Although one of the best feelings, pregnancy can sometimes be challenging. For unplanned pregnancies, the abortion pill is available online. Pregnancy can be tough, this is especially the case if/when you start experiencing more than one symptom, commonly heartburn, vomiting, nausea, decreased/increased appetite, constipation, and swollen feet. While most moms get used to most of these symptoms, there are times when you’ll want them to go away.
Here are a few tips and tricks to manage most of these symptoms and improve your overall experience.
- Nausea and Vomiting
This is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, with more than 50% of women having a fair share of the same. Nausea and vomiting are triggered by the abnormally high levels of hormones in the bloodstream, especially in the first trimester. These symptoms might, however, trickle into the second trimester before fading off – for some women. Although this might make it hard to eat well, it shouldn’t be a real reason for concern for your baby. Health experts, however, recommend having foods that won’t worsen the symptoms and drinking lots of fluids. Talk to a nutritionist if you cannot identify foods you can have or are losing weight rapidly.
How To Cope With Nausea And Vomiting
1. Eat small servings and snacks frequently: Consider splitting your main meals into two or three portions. Be sure to have something to bite after every two hours.
2. Switch to high-protein snacks and meals: Cheese, Crackers, hummus, yogurt, or a bowl of rice and beans should come in handy.
3. Sip on fluids: Have a water bottle close by to stay hydrated. Do not, however, go for sweet, tart, or cold drinks, as these might have an adverse effect.
4. Keep drinks and foods separate: Avoid eating and drinking simultaneously.
5. Get some crackers: keep a few on your bedside table/stool to munch on before or after waking up.
6. Take ginger: Ginger contains anti-nauseating properties that may help with nausea. It would help if you took moderate amounts of ground or fresh ginger, preferably ginger tea.
7. Take prenatal multivitamins: Prenatal multivitamins help supplement vitamins for you and the developing fetus. Although most moms complain of these worsening symptoms, it would be advisable not to stop taking them. Talk to your doctor to see what can be done to solve this.
- Heartburn
Heartburns are quite common throughout the pregnancy period. This mainly happens due to hormonal changes and pressure from the growing baby. It is common for expectant mothers to have heartburn after a meal or even several hours later. Talk to your healthcare provider for advice on how to manage heartburn. Taking antacids wouldn’t be advisable, as these could harm the pregnancy.
- Constipation
Most mothers get constipation a lot when pregnant. This is because food takes longer in the digestive tract. One of the reasons for this is that the body is trying to extract as many nutrients from the food as possible, thus slowing down the digestion process. You can, however, ease constipation by:
– Drinking lots of fluids: Fluids (at least 2.3 liters) are recommended while pregnant, as they are easier to digest and absorb. You need to increase your intake of fresh juice, water, milk, caffeine-free tea/coffee, and soup. Be sure to take these fluids warm.
– Switch to fiber-rich foods: Foods with a higher insoluble fiber content help reduce the risk of constipation, even for pregnant mothers. They help avoid cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea too. You will need more than 30grams of fiber daily for the best results.
– Eat more pears, apples, and prunes: These have one thing in common, they are rich in laxatives. Munching on an apple before or after a meal will thus help improve digestion and movement of food down the digestive tract.
– Stay active: Physical activity is crucial in helping food materials navigate the digestive tract. It is also good for overall health and energy.
– Avoid laxatives unless advised otherwise by a professional health provider.
- Poor Appetite
Although you are required to increase your meal portions when pregnant, there are moments you won’t feel like eating. Lack of appetite is quite common, especially in the final trimester or when/if constipating. The growing baby may also be why you don’t feel like eating, as it compresses your stomach, reducing its optimal capacity. Here are a few tips on how to overcome such:
– Have smaller portions of meals frequently. This will enable you to have more food in the long run
– Focus on foods with a high protein and energy content. This includes milk, yogurt, fortified soy beverage, peanut butter, skim milk, banana, frozen berries, nut butter, and pureed silken tofu.
– Eat high-energy foods: Dried fruits, unsalted seeds and nuts, cheese, nut butter, salmon, and avocado are some of the easiest and richest foods. These will help supplement your energy supplies, keeping you energetic through the trimesters.
