Pregnancy

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Prenatal Care

Signs/Symptoms

• You may have nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy.
• Your breasts will get larger and can make you uncomfortable.
• Red marks called stretch marks may show up on your skin.
• You may have back and leg aches from the weight of the growing baby.
• You may have mood changes going from joy to mild depression. These changes are normal; but talk to your doctor if you are depressed all the time.

Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Eating

• Focus on healthy foods. What you eat feeds both you and the baby. Choose from each of these food groups every day:
  • Fruits and vegetables.
  • Whole-grain breads and cereals.
  • Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, and beans.
  • Milk and milk products and cheese.
• Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses (soda-can sized) of liquids such as milk, water, or juice. Cut down on drinks that have caffeine in them such as coffee, tea, and cola.
• Although you should get as many vitamins as possible from what you eat, your doctor may still want you to take daily vitamins and iron pills. The iron pills can cause constipation, so remember to drink liquids, eat good foods, and exercise.
• Your doctor will tell you about how much weight you should gain. Too much or too little weight gain can harm your baby. This is not the time to go on a diet.

Relieving Common Symptoms

• Here are some tips for controlling the many symptoms that accompany pregnancy:
  • Morning Sickness: You may have nausea and vomiting any time during the day. Eating small, frequent meals and avoiding greasy or spicy foods should help. Try eating a few soda crackers or a piece of dry toast before getting out of bed in the morning.
  • Talk to your doctor if the nausea and vomiting lasts past the first 3 months of pregnancy or if you are losing weight. Do not take medicine for nausea and vomiting without asking your doctor.
  • Tiredness: You may need more sleep to feel your best. Taking a few 10 or 15 minutes rest breaks during the day may help you feel better. Try to stay well-rested. This will help you deal with the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy.
  • Back Pain: You are likely to have back pain as your baby grows. When you need to bend down, try squatting instead. When squatting, use your leg muscles rather than your back muscles.
  • Try to maintain good posture by standing straight. Wear shoes with good support. Back rubs also may help.
  • Leg Cramps (""Charley Horse''): As your baby grows and puts pressure on your lower body, your legs may not get enough blood. Leg cramps can develop when you are tired or not getting enough calcium in your diet.
  • Try to rest often with your legs higher than your heart. Drink milk and eat yogurt and cheeses. Talk to your doctor about your diet. You may need to take daily calcium pills.
  • Varicose (VARE-ih-koz) Veins: These are swollen veins in your lower body, often the legs, where blood moves slowly. You are more likely to get varicose veins if other members of your family have them. The growing baby and long periods of standing can both put pressure on these veins.
  • If you have varicose veins in your legs, you should rest often with legs raised higher than your heart. Wearing support panty hose also helps. If you have varicose veins in the genital area, rest often with a small pillow under your bottom.
  • Varicose veins should improve or disappear after delivery.
  • Sore Breasts: Your breasts will get larger, heavier, and possibly sore. A good supporting bra, sometimes worn 24 hours a day, may help you feel better.
  • You also may find liquid coming from your nipples. It may be clear or milk-like, but in either case is perfectly normal.
  • Your nipples may be sore. Wash them only with water. Applying lanolin may help the soreness.
  • Constipation: Pregnancy can make your bowel movements hard to pass. To remedy the problem, drink plenty of liquids and eat foods such as bran cereal, raisins, fruits, and raw vegetables. Daily exercise may also help you. Check with your doctor before taking a laxative.
  • Hemorrhoids (HEM-uh-royds): These are enlarged veins in the rectal area which cause pain and itching. They occur when the growing uterus puts pressure on rectal veins.
  • Eating fiber-filled foods, drinking liquids, and exercising will help keep bowel movements soft and help prevent this problem.
  • Heartburn: This is a common complaint during pregnancy. As the baby grows, acid from your stomach is pushed up into your esophagus (ee-SOF-uh-gus) or food tube, causing a burning sensation.
  • Eating small, frequent meals rather than 3 large meals can help. Don't eat greasy or spicy foods or lie down after eating. Bending over or lying flat can make the problem worse. Ask your doctor about taking antacids.
  • Vaginal Discharge: You may have thicker and heavier vaginal discharge, which could have an odor. Most of the time this is not a health problem. But you could have a vaginal infection. Check with your doctor if the discharge is accompanied by burning or itching.
  • Frequent Urination: You will urinate more often as the growing uterus presses on the bladder. You could also pass urine when you cough, sneeze, or move.
  • Urinary Infections: Infections in the urinary tract are more common during pregnancy. Call right away if you have burning or pain when you urinate. You will be given antibiotic medicine to treat the infection.
  • Moodiness: Your moods may quickly change from joy to sadness or mild depression. These changes are caused by variations in your body's hormones. Talk to your doctor or someone close to you if you feel very sad or have feelings that could harm you.
  • Skin: You may have red marks, called stretch marks, on your skin. There is nothing that you can do to keep from getting them. They often fade after pregnancy.
  • Your skin may feel dry and itchy. Applying lotion will help to remedy this problem.
  • The skin on your face may darken. You can prevent this by using a sunscreen or staying out of the sun.
  • You also may notice that the skin around your nipples and below your belly button is darker. After you have your baby, your skin will likely return to normal.
  • Edema (eh-DEEM-uh): Your fingers, feet, and ankles may swell later in pregnancy. Lying down 2 or 3 times a day and raising your legs above your heart for 10 or 15 minutes will reduce the swelling. Your legs will also feel better.
  • Lie on your left side while sleeping. In this position the blood flow is better from your legs back to your heart; and this helps prevent swelling.
  • Cooking without salt can help reduce swelling. Even though you are retaining water, continue to drink plenty of liquids. Do not use water pills.
  • You may want to wear elastic support stockings. They will help your legs feel better.
  • Bleeding Gums: Brushing and flossing during pregnancy will keep your gums and teeth healthy. You can see your dentist during pregnancy; but be sure to tell him that you are pregnant.
  • Round Ligament (lig-uh-ment) Pain: On each side of your uterus are bands of tissue called ligaments. These hold the uterus in place. As the uterus grows, these ligaments are pulled and may cause abdominal pain. This is normal and you should not be concerned. Lying on your sore side may help the pain.
  • Toxoplasmosis (tox-o-plas-MO-sis): This is an infection pregnant women can get from eating raw meat or being around cat litter. It can cause birth defects and other pregnancy problems.
  • Wash your hands after touching raw meat and make sure it is well-cooked. Let someone else clean your cat's litter box. Do not garden in soil that cats use as a bathroom.

