Pregnancy is that fabled time of wonder magic & glow – people seem to skim over the gross bits! Here are our top five yucky pregnancy problems & our top tips to deal with them
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness needs a rebrand! Your once favourite things can now send you sprinting (or waddling) for the nearest receptacle at any hour of the day. You can smell EVERYTHING & everything tastes funny. Ginger is my all time favourite stop sickness method – try old school ginger ale (possibly let some fizz out first) grate fresh ginger into soup or salad. Ginger tea with some honey and lemon is a good morning start with a ginger biscuit. Not a fan of ginger? Acupressure bands for sea sickness can be a massive help. Check out this list of Soothing Remedies for Nausea for more ideas & consult your GP or Midwife if it doesn’t abate or you can’t keep hydrated.
Feeling furry – Pregnancy Hair
Thick luxurious pregnancy hair – trouble is its everywhere! Hormonal changes mean we lose less hair during pregnancy meaning it can feel fuller and grow faster than usual. The downside to this is once you are no longer pregnant oh boy does that hair come away, don’t panic at the full paddle brush – it will even itself out over a couple of months. Your hair can be drier or greasier too during pregnancy, you may need to try a different brand of shampoo or skip the conditioner if its feeling lank. Here’s a great article for MORE DETAILS.
For the hair not on your head, shaving is a safe pregnant hair removal method. Your skin can be more sensitive meaning that going for a wax that normally wouldn’t bother your skin can make you feel a little raw. Sitting on the side of the bath or the loo to ‘trim’ everywhere can help you stay stable once your bump throws you off balance in the shower.
Fun Fact: humans are the only mammals not to routinely
ingest the placenta. Placenta is Latin for Cake!
Pregnancy Heartburn
Oh the pain! heartburn in pregnancy can be brutal. It usually strikes in the second & third trimester and is due to estrogen causing your sphincter to relax, which allows stomach acid to splash up into the esophagus. Estrogen appears to be responsible for hair growth in the developing baby hence the truth in the old wives tale; Lots of heartburn means baby will have lots of hair.
My youngest was threatened with being sent back – not enough hair for the amount of suffering! My lifeline was the chewable REMEYGEL heartburn mints. Three pack a day habit. Milk can help if you’ve not gone off it or you can join the rest of us swigging Gaviscon from the bottle.
Eviction Time
40 weeks & you’ve had enough (possible had enough a darn sight earlier if you’re suffering from the above)! I hate to break it to you but all of the pineapple in your fridge and curry sauce in the cupboard is only going to give you the trots. You want that baby out (safely) heres a few things you can try that won’t send you rushing for the loo. (you’ve spent enough time there already). Nipple stimulation (via expressing or foreplay) Orgasm & having sex releases hormones in the body which are contained synthetically in induction medications. Semen contains prostaglandin which can soften the cervix. Walking & sitting and bouncing on a pilates ball can also encourage baby head down for the weight on your cervix to do its job. Once you hit 40 weeks you can also request a ‘Sweep’ from your midwife. I’ll let you in on a hint – if you aren’t smarting a bit after its done its not going to do anything to set you off.
Post Birth Delights
You’ve done it, you’ve delivered a stunning baby to begin, add to or complete your family. Now why did no one mention the shower afterwards looks like a scene from a 70’s horror flick. Post baby, embrace the over sized maternity pads & breast pads (being a new mama is a glam job).
What you may have missed, is the memo on is why there is a jug by the loo in the maternity suite bathroom. May I suggest that you add a little lukewarm water to the occasion, when going for the first few post birth tinkles? That jug of water can take away a lot of sting from grazes and stitches. Arnica tablets can work wonders for bruising as can externally applied witch hazel from the chemist. If it really hurts you may not be adverse to a pee in the shower or a couple of inches of water in the bath. A cold wash cloth to the perineum can help with the pressure of post birth poop. Did I mention glamorous?
Comment below with your favourite hacks for gross pregnancy problems!
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