Last Months Of Pregnancy-Part I

Woman is blessed to give birth to a life from her own and being a woman and a mother myself, I know how wonderful it is to hold your baby in your arms. The feeling is completely out of the world. You forget every pain and discomfort you went through when you see your baby looking at you. But my end days of pregnancy especially the last two months were very tough on me. Like me there are millions of women out there who knows the strain undertaken by the body in the process which may leave you feeling uncomfortable and fatigued coupled with the anxiety over the baby’s well being. Following talk about the few things which are there in the last months of pregnancy and help you cope better.

BACKACHE, ABDOMINAL PAIN AND ITCHINESS
Backache at this stage is one of the most constant of all discomforts and can make even normal activities like bending and turning difficult. It is mostly caused by the change in body posture that you unknowingly undergo due to the growing uterus. As your uterus grows and the body prepares for delivery, the joints of the pelvis begin to loosen up to allow the baby to pass though with ease. This along with the pressure exerted by the growing uterus and the increasing weight gain offsets your balance, making you throw your shoulders back and support a slightly bend backward gait. This posture causes straining of back muscles, hence the resultant pain. You could also feel bouts of pain in the abdomen, especially on the sides, which are caused by the stretching of muscles and ligaments supporting the uterus. If the pain in your back or abdomen is persistent or unusual and is accompanied by bleeding, increased vaginal discharge, chills, fever or dizzy spells, call your gynecologist immediately.

Regularly do exercises that strengthen pelvic and back muscles but do consult the doctor before you do the exercises. Keep your posture as straight as possible and avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time. Make sure the mattress you are sleeping on is firm and not sagging in the middle. For the itchy abdomen, apply a generous amount of body lotion to combat dryness.

SWELLING OF ANKLES, FEET, HANDS AND FACE
Puffy ankles, duck feet, swollen toes and hands are a very common occurrence in this trimester and are usually related to the increase in body fluids which get accumulated in the pockets of surrounding tissues. This could be because you have been standing for a long period of time but eases or passes off after lying down for a couple of hours. Another reason could be the act of hormones which cause joints and ligaments in the body to loosen up in preparation of childbirth and his loosening up can also lead to swelling of the feet. If your hands and face become visibly puffy along with the normal edema and this puffiness persists for over 24 hours and if it is accompanied by a rise in blood pressure, sudden weight gain or presence of protein in your urine, consult your gynecologist immediately. Avoid standing for long periods of time. Try and keep your feet a little elevated by placing them on a stool when you are sitting. Wear flats to your feet.
Drink plenty of water to avoid excessive water retention.