10 Problems of Pregnant Women Most Often Experienced in the Early Trimester
Pregnancy is supposed to be the most beautiful moment for women. However, there are definitely problems and complaints that pregnant women will experience during their 9 months of pregnancy. The following is a complete explanation of the conditions that pregnant women often complain about.
Complaints of pregnant women that often occur
Below are some of the most common problems experienced by pregnant women at each gestational age and their causes.
It should be understood that every woman does not necessarily experience the same problem. In fact, there are some pregnant women who may not experience any complaints at all.
1. Constipation
Pregnant women will usually experience constipation, aka difficult to defecate in the first trimester of pregnancy. Quoting from American Pregnancy, constipation or constipation in pregnant women is caused by hormonal changes and pressure from the uterus pressing on the intestines.
Not only that, iron supplements can also cause constipation. So, if pregnant women take these supplements, make sure to drink lots of water to smooth bowel movements.
So that pregnant women are not constipated, here are some things you can do:
- Eat foods high in fiber, such as vegetables and fruit every day
- Drink lots of water, at least 8 glasses of water every day
- Doing regular exercise
- Avoid taking iron supplements, as they can cause constipation.
We recommend that you consult your doctor first whether pregnant women need iron supplements during pregnancy or there are other ways.
If constipation is not treated promptly, it can lead to the development of hemorrhoids, aka hemorrhoids, which are swelling of the blood vessels around the anus. Hemorrhoid is another complaint that is most often experienced by pregnant women.
2. Leg cramps
Leg cramps at night are a frequent complaint of pregnant women during the second trimester, whether pregnant boys or girls. Cramps are caused by the extra weight the mother carries during pregnancy which makes the muscles tense.
Quoting from Pregnancy Birth Baby, to prevent cramping problems in pregnant women, pregnant women can do light exercise, such as walking or swimming. This is to help blood flow in the legs and can prevent cramps.
Pregnant women can also stretch their legs up and down 30 times. Rotating the ankles and stretching the calf muscles before going to bed,
Immediately contact the doctor if pregnant women experience several problems, such as:
- Cramps interfere with sleep
- Very ill
- Worried about leg cramps
When consulting a doctor, calcium supplements will usually be prescribed as a treatment for cramps. Although not necessarily direct success.
3. Stomach cramps
Abdominal cramps during pregnancy can be felt at any time during pregnancy, it could be during the first, second, or third trimester.
Pregnant women often feel this complaint because the uterus continues to stretch during pregnancy. In fact, cramps can spread to the hips or groin.
Usually this cramping or pain begins in the second trimester of pregnancy. Cramps are often experienced when exercising, after getting out of bed or a chair, sneezing, coughing, laughing, or when making sudden movements or other activities.
When you feel stomach cramps, the first thing to do is rest. Pregnant women can try the following things to relieve stomach cramps:
- Lie on the opposite side of the site of pain and straighten the leg.
- Take a warm shower.
- Compress the cramped part of your stomach with warm water.
- Try to be relaxed and calm.
- Drink plenty of fluids, if the cramps are caused by Braxton Hicks contractions.
Move or do some slow movements to relieve cramps that may be caused by stomach gas.
4. Swollen hands and feet
Pregnant women also often experience complaints in the form of swollen feet and hands, including their fingers. This is due to increased body fluids while pregnant.
Although rare on the hands, swelling generally occurs in the feet and ankles and tends to gather in the lower body.
This extra fluid also helps prepare the hip joint and tissue to open the birth canal. Besides that, it also functions to soften the body of the little one that is growing in the uterus.
Swollen feet and hands during pregnancy is a normal condition, but it can also be a sign of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia.
To prevent swelling during pregnancy, several things can be done, namely:
- Avoid standing for long periods
- Limit eating foods containing salt (maximum of half a teaspoon per day)
- Regular exercise (walking or swimming)
Rest your feet for at least an hour per day with your feet higher than your heart. The trick, prop your legs with pillows when sitting or lying down.
5. Back pain
Quoting from Pregnancy Birth Baby, pregnancy makes the ligaments that connect the bones softer and stretch to prepare for labor.
However, the increased body load due to the size of the baby is getting bigger, it will burden the back and pelvis so that pregnant women often feel back pain complaints.
To prevent back pain during pregnancy, there are several things you can do, namely:
- Avoid lifting heavy objects.
- Bend your knees and keep your body upright when picking up objects from underneath or on the floor.
- Movement of the legs when turning to avoid turning the spine.
- Use flat footwear like flat shoes so that the weight is evenly distributed on both feet.
- Use a high table while working to prevent bending.
- Balance the weight of the bag when carrying bags or carrying groceries.
- Sit up straight.
Make sure pregnant women have enough rest to stretch their backs so they don’t hurt. If the back pain gets worse until blood comes out of the vagina, contact your doctor immediately.
6. Headache as a complaint of pregnant women
Headache is one of the most common complaints in pregnant women. Usually occurs during early pregnancy and will diminish in the last 6 months of pregnancy.
