I was once pregnant with my first. I wasn’t an L&D Nurse and I would constantly worry that something was going wrong. What are the normal signs of pregnancy?
As it turns out, growing a human inside you own body can be problematic while you’re trying to live in that body too. Some things are just normal:
Hilary has been a labor nurse for 15 years and excited to give you great info during our pregnancy but -- be sure to never take the advice of anything you read here (or anywhere on the internet) over the advice of your doctor. We take no responsibility for you or your baby's health. -- from my good lawyer. :) I do offer a free begining prenatal class that I think you'll love:
Weird {and annoying} stuff that are….
Normal signs of pregnancy:
Ligament Pain
Think of your uterus as a rectangular pillow, and that pillow is held onto your body at the corners by being sewn to you. Those are the ligaments. As the pillow (your uterus) grows those ligament stretch. Painfully. The reality is there’s nothing we can do about it. Try a warm shower or a warm (read warm, NOT HOT – no need to boil your baby — you can even get a bath temp thermometer before your baby comes) bath bath to help relax them a bit. They (your ligaments) will also get VERY angry when you go from a seated position to standing (often also making you have a contraction). Totally normal. Highly annoying.
Headaches
It is not unusual to get more headaches when you’re pregnant. The big reason is likely dehydration so drink two GIANT glasses of water, try to get some rest and cut down on the salt in your diet if you can. If you have a headache where water and a Tylenol (I am always sure to stock up on that when I’m pregnant — this is a great price!) doesn’t make it go away — that can be worrisome, and I’d talk to your doctor. It can be a sign of Preeclampsia.
Some Spotting
As the placenta attaches to the uterus you can have some spotting (so, that’s early on). You also have a TON of blood flow to that area so things like sex or wiping can sometimes break the blood vessels and make you bleed a little. Note: I said a little, ask your doctor what amount of bleeding you should be concerned about. I’m always sure to wear one of these in my last trimester!
Having to Urinate Frequently
Yup, that baby is living on top of your bladder. Sweet of him. You are going to have to pee frequently, BUT if you feel like you have to pee within minutes of just peeing and/or it burns when you pee, you might have a UTI (or bladder infection) and you’ll want to get seen.
Aching Hips
Your body releases a hormone that starts to open up the glue (or cartilage if you want to get all terminology with it) that holds your 2 halves of your pelvis together. That can lead our hips to feel kind of out of their regular routine (and is also why you shouldn’t do certain yoga positions when you’re pregnant). I had a patient who had this set for after, I used a similar hip belt to get my hips back in line. My pelvis actually split during my last pregnancy, but that isn’t hip pain (and rare).
Back Pain
You are carrying a giant watermelon from your belly all day. It shifts your center of gravity, and because of that you adjust your back and then it’s out of it’s alignment and gets angry at you. Totally normal.
Back pain, associated with needed to pee ALL the time plus burning can be a sign of a urinary tract infection though.
Also, early contractions can be a back ache, so be aware of it — but most often it’s just your baby ruining your body (nothing new there).
Check out this belly band to help your stomach post-baby.
Leg Cramps
Your body’s electrolytes are out of wack and that causes you to get CRAZY leg cramps, often at night.
You might even jump out of bed screaming, leaving your partner to wonder WTH? Yup, it’s fun!
Try getting some more calcium and potassium in your diet. If I was getting them, I’d pop a calcium supplement and a banana — that would usually help. Check this post out about all the vitamins and minerals you need during pregnancy.
Being Out of Breath
Your baby is actually taking up your lung space. Your diaphragm moves up and your ribs move out when you’re pregnant but you don’t have quite as much total room in your lungs when you’re pregnant. Hence, you feel out of breath. Good times…
Intermittent Contractions
Your uterus is going to angry every now and then and contract. A few (less than 4 or 5) contractions aren’t much to be concerned about unless your doctor has told you otherwise. Be sure to ask him/her how many contractions you could have before you should call. Actually, if you take my free prenatal class excerpt I talk a bit about this too!
Not sure what a contraction is, you might get some mental relief with the Bloom Monitor:
So, that’s it. Your body has been taken over by an alien and there is nothing you can do about it. Well, other than birth it. I even have a handy dandy hospital packing list right here:
Original article and pictures take www.pullingcurls.com site
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