Pregnancy is a gift almost every family is waiting for.  For the expectant parents, it is the time when they feel that they are truly accomplished.  For new mothers, excitement and ecstacy overwhelm them as this event will fulfill their power as a bringer of life.  However, with this gift comes a multitude of symptoms that aren’t exactly a walk through the park.

Pregnancy is usually signaled by a missed menstrual period.  During this time, the woman’s body I already changing – hormone levels spike up and down, causing a multitude of conditions that may burden the expectant mother during the duration of her pregnancy.  

During the first trimester, the new mother experiences more signs that she is already pregnant.  These symptoms include:
l    Extreme fatigue.  This is due to the increase in progesterone production in the woman’s body.
l    Food cravings.  This is body’s means of dictating the mother what the baby needs.
l    Increased urination.  As the woman’s womb is continually increasing to accommodate the growing child, it exerts more pressure on the urine bladder.
l    Breast tenderness.  The breasts start to change in preparation for feeding the coming baby.
l    Abdominal cramps.  This follows implantation of the embryo on the uterus.
l    Nausea or “Morning sickness”.  This is because an increase in the hormone progesterone relaxes the uterine muscles, which prevents early labor.  But it may also relax the stomach and intestines, leading to excess stomach acids.
l    Mood swings.  Most people confuse this with postpartum depression.  This differs from the latter in the sense that this passes in a matter of days or weeks.

During the second trimester, which comes three and a half months after conceiving the baby, the baby extensively develops.  This is also the stage where pregnancy becomes physically obvious.  Below are a list of symptoms manifested by women on their second trimester:
l    Swelling.  This is because during pregnancy, body fluids are increased.
l    Varicose veins.  During pregnancy, increased pressure is experienced by veins, causing blood to pool.
l    Fetal kick.  Sometime during the second trimester, the mother can feel the baby start kicking.
l    Confusion and clumsiness.  Due to the woman’s ever changing hormonal level, it makes concertrating a bit more difficult.
l    Backache.  The added weight of the baby plus the increased body fluid increases pressure on the spine.

At the third trimester, the stomach now protrudes more prominently, causing the following symptoms:
l    Increased back pain.
l    Increased moodiness.

Among all the symptoms mentioned above, coping with lower back ache seem to be the most persistent.  It starts from the second trimester and ends after giving birth.  How does a pregnant woman get through this hurdle?  Here are some tips for pain relief during pregnancy:
l    Always practice good posture.  This is to ensure that muscle strain due to the increasing weight and the shifted center of gravity while standing up is lessened.
l    Always sit and stand with care.  Sit with feet slightly elevated.  Choose a ergonomically correct chair that provides support to your back.  Shift positions often, and avoid standing for a long time.  
l    Always sleep on your side.  Sleep on one side, not your back, keeping one of both knees bent.
l    Always perform proper lifting techniques.  Squat down when lifting a small object, instead of bending over.  Avoid sudden reaching movements.
l    Exercise.  Regular exercise may help strengthen the back muscles.
l    Medications.  Certain pain relief medications may cause complications to a pregnant woman and her unborn child.  For these cases where medication is clearly required, doctors look for safe drug alternatives that have the same effect of pain relief during pregnancy.

Back pain during pregnancy may just be a passing discomfort, however it should never be taken from granted.  Back pain may already be a  signal that your pregnancy is experiencing some sort of complication.  Be in tuned with your body and what it is feelings.  Immediately consult your doctor for any discomfort your experience, however normal everybody says it is.

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