Discomforts of Pregnancy
The great majority of pregnancies are medically uneventful; only a small percentage of women experience medical complications, and those can usually be dealt with successfully. What most women have to contend with are discomforts that aren’t major problems but are nevertheless vexing.
One of the most common problems is the nausea and vomiting referred to as morning sickness—which actually can occur at any time, though it usually strikes in the morning, often immediately after awakening. Morning sickness typically begins in the first month of pregnancy and continues through the fourth or fifth month. Eating a few crackers before getting out of bed in the morning can help. Eating frequent light meals and sweet foods, avoiding spicy and high-fat foods, and drinking plenty of fluids may also ease the problem.
Other problems include backache, constipation, heartburn, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins—all of which are covered elsewhere in this book. You can treat most of these complaints yourself, but you should discuss the problems and any treatments or remedies with your doctor, including any over-the-counter medications, which can be dangerous to unborn babies and pregnant women. (Also, always check warning labels of any products.) These problems generally subside soon after the baby is born.
