The downsides of pregnancy

01 June 2019

Pregnancy ailments ... all expectant mothers have them. You may be searching the internet far and wide to find the answer to some new body quirk that is annoying you. Let’s discuss some common pregnancy symptoms, shall we?

Nausea, nausea and more nausea ...
Probably one of the first questions you get after discovering you’re pregnant is whether you feel nauseated. Pregnancy nausea is very common. The moment you get pregnant, your hormones begin to change, with certain hormones in your body increasing. One of these hormones is HCG, which spikes during the beginning of your pregnancy. This hormone has as its main function to grow your embryo and protects the embryo against the immune system of the mother. Simply put, you would reject the embryo without HCG. Because the HCG level rises so sharply, your body responds to this with morning sickness, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, mood swings, and, last but not least, sensitive breasts.
In addition, your Estrogen and Progesterone hormones also cause strange side effects – from unwanted hair to heartburn to changes in your skin’s pigmentation.
During your pregnancy, your sense of smell may be improved. Anything, even your favorite foods, can suddenly have the ability to make you feel sick.

Heartburn
You can suffer heartburn in both in the beginning and the end of your pregnancy. This can have several causes; first, it can be related to the change in your hormone balance. In addition, it can happen that the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus relaxes causing gastric acid to enter your esophagus. It can also be related to the size of your baby, as your child has so little space in the uterus towards the end of your pregnancy that they push against your stomach, resulting in your gastric acid being pushed to places where it’s not wanted.

Back pain or pelvic instability
Due to the extra weight being carried on the front of your body, it is not surprising that you unconsciously assume a posture that is less than ideal, resulting in pain in your lower back. If the pain radiates toward your tailbone, buttocks or pubic bone, it can also mean that you suffer from pelvic instability. This can occur during or after your pregnancy. During your pregnancy, the ligaments and cartilage relax so that your child’s birth will be easier. Never ignore the pain; speak to your doctor about it. Pelvic instability can become chronic in the more extreme case.

Moodswings
It will be a long ride in the emotional roller coaster we call pregnancy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh again – sometimes all at once! It's all part of the ride. It sometimes seems like you are no longer in control of your own emotions - especially if you become furious over something you normally wouldn’t think twice about.
The hormone fluctuations during your pregnancy will cause the majority of these pesky incidents, with the responsible culprits being your old buddies Estrogen and Progesterone. Stress and uncertainties during your pregnancy will feel worse than usual. Even if you are very happy during your pregnancy, negative feelings will flit in and out. Try to relax and let things pass.

If you have negative feelings for a large part of the day for more than two weeks, please inform your doctor. Too much negativity can increase the chance of premature birth or postpartum depression.