Low-Back Pain During Pregnancy - Health - Alternative Medicine

So you're expecting a child soon! That's wonderful! Whether you have just gotten the news, or are approaching the big day, you are probably going through quite a bit of physical change and discomfort. Low-back pain afflicts more than half the population of pregnant women. It's something that can happen at any point during a pregnancy, and is very common. The causes are both chemical and physical, as your hormones and center of gravity undergo significant change.

A lot of women are shocked by the amount of back pain they feel very early in their pregnancy. The first hormone that causes low-back pain in early pregnancy is progesterone. While progesterone enables embryo implantation and gestation, this hormone also has the effect of softening the ligaments and disks in your back. Spasms or cramps in your lower back may result, as this process limits the amount of support provided to your upper body.
As your pregnancy develops, your body produces more of another hormone, called relaxin. This hormone is essential to labor and delivery; as the name implies, relaxin relaxes the joints in your pelvis, which enables the baby to pass through the birth canal with ample room. However, the hormone can also lead to inflammation and pain in your other joints, as it may cause other joints in your body to move abnormally.

The growing fetus causes several changes contributing to low back pain in pregnancy. Your abdominal muscles are extremely taxed by the demands of your growing fetus and expanding uterus as, in order to accommodate the extra growth, they must stretch well beyond their normal capacity. The effect of this is that your lower back takes on extra weight from your torso, as your abdominal muscles are no longer able to support proper body posture.

In the course of carrying your baby to term, your center of gravity changes by a significant amount. During pregnancy, the average woman will gain seven pounds of solely baby weight, two pounds of placenta, and two pounds of amniotic fluid and uterine tissue! On the other hand, inflammation and pain may result, as hormones can cause abnormal movement of other joints in the body. Though common in pregnant women, back pain should always be taken seriously. Pay attention to any low-back pain you might have, and speak to your healthcare provider about it. This can help to weed out the possibility of ignoring an underlying condition, like an injury from an accident. Dull backaches, felt low and in rhythmic intervals, might indicate labor. Many women have "back labor," which just means that they feel the labor in their back. Severe back pain and fever may indicate an infection, though you may still have an infection without a fever.

There are many techniques at your disposal to control any low-back pain you may experience while pregnant:

• Exercises that focus on stretching, like pelvic tilts.

• Maintaining good posture, by standing straight and tall, keeping your shoulders down and back, and tucking your buttocks under your spine.

• Make an effort not to stand for long periods of time. Though, if you absolutely must do so, you can elevate one foot on a box or low step stool.

• Put a small pillow behind your lower back when you're sitting.

• Don't wear high heels unless absolutely necessary. A far better choice would be flat shoes with proper support for your arches.

• A bit of additional support can come from maternity pants - try to get ones with a wide elastic band you can wear under the belly. You can find maternity belts, or girdles mean specifically for expecting women in healthcare and maternity stores. You may also find that your insurance company covers such a purchase when prescribed by your healthcare provider, so check in with them.

• Keep a pillow between your legs at night, sleeping on your side. Also, if possible, use a firm mattress that supports your back better than softer ones.

• You might try using a maternity pillow, a specially designed pillow for pregnant women that can alleviate some strain in your back.

• Lift objects using your legs, and not your back. Try not to lift heavy objects at all. When you need to carry a large load from one place to another, you should split the task up into smaller parts.

• Stay active! Find out if walking or swimming will work for you by consulting with your healthcare provider.

• See if you can find a trained pregnancy masseuse. You might discover that your partner or friend can provide adequate relief with gentle rubbing or kneading on the sore spots on your back. Warm compresses can be effective. A heating pad set to its lowest point, an adequately warm bath, or arranging yourself on your hands and knees in the shower to direct warm water at your lower back, may all offer relief.

• Acupuncture treatment may also be a good choice for you - but remember again to ask your doctor.

• Pregnant women can use pain relievers with acetominophen, like Tylenol.

