Common ailments during pregnancy

                Hi. Today I thought I will discuss with you regarding some common ailments which you might face during your pregnancy.I get lots of phone calls every day from my patients regarding this particular subject which are bothersome to them but usually is of innocuous in nature.

                As you miss your 1st period you take your 1st step to wards your pregnancy. usually you should expect to  have the following symptom

What to expect

1. Nausea and loss of appetite:- common term as we know is morning sickness ,about which i have discussed in my previous blog.Keep in mind that it will wear off once you cross your initial 3 months and hardly stays till you complete 4 month.So nothing to worry if you are keeping yourself well hydrated.But if its bothering more your doc will give you some simple emetics which are completely safe in pregnancy and you should expect to get better in no time.
2. weakness and Easy fatiguebility- as your baby starts growing inside you there are lots of changes which takes place inside your body. so you could easily deplete your sugar reserve in your body if you skip your meal.so as i have already mentioned in my blog regarding diet in pregnancy always keep something in your bag in case you feel giddiness to pop in..But if it is bothering you more do not hesitate to talk to your doc about it as you might have some complications like anaemia too
3. Breast discomfort:-As your breast prepares itself to feed your baby it starts enlarging so some amount of discomfort such as tingling or needling in your breast is quite common.you might also notice few veins growing on your breast.Don't worry as your breast grows it needs more blood supply so there is growth of blood vessels.Also your nipple and aerola (area surrounding nipple) will start getting more pigmented.Do not be surprised if some sticky fluid comes out when you press over your nipple It is called colostrum it can be expressed as early as 12 weeks.If you have given birth before you might notice this even earlier. 
4. Bladder discomfort :- As your Uterus grows it give pressure to your bladder .So you might feel the increase necessity to use the toilet.plz keep in mind that at this particular time you are also prone to have urinary tract infection as your bladder may not be able to evacuate properly because of pressure from the uterus.So do not forget to drink lots of water.Some of you might restrict drinking water thinking it to be the cause to visit the toilet more often. But as i have told you its simply not the cause. if you restrict water intake you will be more prone o have urinary tract infection and end up complicating things.
5. Constipation: For this one blame it on your hormone progesterone.It cause your bowel to move slowly.Lack of physical activity and also pressure of growing uterus on your pelvic colon are  the factors to blame.Try taking lots of water and green vegetables in your diet.A glass of warm milk at night might also help.
6. Back ache:-As i have already mentioned in my blog regarding backache you might expect varying degree of back ache during your pregnancy. more so if you have had it from before.it is specially more bothersome during your later months.Relaxation of your joints because of your hormones mainly progesterone,faulty posture leading to increase lumbar lordosis,muscular spasm,urinary tract infection and constipation are also contributory factors.Improvement of posture,well fitted pelvic girdle belt which correct lumbar lordosis during walking , sleeping on a firm bed often relieve the symptom.Massaging the back muscle,some light analgesics(which your doctor will prescribe) and rest often relieve pain due to muscle spasm.
7. Acidity and heart burn: As your growing uterus gives pressure on your stomach it gets displaced upwards and also there is relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter so some amount of heart burn and acidity will be there.So try few simple tips like regular bowel habit, restriction of fatty/spicy foods should help.If not your doctor will prescribe you few antacids which should be enough.
8. Feeling of increase warmth:: Because your body is experiencing increased metabolic activity you might feel more warm than usual. 
9. Ankle edema : Some amount of swelling around ankle is expected provided you do not have a condition called pre eclampsia.This sort of physiological edema usually gets relieved by taking rest and placing your legs at a slightly higher level while sleeping also helps.
10. Varicose vein,Hemorrhoids: Some of you might also complaint of prominent veins in your lower limb and also few might have hemorrhoids.If its not troublesome nothing much to be done. 
11. Leg cramps:It can be due to deficiency of calcium or excess phosphorus in your body.Calcium supplementation, Massaging of affected area,local heat application and Vit B1 daily30 mg  is usually effective .You should also avoid wearing high heels and switch to wearing flat foot wear which are comfortable. 
12. Pica :  it is the craving for strange food which is sometimes seen in pregnant ladies.Sometimes when you are having Iron deficiency anaemia you might have this. But it is actually of historical interest as not all women who has iron efficiency anaemia will experience this.                                                              Legend goes like this " A woman in 16th century craved a bite from the arm of a baker and refused all kind of food.Her husband paid the baker for 3 bites.After enduring only 2 bite the baker backed out of the deal.subsequently she gave birth to triplets and one baby was still born " This tale was cited up until the 1940s to support the popular belief that the longings of pregnant woman should not be denied and that to refuse their demand was to put the child at risk.But trust me its more of a legend than reality.
13. Chloasma :You might see some darker pigmentation on your cheek.do not be alarmed it usually goes after your delivery
14. Striae: As your tummy grows you might notice ugly looking striae on your tummy.It usually starts on the sides first. For this try applying Vit E rich cream on your sides from 4th month onwards.If possible you can start applying it even sooner.you might also notice these marks on your breast. The solution is same for both the case.
15. Pityalism:Its profuse salivation which sometimes bothers pregnant ladies.It is usually seen if you take lots of starch in your diet, but in most case the cause is unexplained.
16. Increase Vaginal discharge: Usually you might have increase vaginal discharge due to the effect of estrogen on your cervical glands. in most of the case it is physiological. If you are finding it troublesome you might try douching your vagina with water mildly acidified with vinegar.                           but if you are experiencing curd like or foamy discharge with itching  or irritation go visit your doctor immediately as you might have some infection like  Candidiasis or trichomoniasis.Also if you experiencing water like discharge you must visit your doctor to rule out whether you have ruptured your membranes in advanced pregnancy.

These are just objective complaints which might bother you.But whenever you feel you should go visit your doctor plz do so immediately , as proper examination only rules out whether you have some complication or have any minor ailments.till next time stay healthy and take care.