This is a collaborative post.
Pregnancy can be one of the most incredible journeys that you will ever go on as a woman. However, there are some issues that you might experience as a result of this. The changes in your body can be quite dramatic, and they can often trigger other problems to occur at the same time. While it’s not the most pleasant topic to discuss or even think about, women need to be able to talk about these things so that they are prepared. It’s for this reason that we have written this article, where we are going to be looking at some of the issues you might experience during pregnancy, and how you can handle them. Keep reading if you would like to find out more.
High Blood Pressure
The first issue that you might have is high blood pressure. Whether you had high blood pressure before your pregnancy or not, if you do experience this throughout the process, you are going to be monitored closely. It’s a condition that may not be dangerous in any way, but could also cause problems if it gets too high or if it couples with something else. The doctors will monitor you every couple of weeks to ensure that your blood pressure is stable and not posing a risk to your health.
It might be the case that your doctor will give you some medication to manage your high blood pressure to avoid it getting to a dangerous level. Some of the things that you can try to do to bring your blood pressure down are reduce the amount of salt in your diet, exercise regularly and avoid stressful situations or anything that really upsets you.
Gestational Diabetes
Another problem that some women experience is gestational diabetes. This simply means that you have diabetes when you are pregnant, but the good news is that this usually goes away as soon as you deliver your baby. If your blood tests show that you have diabetes, then you are going to have to watch your diet and control what you’re eating even more carefully than you normally do. You will likely be referred to a dietician or a specialist midwife to talk about your diet and how to keep it under control.
Sometimes this isn’t enough to bring your blood sugar down enough. If this is the case, then your doctor may give you some medication to help control it. There are always options to control the level of glucose in your system, so try not to worry too much if you are diagnosed with this. We understand that it can be pretty scary, but as long as you take the advice that your doctor is giving you, everything is going to be just fine.
Problems With Your Sight
This is less common, but some women experience issues with their sight while they are pregnant or after they have given birth. Sometimes this is linked to gestational diabetes, and sometimes it just happens, but nobody is entirely sure why. It might end up that you need to get glasses which isn’t the worst thing in the world! There are certainly worse things that you could have, and if problems with your sight are the worst of them then you’re doing pretty good!
If you have to go and get some glasses, just make sure that you avoid stores due to the pandemic. Of course, you will need to go and get an eye test, but if you don’t purchase glasses right there and then, we highly recommend that you do this online rather than going back. Once you’ve got your prescription and you know what lenses you need, there’s no need for you to be in the store anyway.
Swollen Feet And Hands
It’s common to experience swollen hands and feet during pregnancy because your body is going to retain more water than usual. While it’s not always the most comfortable and can make walking a bit of a pain, it’s nothing too serious. However, if it continues for a long period of time and becomes extremely painful, then you do need to talk to your doctor. They might be able to give you something to help control this or give you some advice and see if this helps the swelling clear up on its own.
The swelling will likely go away on its own when the baby is born, so it isn’t likely to be something that you are going to be stuck with forever. If you find that it is bothering you or impacting your ability to do things, but it’s out of hours, it’s best to get checked by your midwife or doctor at the hospital.
Pain In The Back
One of the most common complaints during pregnancy is pain in the back. There is a lot of pressure on certain parts of the body, and with the expanding of the uterus to make room for the baby and the growing happening inside your body, your back is one of these areas. You will find that without meaning to you using your back to take a lot of the weight off of your front. The pain in your back will be more apparent when you are walking or if you are standing for a long period of time.
There are certain exercises that you can do to make this pain more bearable, and make sure that you are resting as often as you need to. Try not to stand up for long periods at a time though, and you should find that a lot of pressure is taken off your back. If it gets bad, there are some over the counter painkillers that you can take to help ease the pain.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better idea what some of the issues you may experience during pregnancy are, and how you can handle them. Try to enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible, and if that feels impossible, remember that your little bundle of love will be here soon!