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Pregnancy Symptoms Continued

Indigestion and Heartburn

As many pregnant women know these particular types of pregnancy symptoms can be extremely painful, causing a severe burning sensation behind the breastbone along with the regurgitation of stomach acid coming up into the mouth.

This symptom may be causing you extreme discomfort but your baby will be blissfully unaware and will not be affected by it at all. This pregnancy symptom is in fact extremely beneficial to your baby as your food moves slowly through your digestive system allowing for better absorption of nutrients into your bloodstream.

The nutrients then travel towards and through the placenta and straight into your baby. So hey, you may be feeling unwell but your baby will be loving you for it.

Your Heartburn and Indigestion can start at any time but may get worse in the second or third trimesters, this is due to your uterus growing and pressing on your stomach.

As a result you may find that trying to sleep and getting comfortable at night is very hard to achieve especially as your pregnancy progresses.

For additional support try using specially designed pregnancy pillows and prop yourself up in bed, this will give gravity a change to keep those ugly stomach acids down and not in your mouth. Try using several pillows or sleep upright, this may sound daft but it does help.

Pregnancy Symptoms - Helpful Remedies

Try and not over eat and eat sensibly, avoid foods that are highly seasoned, full of fat or foods that have been fried. Try and notice any foods that trigger the pregnancy symptoms and avoid them like the plague.

I know it's hard, especially when you fancy something that you know will aggravate you but look at it this way, how long have you got left, even if you have got a full nine months left to go, it's not long. Your sacrifices will pay off, with a little self help you may even end up indigestion and heartburn FREE.

Avoid the temptation of having large meals, eat small meals instead throughout the day and chew your food slowly and thoroughly, giving your digestion system a helping hand.

Have a warm glass of milk before you go to bed and a cold glass of milk when you get up. This helps put a lining on the stomach and settles the stomach down. It may not work for everyone but if you have not already tried it give it a go.

Fresh Grapefruit can also work wonders, especially later on in pregnancy.

Try to avoid wearing anything tight around the waist or abdomen.I found what helped a lot was to take my bra off, this really did ease the pain.

Smoking of course is a definite NO NO, along with alcohol and caffeine, if you really want to aggravate your symptoms these will most certainly do the trick. Avoid totally, it will make your pregnancy a lot easier in the long run.

Take a trip to the doctors or pharmacist and see what over the counter medication there is that is safe to take whilst you are pregnant.

For additional advice on heartburn and indigestion please take a look at the NHS Choices Web Site , full of useful information and great advice.

Your doctor or midwife should always be your first point of contact, they are experienced practioners who will be able to help, advise and prescribe the correct course of treatment for your condition. It is also FREE.

Pregnancy Symptoms - Headaches

Headaches and pregnancy seem to go hand in hand unfortunately and for many women the headaches can become unbearable. You may find the frequency and severity of your headaches increase during pregnancy, especially if you were already susceptible to them pre-pregnancy.

No one really knows why headaches start in pregnancy but one of the main culprits are those good old hormones, as your body changes in pregnancy your hormones go on the rampage increasing the blood volume circulating around your body.

Headaches occur for all sorts of reasons during pregnancy but one of the vital signs to look our for is Pre-Eclampsia , this is caused by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and excessive amounts of fluids in the body.

If you develop this condition you may have to stay in hospital for a while so both you and your fetus can be monitored closely.

If you are suffering from headaches make sure you keep yourself well hydrated, dehydration can trigger headaches so drink plenty of water or whatever you can manage. Just drink plenty.

Pregnancy Symptoms - Helpful Remedies

As mentioned in a previous section caffeine can be one of the main culprits to give you a thumping headache, try and avoid it, especially if you know it is a trigger.

Lack of sleep can also increase the risk of headaches, try and sleep or nap throughout the day, I know this can be hard especially if you are suffering from other pregnancy related symptoms as well. If you are unable to sleep try and get plenty of rest and relaxation, preferably in a quiet room.

Avoid certain types of food that are well known for headaches such as chocolate and processed food. Keep a diary of what food you have eaten throughout the day and try to establish a pattern between when your headaches start to what you have eaten.

If a pattern emerges with the same types of food then eliminate them from your daily/weekly food intake.

Try using a cool compress for tension headaches, place the compress at the base of the neck and relax for a while.

Have a wash, yes I know this sounds silly but by splashing your face with cold water or taking a cold shower (although you may not fancy it), can actually help for a period of time. The constricting blood vessels alleviate the headache.

As with all pregnancy symptoms your first point of contact must be with your doctors or midwife, don't be scared to ask them questions they are there to HELP.

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