Try these tips to prevent and ease leg cramps:

Eat lots of low-fat calcium-rich foods

Get regular mild exercise, like walking

Ask your doctor if you should be taking a prenatal vitamin containing calcium

Gently stretch the muscle to relieve leg and foot cramps. If you have a sudden leg cramp, flex your foot towards your body

Use heating pads or warm, moist towels to help relax the muscles and ease leg and foot cramps

Nasal Problems

Nosebleeds and nasal stuffiness are common during pregnancy. They are caused by the increased amount of blood in your body and hormones acting on the tissues of your nose.
To ease nosebleeds blow gently when you blow your nose. Stop nosebleeds by squeezing your nose between your thumb and finger for a few minutes. If you have nosebleeds that do not stop in a few minutes or happen often, see your doctor.

Drinking extra water and using a cool mist humidifier in your bedroom may help relieve nasal stuffiness. Talk with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter or prescription medicines for colds or nasal stuffiness.

Shortness of Breath

As the baby grows, your expanding uterus will put pressure on all of your organs, including your lungs. You may notice that you are short of breath or might not be able to catch your breath.

Tips to ease breathing include:

Take deep, long breaths

Maintain good posture so your lungs have room to expand

Use an extra pillow and try sleeping on your side to breathe easier at night

An ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy that occur outside the uterus (womb). The baby can not survive.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when baby starts to develop outside the womb (uterus). The most common site for an ectopic pregnancy is within a fallopian tube. However, in rare cases, ectopic pregnancies can occur in the ovary, the stomach area, and the cervix.

An ectopic pregnancy is usually caused by a condition that blocks of slows the movement of a fertilized egg through the fallopian tube to the uterus. This may be caused by a physical blockage in the tube.

Most cases are a result of scarring caused by a past infection in the fallopian tubes, surgery of the fallopian tubes, or a previous ectopic pregnancy. Up to 50% of women who have ectopic pregnancies have had inflammation of the fallopian tubes (salpingitis) or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Some ectopic pregnancies can be due to birth defects of the fallopian tubes, endometriosis, complications of a ruptured appendix, or scarring caused by previous pelvic surgery. In a few cases, the cause is unknown.

Sometimes, a woman will become pregnant after having her tubes tied (tubal sterilization). The risk of an ectopic pregnancy due to this procedure may reach 60%. Women who have had successful surgery to reverse tubal sterilization in order to become pregnant also have an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Taking hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone (such as those in birth control pills), can slow the normal movement of the fertilized egg through the tubes and lead to ectopic pregnancy.

Women who have in vitro fertilization or who have an intrauterine device (IUD) using progesterone also have an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.

The “morning after pill” (emergency contraception) has been linked to some cases of ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancies occur from 1 in every 40 to 1 in every 100 pregnancies.

Symptoms

• Lower abdominal or pelvic pain
• Mild cramping on one side of the pelvis
• Amenorrhea (missed period)
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding (usually spotting)
• Breast tenderness
• Nausea
• Low back pain

If the area of the abnormal pregnancy ruptures and bleeds, symptoms may get worse. They may include:

• Severe, sharp, and sudden pain in the lower abdominal area
• Feeling faint or actually fainting
• Referred pain to the shoulder area

Internal bleeding due to a rupture may lead to shock. This is the first symptom of nearly 20% of ectopic pregnancies.

Signs and tests

The health care provider will perform a pelvic exam, which may reveal tenderness in the pelvic area. A pregnancy test is usually positive (says you are pregnant).

Tests that may be done include:

• Hematocrit (may be normal or high)
• White blood count (may be normal or high)
• Culdocentesis (to check for blood in the pelvic/abdomen area)
• Transvaginal ultrasound or pregnancy ultrasound (shows an empty uterus)

A laparoscopy, laparotomy, or D and C may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.

An ectopic pregnancy may affect the results of a serum progesterone test.

Prevention

Most forms of ectopic pregnancy that occur outside the fallopian tubes are probably not preventable. However, a tubal pregnancy (the most common type of ectopic pregnancy) may be prevented in some cases by avoiding conditions that might scar the fallopian tubes. The following may reduce the risk of a tubal pregnancy:

• Avoiding risk factors for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), such as multiple sexual partners, intercourse without a condom, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• Early diagnosis and treatment of STDs
• Early diagnosis and treatment of salpingitis and PID

If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, or are already pregnant, taking care of your health is more important than ever. Follow these tips for a healthy pregnancy: Read the rest of this entry »