Most pregnancies though uneventful but are accompanied by a certain degree of risk. And because of this, women are advised not to play with the anti-natal clinic. It is during this clinic that early detection of a likable potential risk to the pregnancy is detected.
It is possible to go through pregnancy without complications but some women might experience complications that involve either their health or their baby’s health, or at times both. It is also possible for complications to arise due to diseases or conditions the mother had before she became pregnant. Some women might not experience any of the above-mentioned types of complications, but they might experience them during delivery.
Handling Pregnancy Challenges With Ease:-
With prompt treatment and proper management, most pregnancy health challenges can be handled with ease. The most common health challenges that come with pregnancy are:-
- High blood pressure
- Gestational diabetes
- Preeclampsia
- Preterm labor
- A loss of pregnancy, or miscarriage.
As early stated above most pregnancy health challenges can be easily handled with regular visits to an antenatal clinic where early diagnosis and treatment can be `accomplished.
Morning Sickness: This is one of the most common and easily visible symptoms of early pregnancy and is caused by changes in hormones. Most times, morning sickness disappears towards the end of the first 3 months. The symptoms of morning sickness are: - nausea, with or without vomiting; dry retching; aversion to certain odours and foods; and in some cases, you will witness persistent vomiting and dehydration.
Handling morning sickness is simply by making changes to your diet and having plenty of rest and it is advisable not to take any medicines in treating morning sickness without consulting your doctor. Stay hydrated by drinking fluids when morning sickness is coupled with vomiting.
Backache In Pregnancy: There are several things you can do to help prevent backache from happening during your pregnancy and to help cope with it if it has already happened. Backache during pregnancy occurs because, during pregnancy, the body’s ligament naturally becomes softer and stretches to prepare you for labor. These changes in the body’s physiology can put a strain on the pelvis, which can cause backache. The extra weight of your uterus with the increasing size of the hollow in your lower back can also contribute to having backache during pregnancy.
It is advisable to try as much as possible to avoid lifting heavy objects, and if you want to lift or pick something from the floor, try to bend your knees and keep your back straight. Sleeping on a firm mattress can also help to prevent and relieve backache.
Fatigue During Pregnancy: Hormones produced by the body during pregnancy are responsible for symptoms of feeling tired, faint, hot, and low in spirit. The best way in handling these challenges is by eating a healthy diet, doing some simple exercise, and getting plenty of rest and sleep.
Headache During Pregnancy: Most women experience headaches at various stages of their pregnancy and this occurs especially in the first and third trimesters. Apart from pregnancy hormones, headaches in early pregnancy can also be caused by an increased volume of blood your body is producing. Not getting enough sleep; low blood sugar; feeling stressed; withdrawal from caffeine; dehydration; having depression and anxiety; poor posture-particularly as your baby gets bigger can contribute to other factors that might cause a headache during pregnancy.
The following tips can be used to manage headaches and migraine during pregnancy:-
- Try to get more sleep, rest well, and relax well.
- Try to do simple pregnancy exercises, at worst, walking around.
- Try to Practice good posture in the way you sit, stand, walk or even have sex especially late in your pregnancy
- Try to eat a balanced diet anytime the urge of eaten arises.
- Try using a cold pack at the back of your neck, or taking a shower in case it is a tension headache.
- Try using neck and shoulder massage.
Anaemia: Anaemia is a condition where the red blood cells are lower than the normal range. Anaemia in pregnancy may cause you to feel more tired and weak than usual and also causes your skin to appear pale. During an ante-natal clinic, anaemia can be easily detected by performing routine laboratory diagnoses like Packed Cell Volume (PCV).
Diagnosis of a low Packed Cell Volume (PCV) or low Haemoglobin level signifies anaemia. Taking supplements of iron and folic acid during pregnancy may help since most cases of anaemia occur due to a deficiency.
Infections: Infections are foreign bodies in the system and they are not friendly. Whether they’re bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections; they have the ability in complicating pregnancy. Infections in pregnancy if not treated adequately can be harmful to both the mother and the baby. Most infections that occur during pregnancy are either sexually transmitted from either the spouse or improper hygiene practices, especially from the woman. Examples of these common infections that occur in pregnancy are Candidiasis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteria vaginosis, Streptococcus species (group B), and food-related parasitic infections.
Labor Complications: Complications can occur during labor and delivery. The doctor knows what to do if such a condition arises. Your doctor might need to change the process of the delivery. The ultimate goal is for the baby and the mother to be alive and healthy.
Breech Position: This occurs when the feet of the baby are positioned to be delivered before the head. This condition is not common and the statistics occur in about 4% of full-term births. Breech position can be diagnosed using ultrasound, especially in the few weeks before delivery. If diagnosed to be in this position, your doctor might try to change the position of the baby. But if the baby is still in the breech position when labor starts, most doctors do recommend a cesarean delivery.
Placenta Previa: This condition happens when the placenta is covering the cervix. Most doctors perform a cesarean delivery in this type of case.
Low Birth Weight: The importance of an ante-natal clinic cannot be overemphasized. Low birth weight mostly occurs mainly because of poor nutrition (unbalanced diet) or the use of cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs while pregnant. Babies with low birth weight have a risk of acquiring respiratory infections, defects in learning abilities, cardiac problems, or even blindness. Some babies born with low weight come out jaundiced. In this case, the babies have to stay in the hospital for adequate treatment until the pediatrician certifies the baby to be okay.
Miscarriage: Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 20 weeks while stillbirth is the loss of pregnancy after 20 weeks. At times, miscarriage happens even before a woman is aware of it and is indirectly not preventable. Rhesus factor incompatibility has been linked to one of the causes of stillbirth. If the case of rhesus incompatibility between the couples is detected in time, the woman should be given drugs to bring down the level of the antibody in the blood.
Preterm Labor: Preterm labor is the condition that occurs when you go into labor before week 37 of your pregnancy. And in this state, your baby’s organs, such as the lungs and brain might not have finished developing. Though certain medications can stop preterm labor, your doctors can also recommend bed rest to prevent your baby to be born early.
Preeclampsia: Toxemia or preeclampsia usually occurs after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and causes an increase in high blood pressure and possible kidney problems. The best treatment for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby and placenta to prevent the disease from progressing. Labor can also be induced if you’re 37-40 weeks pregnant.
But if it’s too early for your baby to be delivered, you need to monitor closely with your baby, and this will require you to be hospitalized for some time.
Leg Cramps: Leg cramps are a normal uncomfortable feature of pregnancy and at times it comes along with swelling of the legs and varicose vein. Stretching your muscle or walking around can ease cramps.