Regardless, there are no cure-alls for chronic back pain, whether you seek support your Doctor of Chiropractic or not. Since back pain can often be triggered by overt strain or injury, the pain may last for weeks before you notice any positive changes to your condition; bear this in mind when determining the effectiveness of any treatment. During pregnancy, be sure to pay extremely close attention to your body as it changes, and jot down details as they come. Keep vigilant, even with things that you might have let slide if you didn't have to think about your baby, also. Particularly if this is the first time you are pregnant, brace yourself for changes in your body that will surprise you, in spite of whatever reading you might have done on the subject. This is to be expected. Stay focused on your body, treat low-back pain seriously, and take pleasure in the process of being an expectant mother!

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Pregnancy: Your Birth Control Options - Health - Wellness

Are you a woman who is currently unsure as to whether or not you are ready for parenthood? If that is the case, are you currently sexually active? If you are, are you using any form of birth control? Parenting and pregnancy are all important issues, ones that are difficult to back down from. For that reason, if you are not looking to become a mother just yet, it is important that you take the time to familiarize yourself with all of your options.

Perhaps, the most popular and most well-known birth control method is that of condoms. Condoms, in most cases, are highly effective against preventing pregnancy. On rare occasions, they can break or leak, but you are typically safe. Just be sure to purchase a brand of condoms that is known for their strength and durability. What is nice about this popular method, is that you are often not only protected against pregnancy, but sexually transmitted diseases as well.

Although condoms are an effective method used by many, there are many women and men who prefer not to use them. If you are not interested in handling the issue of the birth and upbringing of a child, it is important that you take the time to familiarize yourself with the other options that you have. A few of those other options, outlined below, are ones that may not be as well-known or as popular as condoms, but they are typically just as effective.

Birth control pills are a hormonal form of the technique. Pills require the taking of a pill each and everyday of the month. This method is known as being effective, as long as they are taken as directed. As with many other medications, these pills are not ideal for smokers, as they may cause additional health complications. With a large selection of pills, including ones that eliminate your menstrual period, you are sure to find something that can offer you assistance.

Aside from condoms and birth control, the next most popular form is another hormonal method. This method is commonly referred to as the Depo shot. The Depo shot has one main downfall and that is that it has been linked to a poor absorption of calcium. That is why many Depo users are urged to take calcium supplements each day. What is nice about the Depo shot is that it is not only effective at preventing pregnancy, but it is also administered on a three-month schedule and periods are often a thing of the past.

Although not as popular as condoms, the Depo shot, and birth control pills, IUDs are also effective forms. IUDs are known as Intra-Uterine Devices. Intra-Uterine Devices (IUDs) come in a number of different formats, but they are still designed to protect you from pregnancy. This is either done with the use of a copper device, which is spermicidal, or ones that release progestin.

The above mentioned birth control methods are actually just a few of the many that exist, but these methods are designed to prevent pregnancy right from the start. Should you find yourself in an emergency situation, it is important to know that you have a number of different options, including emergency contraceptives. These emergency contraceptives can be obtained through your doctor's office or your local pharmacy. Despite being able to offer you assistance, it is important that you do not use abortion or even emergency contraceptives as a form of birth control. If that is what you have been doing, you have a whole other set of issues that need to be dealt with.

As a reminder, the above mentioned birth control methods can all help to prevent you from becoming pregnant. With that in mind, the only method of birth control, at this moment, that can protect you from sexually transmitted disease is that of a condom.

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Pregnancy Risk Conditions - Health

Even a healthy pregnancy condition can be susceptible to critical pregnancy risk conditions. The high level of stress factors in our life should be blamed for it. Such unhealthy stress factors do not allow the embryo to have a healthy womb to grow up in.

The complications develop from many factors such as diabetes, hypertension and even STDs (Sexually Transmitted Disease) such as syphilis, Chlamydia and other conditions such as virus, bacteria and parasites. The possible pregnancy complications that can harm you and your developing fetus are:

Complications of placenta are placental abruption (wherein the placental lining has separated from the uterus of the mother. It is the most common cause of late pregnancy bleeding. In humans, it refers to the abnormal separation after 20 weeks of gestation and prior to birth.

