Pregnancy is when women can experience a lot of pains and aches. The hormonal and physiological changes cause various issues ranging from headaches to leg cramps. While such problems are usually insignificant, they may be annoying to the level they become unbearable. Luckily, there’s a solution to every problem. If you’re wondering how to deal with hip pain during pregnancy, here’s a list of the common pains and how to solve them:
Common Types of Pains During Pregnancy And How to Solve Them
Despite being the happiest period in your life, pregnancy has its share of woes. Luckily, you can deal with almost every pain without a problem. Listed below are some common pregnancy aches one may experience while pregnant and their solutions.
Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is generally completely normal during pregnancy. Common causes can be gas, heartburn, constipation, or even the baby’s growth. If you are pregnant and experiencing pain, it could be implantation cramps. Another factor might be caused by the circular ligaments supporting the stretched uterus. During late-stage pregnancy, you may feel pain due to false labor, Braxton-Hicks contractions, or pregnancy pain. A more severe case of abdominal pain is actual labor.
Avoiding abrupt waist movements and bending toward the painful area. You should drink lots of water, stretch regularly, and walk to let the gas out and lessen abdominal pain. If the pain lasts abnormally long, you should see your gynecologist.
Back Pain
During pregnancy, two types of back discomfort may develop – lower back pain and posterior pelvic discomfort. Typically, backache during pregnancy can occur for various causes, including increased weight, poor posture, hormonal changes, muscle separation brought on by the uterus’ enlargement, and stress.
Back pain can be controlled by maintaining proper posture while standing and sitting. Moreover, you should do pregnancy-appropriate workouts and rest on your left side with a pillow between your legs. More severe back discomfort brought on by pregnancy may also be effectively treated with acupuncture. Applying hot and cold pads on the area in question can also help reduce the pain.
Vaginal Pain
One of the few early pregnancy symptoms is vaginal discomfort. Typically, the cause of such pain is the expansion of your uterus and the rise in blood flow in the pelvic area. Another source of the pain might be constipation caused by hormonal changes and iron supplements.
Dealing with vaginal pain and constipation requires a proper diet rich in fiber. Moreover, you should include more water and drink liquids as much as you can. You can also ask your doctor for stool softeners during pregnancy. A few pelvic movements you practice can assist you in reducing the pain. Take a relaxing warm bath and receive pregnancy-safe massages from a qualified therapist. Lastly, you can wear a pregnancy support garment to ease the pressure on the pelvic, hip, and lower back areas.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The typical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain in the wrist and finger joints and numbness and tingling in the fingers. Typically, such a condition occurs in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, it may persist after delivery, making it nearly impossible to hold your baby.
If you’re experiencing pain in the wrist and finger joints, a professional massage therapist could help to relieve the ache. Other methods include applying cold or hot compresses to the affected area and occasionally rotating and shaking the wrists. Alternatively, you can wear a splint while engaging in activities aggravating the condition. Make sure you contact your doctor if the symptoms persist way post delivery.
Leg Cramps
Leg cramps cause acute, stinging agony. In some cases, the pain can be so severe that you could even need assistance to straighten your leg. Such a condition causes calf pain; even the back of your thigh may hurt. Usually, such unexpected cramps could be caused by poor circulation in the leg and thighs.
Whenever a cramp strikes, get up and try to extend your leg. Even better, get someone to assist you in this. Then, stand up and try to move your foot and leg while hanging onto something or someone. On the other hand, you should take supplemental magnesium to aid in easing muscle cramps. Ultimately, having a magnesium-rich diet is an excellent substitute for supplements.
Sciatica
The relaxin hormone begins preparing the pelvis for labor. As a result, the ligaments become looser, causing the sciatic nerve to squeeze. Typically, this event triggers a shooting pain in the buttocks and the back of the legs.
Usually, sciatica pain can be relieved through homoeopathy. Alternatively, you can use heating pads on the affected area or take a warm bath. Whatever the case, you should visit your doctor as soon as you feel a sharp ache traveling down the back of your legs and buttocks.
Rib Pain
Rib pain usually begins in the latter trimester. However, some women could also experience it as early as the first trimester. Of course, the main reason is the growing baby that presses against the rib as it tries to adjust.
You can feel relief from rib pain only during the 36th week when your uterus and baby descend slowly. Until then, wearing loose clothing, maintaining proper posture, utilizing pillows, going for walks, doing yoga, and taking warm baths are all temporary pain relief methods.
Breast Pain
Breast or nipple pain during pregnancy is a common condition that women experience during any of the trimesters. The typical reason is pregnancy-related hormonal changes, but the discomfort in the third trimester might be caused by the milk glands getting ready to produce colostrum.
Breast and nipple pain are typical aches during pregnancy, and there is no long-term cure for such conditions. However, using a supportive bra and gently bathing the area during baths rather than violently scrubbing helps lessen the pain.
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy can trigger various kinds of pains and aches in your body. Luckily, nearly everything that you experience is normal and expected. In this regard, there’s a home remedy for each of the abovementioned problems. Still, don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you ever feel you need medical intervention.
