Discomfort During Pregnancy

When you’re expecting a baby your body undergoes a lot of changes, and not surprisingly you’ll most likely experience some discomfort during pregnancy. Many of the changes you experience have little to do with the size of your belly. Rather, they involve your baby’s development and your body’s ongoing adaptation to pregnancy. Typically the first and third trimesters of pregnancy are the time when discomforts worsen. Some discomforts are minor irritations, while others can be more significant.

Every pregnancy is unique so it’s possible to experience anything from little or no discomfort at all, to major discomfort during pregnancy. This section of our website contains a range of information on discomfort during pregnancy, and strategies on how to help alleviate it.

Headaches During Pregnancy

Experiencing headaches in pregnancy is very common. The exact reason why women experience more frequent headaches during pregnancy is unknown. However it is possible that headaches are linked to hormonal changes and the natural increase in blood circulation in your body during pregnancy. Although they may occur at any point, headaches are more likely to occur in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.

Natural Strategies for Treating Headache in Pregnancy

• Taking a warm bath or shower
• Applying hot compresses to the face, particularly if the pain seems to be related to sinusitis
• Applying an ice pack or cold compress to the back of your head or neck
• Listening to a relaxation CD or practicing meditation

Many natural therapists, experienced in treating pregnant women, may also be able to assist you to minimise both the pain and frequency of headaches. You could consider consulting: A chiropractor or osteopath, acupuncturist, naturopath or homeopath

Triggers of Headache in Pregnancy

Avoiding the triggers that seem to bring about headaches will generally take care of much of the problem. When a headache occurs, consider what you have been eating and doing leading up to its’ onset. This may provide clues to certain foods, activities or environmental factors that are exacerbating your headaches.

Common triggers of headache in pregnancy include

• Dehydration - Water is regularly utilised by the body to replenish amniotic fluid and blood volume as well as to transport nutrients through your blood to your baby. As your body works hard to perform these tasks, it can become dehydrated if fluid intake is insufficient. Keep a water bottle nearby and take regular sips. If your mouth is dry, you are already suffering from the initial symptoms of dehydration and increasing your chance of a headache.
• Caffeine withdrawal - To avoid them, it is best to slowly wean yourself off caffeine (rather than going cold turkey!). This can be achieved by reducing the number of cups consumed, the volume of the cups, and the caffeine in each cup. Then progress to cutting back the number of cups, slowly decreasing the number you drink each day until you cease to need the caffeine. Substituting your missing cups of coffee with decaf can help to overcome the ‘psychological withdrawal’ associated with removing a beverage which often acts as a form of comfort to the drinker.
• Low blood sugar - Due to the increased blood volume in a pregnant woman's body, and the body's adjustment to this increase, pregnant woman require a steady flow of nutrients. The lack of these nutrients can result in low blood sugar. To avoid low blood sugar, and minimise the chance of associated headaches, eat several small, balanced meals throughout the day.
• Lack of sleep - Your body undergoes enormous change and requires more sleep than usual in order to replenish vital stores. Compounding this, particularly in the third trimester, is the sleeplessness that can be cause by an inability to find a comfortable position, and a baby that seems to invariably choose the moment you get into bed as a signal to wake up. To minimise the risk of headaches from sleep deprivation, aim to get at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Where this proves difficult (or impossible) try to compensate wherever possible by taking daytime naps, putting your feet up and resting during your lunchbreak, or employing relaxation techniques to help ensure that what sleep you do get, is sound. 
• Stress - It is important to avoid stress as much as possible and make a point of taking time out to relax and go for a walk. Strategies to reduce this stress could include planning and preparing ahead to avoid rushing when completing tasks, restructuring your schedule, reducing your work hours, or seeking the assistance of family, friends or paid workers to help you with routine tasks like cleaning. If thoughts or fears are the cause of your stress, consider sharing these with your doctor or midwife, a counsellor, your partner or an understanding friend. Talking often helps.
• Particular foods - Foods known to trigger headache include: Chocolate, alcohol, peanuts, preserved meats, bread that is baked with fresh yeast (including pizza and doughnuts), figs, overripe avocadoes and bananas, cultured dairy products (buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, aged cheese, chocolate milk), Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Aspartame (an artificial sweetener marketed raw as NutraSweet but also contained in many sugar-free drinks and foods such as soft drinks and jelly).
• Environmental factors - Bright or flashing lights, changes in sleep patterns, high altitude travel, eyestrain, over exercising and hunger do not cause the migraines themselves, they set up a series of reactions within the sufferer’s body to which it responds with pain. If you are experiencing recurrent headaches, which appear to be migraine-like in nature, it is smart to keep a record of what you did and ate on the day that the headaches occurred. Most people are able to identify what triggers their migraines with relative ease when they use this process.

