Pregnancy is an emotional time for any expectant mother. Sure it’s exciting, and you can’t wait to meet your new baby. But it can also flare up some rather surprising symptoms that can be quite difficult to overcome. Yes, you know all about that uncontrollable craving for junk food. The morning sickness that can happen at any time of the day, who knew? Don’t forget the uncomfortable sleep and the swollen parts of your body.
However, there are some things that many of us don’t expect to happen during pregnancy. We are aware of some of them, perhaps have come across blog posts in the past or articles explaining them, but often we don’t relate them to happen to us. The truth is, every pregnancy is different, and what might have been normal for one person may be completely different for you. With that in mind, it seems like a great time to highlight some of those other symptoms you may encounter. It may help you to feel more at ease with your body changes or to come to terms with some of the more unique aspects of growing a baby.
Craving non food items
Cravings happen during pregnancy. Sometimes they are for wonderful tasting things like ice cream or burgers. Other times you may find yourself craving something you previously didn’t like. Some people have even been known to go off one food or drink in one pregnancy, only to get pregnant again and absolutely love it. Your body can do strange things and it wants what it wants. It could be anything. But what happens when you start craving non food items? It’s more common than you realize to develop a craving for ice, chalk and dirt. Amongst other things. It’s known as Pica. There is plenty of information online about it if you find yourself in this situation. Don’t worry.
A stuffy nose
It’s very common to suffer from a stuffy nose or a nose that won’t stop running during pregnancy. You may feel constantly congested. Surprisingly up to 30 percent of pregnant women can struggle with it. So you are not alone if this is how you are feeling right now. It can often coincide with the common cold, something that getting pregnant during the winter means you are likely to struggle with. It’s down to the higher levels of oestrogen in your body that cause mucus membranes to swell. The one thing to bear in mind is that normal medicines you may take may not be suitable now that you are pregnant, so always seek some advice from a midwife, doctor or pharmacist to ensure that you are staying safe during your pregnancy.
Varicose veins
Varicose veins are enlarged or swollen veins and are usually blue or purple. This can be down to poor circulation and during pregnancy your increased weight when standing can cause them. It’s not as common, but you may start to see them developing in your legs. You could consider leg vein treatment after you have had your baby to try and rectify the problem if it continues to be something that you can see.
Stretch marks
Stretch marks is one of those things that many of us will be aware of when it comes to pregnancy. Our stomachs expand to cope with a growing baby, and often the elasticity in the skin can be affected. Not everyone struggles with stretch marks, but they are quite a common symptom of an expanding bump. It may not bother you so much or even at all during your pregnancy, but once your baby arrives and things start to go back to normal in terms of your figure, it may dampen your confidence. This is when you may want to look into how to get rid of stretch marks after pregnancy. However, those stretch marks are a symbol of growing your baby and they shouldn’t be something that you feel embraced about, rather you should feel proud of what your body has achieved.
Dizziness
During pregnancy, your cardiovascular system is under added pressure. Your blood pressure can also be affected. The increase in your bodies capability to get blood pumped around and to ensure that both you and your body are well, could cause you to feel light headed and dizzy from time to time. It’s not necessarily something to worry about, but just be mindful of the added pressure your body is under. This is when you may need to start listening to your body and taking some time out to rest and recuperate before it turns into something more serious and sinister. Blood pressure raises can be a sign of other diseases in pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, so always be mindful that you need to rest up to ensure that you don’t put you or your baby in harm’s way.
Pins and needles in your hands
You could begin to suffer from pins and needles in your hand, and your wrist. This could be down to added pressure on your nervous system. While it may not develop into anything to worry about, the best advice would be to get extra support for your hands and wrist as and when possible. For example, when sitting at a desk typing, you could have a wrist rest to take some of the pressure off.
Shortness of breath
Finally, many pregnant ladies begin to notice shortness of breath during their pregnancy. It may even appear in the early stages. You may notice it when climbing the stairs, walking up an incline or generally raising your heart rate for everyday activities. The shortness of breath is more evident because your body needs more oxygen during the pregnancy to support you and your baby. You may be more aware of your breath. If you do feel like you are struggling give yourself extra time to complete tasks and while it can be off putting, remaining active during your pregnancy can help to alleviate this.
Let’s hope these symptoms have made you more aware of some of the other factors you may experience during your pregnancy journey.
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