Most Common Complaints During Pregnancy

The Covid-19 pandemic, which has been going on for more than a year and a half, has multiplied the anxiety of expectant mothers. So much so that even the smallest complaints during pregnancy are “What if something happens to my baby?” Fear can lead to much more anxiety and stress. Acıbadem Taksim Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist Prof. Dr. Ebru Dikensoy “As your immunity decreases during pregnancy, you can easily catch many diseases and get sick. However, when you have the right information about these problems and take the necessary precautions, you can go through this process with less stress and with confidence. prof. Dr. Ebru Dikensoy talked about the 7 most common complaints during pregnancy and made special recommendations and warnings to expectant mothers during the pandemic process.

Kramp

Involuntary muscle contractions (cramps) are common during pregnancy. Especially at night, as the blood circulation slows down and less oxygen reaches the muscles, cramps may increase.

What should you do?

If the cramp is in the leg and foot area, gently stretch your muscles. Lift your leg up and stretch your toes slightly upward. Rest by wrapping a warm, wet towel around your painful area. In case of severe pain, contact your doctor. Against cramp; consuming plenty of water, walking, not standing for long periods, taking a warm shower before going to sleep and doing leg exercises for 10 minutes, placing an elevation under the feet while sitting, massaging your feet and calves to increase blood circulation, drinking milk, mineral-rich (mineral water, fish) , red meat, nuts, nuts) and if you have varicose veins, it will be beneficial to wear compression stockings.

Edema

Especially if edema in the hands and feet is accompanied by swelling on the face and eyelids, tinnitus, fly flying in the eye and neck pain, it means that the problem is caused by tension. For this reason, blood pressure should be measured quickly and if it is high, a doctor should be consulted.

What should you do?

Take frequent walks during breaks in travel. Eat a light and less salty diet. Increase blood circulation by bending and extending your feet in the seats you sit in the vehicle and protect yourself from circulatory disorders such as edema and thrombosis. If you have circulatory disorders such as varicose veins, definitely use compression stockings. Avoid tight and tight clothing. Especially those with heart and kidney disease and pregnant women with pregnancy-related hypertension should continue their pregnancy under the supervision of a very close physician and should not interrupt their controls. Definitely avoid edema remover herbal approaches and drugs.

Nausea

During pregnancy, nausea, sensitivity to smells, and not being able to eat certain foods can often be encountered. Vomiting is usually on an empty stomach in the morning, but may increase when waking up with the stress of getting to work.

What should you do?

Waking up 5-10 minutes before the required time to wake up in the morning, having a snack from a salty cracker or roasted chickpea on the bedside during the night, and getting ready without stress and leaving the house reduces nausea. If necessary, anti-nausea capsules made from ginger root to be taken overnight should be used. Pre-pregnancy stomach problems (gastritis, ulcer or reflux) should be questioned in patients who are not relieved by herbal treatment and should be referred to a gastroenterology specialist for treatment.

reflux

prof. Dr. Ebru Dikensoy “Reflux is common during pregnancy and can be prevented by changing eating habits. We advise all pregnant women to drink fluids one hour before or after meals, and not to take liquids such as water, ayran and cola with meals. When solid foods and liquid foods are taken together, it causes fluid to escape from the stomach, which reaches a larger volume and size and whose angle is distorted, to the esophagus (reflux). We can make recommendations such as feeding little by little at frequent intervals, not drinking liquids when full, and using a higher pillow at night. Despite all this, we make patients who suffer from reflux and stomach pain meet with gastroenterology for treatment purposes.

Cracks in the skin

Stretch marks in the abdomen during pregnancy are a temporary problem that occurs due to stretching of the skin (growth of the abdomen).

What should you do?

Since there is a large increase in volume, especially in the breasts during pregnancy, anti-stretch cream should be applied to the breasts first. In general, starting from the 16th week of pregnancy, it is recommended to apply anti-stretch cream first on the breasts, then on the thin parts of the waist, abdomen and front of the upper leg. If your skin is supple, there is no need to worry. Fractional laser treatment to be performed one week after birth largely removes these cracks. Fractional laser application is quite satisfactory until it completely passes with 3 weekly sessions.

gestational diabetes

Pregnancy is a whole period that can put even a non-diabetic mother into a diabetic state. A mother who did not have pre-pregnancy diabetes can become diabetic from 26 weeks.

What should you do?

gestational diabetes; It is an endocrine disease that must be screened and treated. If the values ​​are high; We start the detailed examinations and treatment process in order to keep the mother's sugar under control, to prevent the formation of large babies, birth traumas, to prevent possible seizures due to low calcium, magnesium and potassium in the newborn period, and to ensure the proper development of the lungs. If diabetes is not detected and treated, it causes very serious problems in babies.

Fire

Although fever and chills are not normal during pregnancy, there are many reasons for this. Therefore, do not worry that you have Covid-19 every time you have a fever. However, it is necessary to be very careful, as viral infections and fever, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy, can affect the development of the baby's brain and other organs.

What should you do?

prof. Dr. Ebru Dikensoy said, “In such a situation, it is best to call your doctor without wasting time in order not to risk both your own and your baby's health. On the other hand, Covid-19 progresses worse in the third trimester, that is after the 28th week of pregnancy, and increases maternal and infant mortality. There is no effective and recommended treatment in case of Covid-19 during pregnancy. If there is a thought of getting pregnant, it is best to be vaccinated before pregnancy, and how long after the vaccine can be pregnant is controversial. We tell our patients that they can get pregnant after a month. The World Health Organization states that there are no side effects related to the vaccine administered to pregnant women so far, but the decision to have the vaccine should be made by the physician and the expectant mother by evaluating together. It is emphasized that if the pregnant woman has a chronic disease (asthma, COPD, diabetes, etc.), she can benefit from both vaccines.