of peppermint essence.
✓Chew a fresh mint leaf or a small piece of liquorice.
✓If necessary, raise the head of your bed a little or sleep on a continental pillow or two.
✓Do the heartburn stretch:
Sit on your haunches, knees splayed wide, about 30cm from a wall. Keep your toes together and your heels opened away from each other.
Keep your buttocks firmly down on your feet and place your hands against the wall, palms down.
“Walk” your hands up the wall, keeping buttocks and shoulder blades as low as possible, until you feel stretching between your shoulder blades and less pressure from Baby on the diaphragm area.
See your midwife or doctor:
•If these tips do not help sufficiently.
•Only take antacids as prescribed by your practitioner or pharmacist, as you already tend to greater alkalinity in pregnancy.
GENITAL AND URINARY HEALTH
No system in the body goes unaffected by pregnancy, but, of course, your reproductive organs are at the centre of the action! In addition, many women become even more prone to infections due to immunity changes in pregnancy – your immune system has to become less active so that your baby is not rejected by your body.
Pre-existing infections might become more acute and irritating ones like thrush are more common because your body’s pH balance is altered in pregnancy. Many women are prone to cystitis or bladder infections generally, but the likelihood is further increased when expecting.
The two most common vaginal infections are vaginal candida infections (thrush) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). They are associated with increased risk of preterm labour, so treatment is essential.
1.Candida
More about it:
•Candida is also known as thrush, vaginitis or a yeast infection, and is caused by a fungus. Although you may find it quite embarrassing, vaginal candida in pregnancy is actually quite common.
•The symptoms include a thick, white-yellow discharge with bad odour, itching, burning and in some cases there may be light bleeding.
•Vaginal candida must be treated to prevent Baby from picking it up during natural birth if there is an active infection at the time, as this could lead to oral thrush in newborns.
•Your partner will also need treatment; the same vaginal cream can be used, or any other thrush treatment prescribed by the doctor or pharmacist. This is important, because it will prevent reinfection.
Self-help tips:
Fortunately, thrush is quite easily treated.
✓The homeopathic remedy calendula is specifically indicated for thrush infections in women, babies and even men.
✓Take the tissue salt Kali mur three times a day for supportive treatment.
✓Avoid foam baths but you can add a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oil to your bathwater.
✓Avoid synthetic underwear – cotton is best.
✓Do not douche!
✓Limit your refined sugar and wheat consumption, reduce dairy and grain products in your diet, and stay away from fermented foods like pickles.
✓Apply calendula cream externally to soothe itching and burning, and also to promote healing of the affected skin.
✓Taking a course of probiotics is another way to make the body less susceptible to candida infections and to treat vaginal thrush. This is especially true if you have recently been on a course on antibiotics.
✓There are also ranges of feminine-care products containing probiotics available. These are mostly safe for pregnant women, and are available over-the-counter in pharmacies.
✓For the best results, you may need to combine a number of these tips.
See your midwife or doctor:
•If the self-help tips haven’t helped you, you may need suitable anti-fungal or antibiotic prescription medication – some medicines are contra-indicated in pregnancy, so make sure to check with your pharmacist or doctor, and read the pack insert.
•Other vaginal infections must be specifically treated, so if this advice does not help, see your doctor as you may not have candida but BV, or another sexually transmitted infection.
2.Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is caused by a bacteria and is recognised by a white-grey, smooth discharge with a foul odour that’s more noticeable after lovemaking, and vaginal irritation. However, up to 60% of women with BV have no symptoms. It does not cause painful urination (or painful lovemaking). BV will require specific treatment by your doctor.
3.Other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
These infections are transmitted during sexual contact. Symptoms include a heavy yellow or green, bad-smelling vaginal discharge, vaginal irritation and itching, genital ulcers or sores, lower abdominal pain, painful urination, swollen lymph nodes, fever or a general feeling of illness. They could lead to serious, long-term complications if left untreated, so report any symptoms to your doctor.
In this case, prevention is better than cure. Aim for a monogamous relationship with a partner you love and trust, or use condoms every time you have genital or oral sex. If you are diagnosed with an STI, both you and your partner will need specific antibiotic or antiviral treatment to prevent reinfection.
4.HIV/Aids
HIV testing is available to all pregnant women as part of routine antenatal care, although it is voluntary. It’s important to go for this test because if you are HIV positive, the sooner you make important decisions that could influence your baby’s wellbeing, the better. If you already know you are HIV positive when you fall pregnant, keep taking your medication, but consult your midwife, doctor or clinic as soon as possible.
If you’re HIV positive, remember that good nutrition, regular exercise, positive thoughts and antiretroviral treatment can go a long way towards ensuring a long and healthy life.
Your doctor or clinic will work out a treatment plan that will help keep both you and Baby safe during pregnancy. It’s very important that you follow this treatment plan carefully to prevent your baby from being infected with HIV too. By following your recommended treatment plan, Baby’s risk of getting HIV could drop to less than 1%. Your doctor or clinic will most likely do blood tests throughout pregnancy, to test your viral load and make sure that treatment is working.
Giving birth:
It’s important to give birth in the safest way possible for Baby. If you are receiving all the appropriate therapy and have good antenatal care, a normal vaginal birth
