Hormones - are pretty much to blame for EVERYTHING. Especially that damn hormone relaxin which has to go and live up to its name and cause everything to relax and open up. Not good for all those flaps that help keep acids in the intestines and stomachs. This is the same one to blame for the clumsiness and the ridiculous hip pains I’ve been feeling the past few weeks but I’ll cover that when I work my way down to the “below the waist” region.
Morning Sickness/Nausea – not sure why they call it that other than it can start first thing in the morning. And for a whole lot of women out there it can last all throughout the day. I guess you could call me lucky – I only threw up a few times, instead my symptom of choice 1st trimester was 3 months of 24/7 nausea. Thanks to that superhuman sense of smell I pretty much avoided the meat/seafood aisle at the grocery store.
Generally associated with 1st trimester a lucky few have it throughout their pregnancy. For some of us it shuts down like clockwork at around week 14 (the first week of 2nd trimester).
Remedies: for me it was carbs, specifically saltines, and eating before I got super hungry (after making Neelesh run downstairs to get some a few times, he made me keep a sleeve next to the bed) - but others have suggested ginger products like ginger ale, tea, chews, more vitamin B, prego pops (ice pops which usually have vitamin b in them) or lollipops.
Heartburn – wives’ tale says if you have heartburn your baby is going to be born with hair. In my case, that means Duckie is going to look more like a Chimpanzee. Most OTC drugs such as Prilosec, Zantac, etc are okay to take and so are Tums. We keep a bottle in the car, the kitchen, the bedroom and I have a small stash in my purse. To try and keep this to a minimum I’ve found following the advice in most books – eat smaller meals more frequently, walk around after eating – don’t just pop a squat on the couch. I’ve found if you’re not too far gone a glass of milk or yogurt with a bit of sugar can help. Also try and cut back/avoid spicy foods if you can. These can all also help with the other inner ailment…
Slow Digestion/Constipation – Hormones slow down the movement of food in your digestive tracks. Vitamins and supplements such as iron can cause constipation. Later pressure from your massive uterus can also cause issues. This all adds up to some very frustrating trips to the bathroom. Not much you can do about it – force it and you’ll give yourself hemmoroids (we’ll get to those later). The best thing you can do which will assist in all manners of ailments is drink lots and lots of water. Try and get your daily intake of fiber, take Metamucil if need be, cutting back on the caffeine is also a big help and get lots of exercise.
Increased Blood volume – Not so much a symptom as a fact - your body will produce up to 25% amount of more blood (50% more plasma and 20-30% more red blood cells) to compensate for your growing uterus. This doesn't include the blood that will circulate in your fetus. This means your heart has to work harder than usual, causing fatigue and tiredness. The increase in blood volume can often lead to mild anemia (iron deficiency) which is quite common in pregnant gals. So no matter what you’re used to doing be it running marathons or taking the stairs at work, listen to your body and allow yourself to take a break. Make sure you're eating a diet with iron rich foods that are okay for consumption (raw oysters sadly is not one of them) - beef, sardines, cooked turkey (not deli meat), and salmon. Although you won't get the same type of iron vegetarians can fill up on lentils, beans, brocolli, dried apricots, spinach, etc.
