Solutions To Coping With Swollen Ankles And Feet During Pregnancy

Tackling Swollen Ankles And Feet During Pregnancy

There is many exciting things to consider when you are pregnant.There are also, unfortunately, several aspects of pregnancy which we hope we do not develop, and if we do we endeavour to forget about as soon as possible.Puffy ankles and feet are not the image that most of us have when we first discover we are pregnant.We think of ourselves looking good and feeling optimistic. 

When To Be Concerned About Swollen Ankles And Feet

There is a condition, during pregnancy, known as pre-eclampsia.This occurs during the last trimester and symptoms are monitored and looked for at every checkup during the risk period.One of the marked symptoms is swollen ankles and feet, however, it is quite conceivable to have swollen ankles and feet without developing pre-eclampsia.If you have any fears you should immediately book an appointment with your doctor or midwife, but do not panic.

Getting by With Swollen Ankles And Feet

During pregnancy, the circulation system of the mother is unified with her unborn baby.This puts immense pressure on the whole of a woman’s body.This increases circulation and the added weight being carried can cause feet to become uncomfortable and to swell up.It's a good idea to go shoe shopping during the first trimester of pregnancy and to look for some wide, comfortable flat shoes.Try to find shoes which are a bit fun as you could be wearing them throughout the pregnancy and as you find other items of clothing becoming too small, or uncomfortable it is nice to be able to put on comfortable shoes which will make you feel better.  Remember that if you choose shoes with a strap that the strap needs to be adjustable and should not be too near the ankle as this may get uncomfortable during the later stages of pregnancy.

What To Do With Swollen Ankles And Feet

There is one important piece of advice – rest.If you touch your feet they might feel hot.  This is where the pain pads come into their own.It would be nice to believe that you could have a foot massage every time you sat and put your feet up, but that is unluckily not always possible.Equally rubbing your own feet during pregnancy gets really hard as your bump begins to get bigger.Heat and water massagers are not great for overheated feet – they just seem to make you feel more uncomfortable.  So the solution is these little pain pads which you pop in the fridge.They are great, you'll be able to either put your feet on top of them or cool your soles or you can place them under, or on top, of your ankles.This creates a lovely cooling effect which will quickly turn into a nightly ritual.Whenever you are in a hot climate, or planning to visit hot climes during pregnancy, then these are essential packing because they will help to keep you comfortable.They could also be used to relieve the itch of mosquito bites, which is useful as antihistamines are not recommended for pregnant or breast feeding women any more.

Unplanned Teen Pregnancy Can Put A Thwart In Any Future Plans

Teen Pregnancy

Having a child is a blessing, and the moment you have them you start thinking of their future, thinking of their growth into adolescence, becoming grade A students, getting a successful career and good family or something like that. You would hardly ever think of your teenage daughter getting an unplanned pregnancy because they decided to have unprotected sex as teens. It is not likely that you would ever suspect your child to be having sex unless you discover condoms or home pregnancy kits laying in the trash can or in their rooms. However, you can get a good idea of what your child knows about sex, and about how to prevent unplanned teen pregnancies by talking to them and educating them. Let them know that all their future plans will be put on hold if they do happen to have an unplanned teen pregnancy. This could possibly that their high school diploma or their future careers and plans would be put on hold. An unplanned teen pregnancy can change a young girl’s life drastically and permanently. Even young men’s lives can change as they will then be financially responsible for the child they brought into the world through mere experimentation. Educate your child and teach him or her that unplanned teen pregnancy is preventable and that it should be avoided at all costs.

Using Birth Control

When it comes to birth control there are many options available, and these can prevent unplanned teen pregnancy. There are birth control pills, there’s the shot, there’s the IUD, there are condoms and there’s even the morning after pill. There are so many options that you wouldn't even think that unplanned teen pregnancy will occur. Yet it happens, unplanned teen pregnancy problems are growing exponentially throughout the world. So many young women are getting pregnant every year and mainly this is due to education or the lack thereof. Teach your child about these birth control methods, teach them how to use them and make sure they’re always available just in case.

