things that aren’t food (e.g. coal, clay, chalk) is called ‘pica’ and is uncommon. Talk to your doctor/midwife if this happens or if you are craving anything particularly strongly. What to do Unless it’s ‘pica’, indulge in moderation. You might also want to assess how balanced your diet is.
FEELING GENERALLY UNHINGED | Your hormones have gone haywire. You may feel genuinely unbalanced. Women, looking back on their pregnancy mood swings often use words like ‘psycho’ and ‘loon’. It can feel like acid-fuelled PMT at times. What to do Talk to your midwife or GP. Make sure your partner understands it’s down to chemicals and largely out of your control. Get counselling or other professional support if extreme. Try relaxation techniques, balanced eating, sleep and regular exercise. And remember it will pass.
HEADACHES | These are common, particularly in early pregnancy. What to do Eat small amounts regularly, drink plenty of water (at least eight tall glasses a day, more if possible), avoid caffeine, get fresh air. Try not to take any headache pills in first 12 weeks if possible. The safest over-the-counter remedy – in small amounts – is paracetamol. If headaches are severe talk to your midwife or doctor as this can be a sign of high blood pressure.
HEARTBURN | Pregnancy hormones make the valve at the top of your stomach relax, allowing acid to come up into your throat. What to do Small, frequent, low fat meals and avoiding coffee might help. Some women eat ginger biscuits or drink peppermint tea. An apple after a meal may also help. A doctor can prescribe antacids or liquids like gaviscon and some people say ‘digestive enzymes’, which you can buy at a health food shop, tackle the problem well. Though check with your midwife before you take anything like this.
INCONTINENCE | ‘Stress’ incontinence – leaking urine when you cough, jump, sneeze – and a certain lack of control, generally, over one’s bladder is incredibly common in pregnancy, though you wouldn’t think so by our buttoned lips on the subject. Indeed, about a third of us will still be experiencing some kind of urinary incontinence three months after childbirth. You are not, then, unique in your childlike ability to wet your pants: pregnancy incontinence is caused by the baby weight squashing your bladder, plus hormones which can have surprising effects on bladder control, plus (if you have given birth before) weaker pelvic floor muscles. Most pregnant women know – or find out the hard way – not to stray too far from a toilet. The more pregnancies you have, the worse this may get. What do to Do your pelvic floor exercises , wear panty liners for mental comfort, and talk frankly to your midwife.
ITCHING | Your growing belly, breasts and sometimes the palms of your hands and soles of your feet might get itchy on and off in pregnancy. This is properly known as ‘pregnancy pruritis’ and happens as a result of your stretching skin and possibly your pregnancy hormones. Dry skin or eczema might also get worse. Severe itching during the second, or most usually during the third trimester, usually all over your body and sometimes – though not always – accompanied by nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, pale-coloured poos and jaundice, can be a sign of liver trouble. Called ‘obstetric cholestasis’, this affects about 0.7 per cent of pregnant women so call your midwife straightaway if the itching gets out of hand. What to do Avoid hot baths, use plenty of unscented moisturiser such as E45 cream, wear loose cotton clothing and avoid going out in the heat of the day.
Where to go for help:
The British Liver Trust 01425 463080 www.britishlivertrust.org
Itchy Moms www.itchymoms.com (US website set up by an obstetric cholestasis sufferer)
LEG CRAMPS | These happen to most women during pregnancy, often in the second trimester, sometimes because of calcium deficiency. What to do Some women say a calcium/magnesium supplement stopped them. Tonic water, containing quinine, may also help.
MORNING SICKNESS | This can range from mild nausea to repeated vomiting throughout the day and, whatever level it is, can be depressing, embarrassing and tiring. As Julia remembers, ‘I get a depression with that sickness that is scary. I’m otherwise not depressive at all, but the longer I can’t make myself better, the more down I get. I had great difficulty caring for Keaton when first pregnant with Larson and only the understanding that it would get better helped me. You just have to wait it out and believe that it’s worth it in the long run.’ What to do If extreme, get help from your GP (medication is sometimes available, and you may need extra fluids by IV). Otherwise, ‘remedies’ vary from ginger biscuits or ginger ale, to frequent savoury, starchy snacks like crackers, preferably with some protein, to small regular meals, travel sickness wrist bands, acupuncture, acupressure, drinking lots of water, meditating and smelling lemons. Some women swear by porridge.
Where to go for help:
Contact Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation (HER) for help with severe morning sickness www.hyperemesis.org
PILES (HAEMORRHOIDS) | These are varicose veins in your bottom. They can be alarming when you first feel one bulging out, and can make pooing painful. Sometimes made worse by pushing the baby out. These usually clear up soon after pregnancy. What to do Eat a high fibre diet, drink lots of water, don’t delay if you need a poo, exercise. Talk to your doctor or midwife. Over-the-counter creams such as Anusol are safe to use in pregnancy.
SKIN CHANGES | Skin tags, pigment changes, itchiness, dryness, spots, even acne and warts are all common, hormonal skin changes in pregnancy. What to do Try changing face products if you have facial acne; rub almond oil or similar into itchy/dry skin. Talk to your midwife/doctor if severe and get any new or odd-looking moles checked over. (See also Itching.)
SORE BREASTS | Tingling, aching, sharp pains, lumpiness, tender or sore nipples – those girls have a life of their own right now. What to do Try hot baths, showers or gentle massage, ditch your underwired bras, get fitted for a pregnancy bra and wear it at night too if it helps. Some women say avoiding caffeine helps. See your doctor/midwife if any lump, bump or sensation concerns you.
STRETCH MARKS | Generally considered to be a genetic thing, so spending hundreds of pounds at the Clarins counter, while tempting, is probably futile. They can look alarming at first (purple, red, raised), but usually fade after a few months. If at all possible, decide to wear them with pride as the alternative is futile, belly-focused self-loathing and money spent on creams that do nothing. Cocoa butter and other lotions may help with any skin-stretch related itching.
SWOLLEN FEET AND ANKLES | Known as ‘oedema’, this is essentially excess blood and water ‘pooling’ in your extremities. Don’t be alarmed. It’s common and normal and will go away after you give birth. But it can be incredibly uncomfortable and inconvenient. Your shoes may not fit anymore, and you may feel ungainly and bizarrely trapped in this new, inflatable body. What to do Elevate your feet when possible (also keep a stool or pile of books under your desk); lie on your left side when possible; put on waist-high support tights before you get out of bed in the morning so blood has no chance to pool around your ankles; drink plenty of water (surprisingly, keeping hydrated helps your body retain less water); exercise regularly; avoid salty foods. Word of warning Sudden severe swelling in your hands and face can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, a condition that is very serious. Call your midwife or doctor if this happens.
VARICOSE