Headaches during pregnancy will not affect the baby, but make pregnant women uncomfortable.
Lifestyle changes can help prevent headaches. Make sure pregnant women always get enough rest and make the mind calmer and more relaxed.
Try to do fun things that make you feel more comfortable. If a headache strikes, you should rest for a while.
If you want to take headache medicine, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, you should first consult with your doctor.
7. Frequent urination
Complaint frequent urination usually occurs when pregnant women are young, around the age of 12-14 first weeks of pregnancy. After that, usually the frequency of urination for pregnant women will return to normal.
Furthermore, at the end of the pregnancy period, the frequency of urination that is more frequent can be experienced by pregnant women again. This is caused by the baby’s head pressing on the bladder.
However, it does not mean that pregnant women should reduce fluid intake to prevent this from happening. The reason is, you and your baby still need lots of fluids for fetal development and maternal health.
However, avoid consuming drinks containing alcohol and caffeine because they have a negative impact on the fetus.
If there is blood in the urine, it is possible for pregnant women to experience it urinary tract infection. We recommend that you drink lots of fluids to dilute urine and to relieve pain and immediately consult a doctor.
8. Leucorrhoea is one of the complaints of pregnant women
Leucorrhoea during pregnancy is very common and almost all pregnant women experience this complaint. Leucorrhoea increases during pregnancy because it protects the vagina and uterus from infection. During pregnancy, the cervix or cervix and vaginal walls become softer.
Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of discharge continues to increase and is thicker and there may be blood spots. This is a sign that the body has begun to prepare for the birth of a baby.
However, to anticipate the occurrence of something undesirable, you should tell your doctor if there is any unusual change in vaginal discharge. For example, changes in color and smell, or experiencing pain around the vagina.
9. Indigestion
Digestive problems are common among pregnant women. Digestive disorders such as ulcers are caused by hormonal changes and at the end of pregnancy it is also caused by the growing uterus pressing on the stomach.
These changes often cause acid reflux, when stomach acid rises from the stomach into the esophagus and irritates the lining of the esophagus, resulting in heartburn aka a burning feeling in the upper abdomen.
Symptoms of indigestion during pregnancy usually occur after eating, such as feelings of fullness, nausea, and belching. Indigestion may be reduced by making lifestyle changes, for example eating small, frequent meals.
If you want to take drugs, such as antacids, to relieve this pain, you should first consult a doctor.
10. The body is weak and easily tired
In the early and late stages of pregnancy, a pregnant woman’s body will feel tired easily. This is caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy, especially during early pregnancy (the first trimester of pregnancy).
Fainting can occur when the brain doesn’t get enough blood flow and the brain is deprived of oxygen.
Pregnant women may have blurred vision if they get out of a sitting or sleeping position too quickly. There are several things pregnant women can do to prevent fainting, including:
- Get up slowly after sitting or lying down
- If you feel like you want to pass out when you stand up, it’s best to go back to sitting or lie down again
- If you feel like fainting while lying down, you should change your lying position.
Get plenty of rest when your body feels so weak that you even want to pass out. Tell the doctor if the condition gets worse.
11. Shortness of breath is a complaint of pregnant women
Shortness of breath is a frequent complaint of pregnant women, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. At large gestational age, the baby grows and continues to push the uterus against the diaphragm.
Therefore, the diaphragm usually moves up to 4 cm from the pre-pregnancy position. As a result, the lungs become somewhat compressed so that pregnant women cannot take as much air as possible with each breath.
However, this does not mean that pregnant women will be deprived of oxygen. It’s just that at the same time, lung capacity decreases as the uterus continues to expand and the baby continues to grow.
This ultimately causes the respiratory center in the brain to be stimulated by the hormone progesterone to make pregnant women take more breaths.
However, even though each breath carries less air, more air remains in the lungs so that the oxygen needs of both mother and child are well met.
To deal with shortness of breath when pregnancy gets bigger, do the following ways:
- Stand and sit up straight
- Exercise (prenatal yoga to catch your breath and stretch your body).
- Sleep on a pillow
- Do whatever you can
Although including people who are active and cannot stay still, during pregnancy the body’s abilities are no longer the same.
Avoid forcing yourself to be overly active when pregnant women feel tired with shortness of breath. Listen for signals from your body so you know when to start and stop activities.
12. Vaginal itching
Vaginal itching during pregnancy is caused by increased vaginal fluid production due to hormonal surges, which can cause irritation of the vulvar skin.
Vaginal itching can be a side effect of pregnancy that makes pregnant women even more uncomfortable. It’s important to get tested because these symptoms could indicate something more serious, such as a sexually transmitted disease.
The serious problems that cause vaginal itching during pregnancy are:
Keep the vaginal area clean and dry. Change clothes several times a day to keep sweat residue and vaginal discharge from returning to the skin.
If you have intercourse, clean the vagina afterward, because semen can cause irritation in pregnant women.