Making Smart Decisions

Teach your child that if they are ever faced with a situation in which they are about to have sex, they should stop and assess the situation. This is definitely not easy considering that the sexual desire of teens can easily override logical reasoning and rational thinking, however this is possible. Let your child know that when they engage in sexual activities that there are chances for an unplanned teen pregnancy. Let them know that it is not wrong to have sex, instead educate them on how be smart about it if they intend on pursuing sex. Teens will always want to have sex and they are likely to do it, it is a fact that we cannot hide from. The more prepare we are as adults and parents, and the more we allow ourselves to educate our children on the dangers of unplanned teen pregnancy by talking to them about it, the less chance we will have of our child being faced with the situation of taking care of a baby in their teens.

Keeping Pregnant Women Away From Acid Reflux Dilemma

Pregnant Women and Acid Reflux Issues to Be aware of.

It is a known common experience that most pregnant women will have heartburn and this can happen for various reasons.

One of these is the increase of hormones in a woman’s body while they are pregnant. The occurrence of this will result in softening the ligaments which function is to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) firmly closed. As LES relaxes, the tendency is for the gastric acids and ingested foods to reflux back up into the esophagus area and throat.

Another reason they experience heartburn during pregnancy is from the changes occurring within her body as the baby begins to develop and grow, increasing pressure on her stomach. Therefore, the stomach contents are forced right into the LES, and then to the esophagus.

However, there are several methods that a pregnant woman can observe to lessen the discomfort brought from heartburn. You can use some of the following tips, however, keep in mind they may not completely remove all heartburn.

1. Refrain from foods already known to be causes of heartburn. Examples of this are chocolates, spicy foods, citrus fruits and juices, mustard, tomatoes and tomato based products, fatty foods, fried foods, and highly seasoned dishes. You may also want to consult your physician on what food and beverage items you should or should not be ingesting.

2. Avoid beverages with caffeine in them, such as; coffee, tea and soda. Too much of these will cause the LES to relax and let the acid to return into the esophagus.

3. Always avoid alcoholic beverages. This, like caffeine tends to relax the LES thus, creating the same effect of triggering heartburn.

4. Avoid eating large meals. It is suggested that taking numerous small meals throughout the day will be better.

5. Avoid rush when eating your meals. Make sure to chew your food well and take your time when eating, as this will also help cut back on the amount of heartburn you experience.

6. Get plenty of rest a after you eat each meal and do not get involved in any activity that will interfere with your body digestive system.

7. Drink plenty of water through out the day and in fact, women that are pregnant need to not only drink at least eight to ten glasses a day, they should drink them throughout the day. Because if this is the stomach will expand and the LES will be under more pressure causing it to open when it shouldn’t. Therefore, you should keep in mind to only drink water and other fluids between meals.

8. How you sleep is important too, you should arrange your pillows so you sleep around 6 - 10 inches high. You should try to elevate both your head and shoulder areas when sleeping. Through this, the gravity will work to keep the acids in your stomach in their place; in the stomach, not in the esophagus. You can go online or speak with your doctor to find other methods that will help minimize nighttime heartburn.

9. Make sure the clothes you wear are not too tight. If you wear clothes that are too tight around the stomach area, than that can trigger heartburn as well.

10. Be careful how you bend down to pick up things, always use your knees. This will avoid in creating too much pressure in the stomach.

11. Don’t slouch; rather sit erect in a relaxing chair.

12. Keep an eye on your weight too, because too much fat around your stomach will put undue stress on it. When that happens, it will force the contents within the stomach to go up toward the esophagus much easier. You should always follow your doctors advice on the recommended eating guidelines.

13. Avoid smoking. Doctors stated that smoking could cause several effects to a pregnant woman, and one is that it can add to the possibility of experiencing heartburn. By following all these tips, you will have a much healthier and happier pregnancy.