While annoying uncomfortable discomfort, they can generally be relieved by using natural strategies. Occasionally a headache in the second or third trimester can signal that something more serious is going on. A condition known as preeclampsia, a blood pressure related disorder that affects pregnant women, can cause a severe headache. If you have a sudden, severe headache, or if the headache is accompanied by blurred vision, nausea, vomiting or pain in the upper right hand quadrant of the abdomen, contact your midwife or doctor immediately.

Nausea & Vomiting During Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting affect 50-90% of pregnancies. Beginning from before 9 weeks gestation it most commonly resolves between 10 and 16 weeks gestation. Although referred to as 'morning sickness' the nausea and vomiting in pregnancy may occur throughout the day.

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is thought to be associated with raised thyroxine levels and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) or suppressed Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels. There is no good evidence to support psychological and behavioural theories. It is important that other causes of nausea and vomiting be ruled out.

Idiopathic nausea and vomiting in pregnancy must be distinguished from nausea and vomiting in pregnancy of known causes such as hydatiform mole or multiple gestation. The physical and emotional impact of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy often results in feelings of anxiety about the effect of the symptoms on the baby.

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy also impacts on a woman’s family relationships and ability to work. Around 47% of working women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy feel their job efficiency is reduced. Around 35% lose work time and 25% lose time from housework. Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy has also been cited as a reason for elective termination of pregnancy. This is not surprising when you consider studies that have found nausea and vomiting in pregnancy experienced by pregnant women is comparable to that experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

Management of mild nausea and vomiting women should be reassured that nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is normal, and in mild to moderate cases it is not associated with adverse outcomes. Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is associated with a decreased risk of spontaneous abortion. There are dietary changes and alternative therapies that can help in the management of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Dietary Change

• Small, dry, bland, frequent meals, avoiding fatty or spicy foods, should be encouraged
• Eating a small portion prior to getting out of bed in the morning may help alleviate symptoms
• B6 can be beneficial and is found in tuna, mackerel, bananas, avocado, raisins, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts
• Vitamin supplements should be used with caution
• Avoiding foods with strong odours can reduce symptoms

Alternative Therapies

• Ginger root has been shown to reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
• Acupuncture and acupressure has been shown to reduce nausea (eg. Sea bands)

Hydration

• Small amounts of fluid regularly between meals is ideal

Back Pain During Pregnancy

Unfortunately back pain during pregnancy is a common problem. There are a number of physical reasons for back pain in pregnancy, some of which include:

• Pregnancy hormones which soften ligaments causing joints to move more than usual. In some cases the ligaments can be strained.
• Postural problems caused by the growing uterus.
• Position of baby (particularly towards the end of pregnancy) can compress nerves and cause back pain.

There are a number of positive steps you can do to help reduce and sometimes eliminate the problem. Firstly it’s important to understand your body’s changes during pregnancy. Then you can implement some simple strategies to manage the problem.

• Good posture is very important, avoid slouching wherever possible - prop yourself up with pillows
• Keeping your shoulders slightly up and back, keep your chin up, your head should be centred over your shoulders, concentrate on using your abdominal muscles to slightly flatten your arch in your back (avoid exaggerating the arch in your back) and keep your knees lightly bent
• Avoid high heal shoes
• Sitting straight up after you have been lying down can cause strain on your lower back
• Strong abdominal muscles reduce the possibility of back pain significantly - ask your midwife or doctor about appropriate abdominal exercises in pregnancy
• Walking is a great exercise – a daily walk of 20 to 30 minutes can help
• You also need to rest, which will increase as the pregnancy advances
• When sleeping at night, try sleeping on your side - a pillow between your knees will help or a body pillow to provide additional support.
• Avoid bending over with your legs straight – placing excessive strain on your lower back
• Pay attention to lifting techniques - squat down or kneel down to pick up objects off the floor, keeping your back straight
• If you’re carrying shopping bags – carry two light bags, one in each hand to even the load rather than carrying one heavy bag
• Heat very effective at reducing the discomfort caused by back pain - apply a hot pack or hot water bottle to the area
• Try a nice warm bath or shower
• Support gadgets available to help support your growing tummy like a maternity support belt, which provides additional support for your back
• Speak to your midwife, doctor or physiotherapist about the option of using a TENS machine (ideal as a non-invasive way of managing back pain) which transmits electrical impulses through electrodes that are applied to the skin