Douching

• Do not douche during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about douching.

Exercise

• Regular exercise during pregnancy is important. It will help you feel better and keep you in good physical shape, making your labor and delivery easier.
• Start exercising slowly if you weren't active before pregnancy. Walking and swimming are great choices. Don't do any exercise that could hurt you or the baby. Check with your doctor if you are not sure whether an exercise is safe.

Hot Tubs

• Do not sit in a hot tub or sauna while you are pregnant.

Sex

• You can have sex until shortly before your labor starts unless there are complications. Your doctor may tell you to limit or not have sex if you are bleeding from the vagina or having pain in your abdomen or vagina.

Work

• If you are healthy, you can work until just before labor. Check with your doctor if you work around poisonous or harmful substances. After delivery, your doctor will let you know when you can return to work.

Smoking

• Your baby may weigh less at birth if you smoke during pregnancy. Smoking also increases the chances of your baby being born too early or not growing well. Do not smoke tobacco or marijuana during pregnancy.

Alcohol

• Do not drink alcohol while pregnant. Alcohol can cause birth defects and other problems. Your baby will have a better chance of being born healthy if you stop drinking now.

Medicines

• Do not take any medicine without first checking with your doctor. This includes drugs that can be bought over-the-counter such as aspirin or acetaminophen.

Street Drugs

• Do not use any street drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, or heroin while pregnant. These drugs can harm the baby.

Travel

• The most comfortable time to travel is during the 4th to 6th months. Your morning sickness should be gone and you may have more energy during this time. Ask your doctor for advice before taking a trip. The following tips may be helpful:
  • Wear your seat belt if taking a road trip. Fasten the lap belt under your belly and across your upper leg. Loose-fitting clothes will help you feel better. Stop every hour to get out of the car and walk around.
  • It is safe to fly during pregnancy. An aisle seat will make it easier for you to get to the bathroom or walk around. Check with your doctor before flying during the last month of pregnancy.
  • Travel can upset your stomach. Do not take medicines without checking with your doctor. This includes laxatives (medicine to help you have a bowel movement) and motion sickness pills.

Clothing

• Wear loose, comfortable garments. Wearing flat or low-heeled shoes may help you keep your balance.

Call Your Doctor Immediately If...

• You have blood or liquid coming from your vagina.
• You have swelling and puffiness of your face, fingers, or feet.
• You have frequent headaches or headaches that will not go away.
• You vomit more than 3 to 4 times daily.
• You have dizziness, fainting, or blurred vision.
• Your baby has not moved for 8 to 10 hours.
• You have chills or a high temperature.
• You have burning when you urinate or are urinating less.
• You are having frequent regular contractions before the 36th week.

Seek Care Immediately If...

• You have bright red, painless vaginal bleeding.
• The umbilical (um-BILL-ih-cull) cord is hanging out of your vagina.
• Early in the pregnancy you have dull or sharp lower abdominal pain, spotty or heavy vaginal bleeding, or pain in the back or right shoulder.