Ectopic pregnancies are one of the most common early complications. Ectopic pregnancies refer to pregnancies in which the egg is fertilized outside the womb so the fetus begins to develop in the ovary or in the fallopian tube.

This can be very dangerous not only for the fetus but also for the mother. If surgery is not performed, the tubes could burst and result in internal bleeding and in some cases, even death.

An abnormal fetus causes almost all miscarriages during the first three months of pregnancy (first trimester). Problems in the genes are responsible for an abnormal fetus and are found in more than half of miscarried fetuses. The risk of defective genes increases with the woman's age, especially over if she is older than 35 years.

Premature birth is commonly known as delivering of the baby prior to the due date. Normal pregnancy is said to end at about forty weeks. In clinical language, a premature birth marks the delivery of the baby before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

The Rh factor in your blood type can cause harm to your baby. If the mother is Rh negative and her partner Rh positive, the combination results in a baby with Rh positive. In this condition, when the blood transfers from mother to the child, the red blood cells will break down leading to anaemia.

Yes, there are many Home remedies available for overcoming pregnancy complication. These are briefly mentioned as below.

Vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables, is critical for the maintenance of foetal membrane.By simply supplementing pregnancy diet with Vitamin C rich content, you can say good-bye to one of the most common pregnancy complications.

One should have frequent meals and never keep her stomach empty. Try taking fruits, leafy-vegetables or fat-free snacks instead of taking fried and fatty food. It is advisable that a pregnant woman should take food with high fiber content.

When a pregnant woman is feeling nauseous she can have fresh lime soda and if soda isn't available at that time then she can sniff a fresh lemon peel.

As can be seen, pregnancy is a stage where a woman faces various complications relating to her health. However, most of these pregnancy complications can be cured easily by some home remedies.

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Pupp Rash: Pups During Pregnancy - Health - Skin Care

Until recently, I never was familiar with the pups rash, but a few clients coincidentally came to the clinic where I do psychotherapy and were suffering from this. It usually occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy and can have strong itching, lots of red marks and produce insomnia. It is definitely a challenge for one's pregnancy on top of the already existing ones due to hormonal changes and one's body enlarging.

During pregnancy many women experience a rash, which is very common during the pregnancy stages as the skin visibly changes. During the pregnancy stages, there is a higher blood hormone level and this can have an effect on the skin. There isn't anything harmful about most skin changes as far as the health of the baby and the mother is concerned. On the whole, these changes become normalized within a few months after the baby is born. But there are some skin conditions that can indicate other underlying problems so it's always best to get this looked at and treated. For some women, the hormonal changes can result in acne. We also know how common food cravings and repulsions can also be during pregnancy. Some women will also get a skin darkening, sometimes referred to as the pregnancy rash.

One pregnancy rash is called the pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) which can cause an non-stop itch or some and be quite frustrating. Fortunately, this ceases after the birth of the baby but nonetheless, it can be hard to tolerate. Some studies have shown that there is a higher incidence of the birth of a boy when one has pupps rash. Most women won't get this before the sixth month of pregnancy, but there are exceptions. The rash starts with the stretch marks in the abdomen according to some.

Pupp rash may sting as well as itch and is usually found on the stomach area, thighs and buttocks.. It can also be much more extensive. Moisturizers, anti-itch creams and sometimes cortisone is used to relieve symptom. Some doctors may induce labor early or prescribe prednisone if necessary. Unfortunately, some women may even get the rash before their third trimester. Keep your focus on your beautiul baby inside you and know that this is a temporary discomfort. See a physician to rule out other issues such as a stress rash or eczema.

Remember that your newborn baby will give you a wonderful light in your life and this period of the rash will pass and be funny in retrospect. Keep your sense of lightness and calmness despite the physical discomfort. More info on pupp rash what is pupps can help you get relief.

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