Here is my situation. I became pregnant with my first daughter in June of 2004 and the pregnancy and delivery was the easist thing I had even been there. I didn't understand why people were so unhappy being pregnant becuase mine was such a breeze and it hasn't been difficult since then with my daughter, who is now two. Well my fiance and I found out that we are pregnant again in the middle of Jan. Really scary at first because we thought that we might have gotten pregnant around new years, which could have caused some serious problems. However, the doctor's are saying that it was after my period in Jan that we got pregnant and we are due October 18th. Great for us, but this pregnancy has been soooo difficult so far. I am 20 weeks and will be 21 on Friday, give or take a few days but that is the time period i am going with. My feet, ankles and legs are swelling. My right hip keeps going numb as well as my wrist starting to ache. I feel like i have arthritis or something and I"m only 25! So here is my question. Has anyone else gone through this? I am a full time working mom so I have no time to put my feet up and really relax. So does anyone have tips for what worked for them. Let me know, as anything will be helpful to try at this point. :) Thanks a lot ladies.
Thanks for all the advice ladies. I have been trying to keep my feet up and relax a little more. My fiance also pointed out that becuase we are in a smaller apartment for this pregnancy than my first I might not be walking as much so I'm trying to convience him he wants to walk with me and our two year old each afternoon when I get home from work. I am def. watching my diet and reducing my sodium intake alot, which is hard becuase i have been craving McDoland's like it's my job. lol! But i'll keep you all informed. Thanks so much.
Hi A.,
I would strongly recommend going to a chiropractor. There are some in this area who have tables that can accomidate a pregnant mom's belly.
HTH,
J.
I remember my hips falling asleep during my first pregnancy (I'm in my second now). Drink lots of water and limit the salt (it adds to the swelling). You need to keep the circulation moving. Warm baths, elevating your legs at night, try to stay off that hip. I also got foot cramps which brought me to tears. They are a result of lacking potassium/calcium.
Hey A., short and simple answer....Limit your salt and watch you weight. Swelling is normal, but excess swelling can lead to toxcemia...which i contracted with my first 4 years ago.
Stop eating processed foods, no canned foods, all fresh vegetables, limit the sodium what so ever. Start counting sodium like people count calories who are on a diet. As for the swelling you have now, you can help that with a little epsom salt. The box says to desolve 1 cup to a gallon of water, but I always used more. Just soak your feet and it will help all the way to your legs.
Good Luck!
M.*
Eat a healthy diet. No junk food. Tofu and pineapples are good for aches and pains. Tofu is good in lasagna, you can use it instead of the cheese.
Make sure you get regular check-ups. Find time for relaxation, and exersise.
Yes! I have gone through this! 22 years ago, so don't mind me if it makes me laugh at myself. You remind me of me ... listen to yourself: "My feet, ankles and legs are swelling. My right hip keeps going numb as well as my wrist starting to ache." and then: "I am a full time working mom so I have no time to put my feet up and really relax." Well, um, how shall I put this? The only way you are going to ease these symptoms IS to put your feet up and relax. I may not diagnose exactly for you, but when this happened to me I can tell you it was because pressure and weight was interrupting blood circulation - to name just one cause. I carried the second son low and was like a bowling ball on the tops of my legs. In other words "my feet, ankles and legs are swelling" I think you have to admit that you need some help and rest. Jacuzzi baths where you can let your legs float in bubbly water with jets hitting everywhere is a good idea. Massage works great after a hot bath. Lying on the floor (which is no picnic either) and raising your legs straight up (if you don't have a lot of time) works too - well, it worked for me. The wrist thing is because you're using your arms to lift yourself when your legs are hurting. Your hip is going numb because you are trying to get comfortable by laying on your side. Prop everything up with pillows when you sleep or rest and simply force yourself to take 10 minute breaks where you can ease the weight off. You are barely half way through this and it gets um, more challenging, so to say. On the bright side, I can tell you that low pressure etc caused an easier delivery. Cheers, P.
I feel your pain. My pregnancy was VERY difficult. I also work full time and did while I was pregnant. My doctor finally had to give me specific instructions for work, and they could not accommodate me. I had to stop working, but I was able to collect unemployment. That was because she never said I could not work, just that I could not lift (i work at St Joes), and could not be on my feet for extended periods of time. You may want to look into that. Good luck.
Ask your doctor about carpal tunnel syndrome in relation to your wrist. It is known to manifest itself during pregnancy. It usually goes away at the end of the pregnancy. I suffered with this during my first pregnancy...actually ended up having surgery to fix while I was pregnant because I had nerve damage. It is surprisingly painful though, so I would ask. Best of luck.
I had the same problem with aches in my third pregnancy and my midwife told me to take in more magnesium which worked great. From personal experience each pregnancy is completely different. And as for not having time to rest join the club, I think my husband causes more messes then our 3 kids! But try 5 minute vacations. Just sit quietly and do some thing for you.
I lost all wrist strength during both pregnancies. It's due to the swelling. Swelling is always worse in the heat of the summer months. The best thing you can do if you are really concerned or feeling pain or dizziness is call your OB. Especially if you have another month before the next check-up. That's what she/he is there for. I used to call and ask the nurse questions all the time. If they think there is a real concern she'll have you come into the office. In the meantime drink lots and lots of water to stay hydrated. It will help some of the swelling. I put a little lemon in mine to help it along and give it a little flavor.
Best of Luck,
Cris
I just had a baby one month ago and I am 23, I also had the wrist aches and thought it was arthritis. My grandmother who has carpel tunnel told me that if i use a computer at all to use the wrist rest and if you don't have one they're relatively cheap and then press your fingers(all together with your other hand) back so that your palm kind of juts out, like a stretch for the base of your fingers which also is stretching your wrist. Do this after typing of course or whenever it aches. It really helped me a lot and then went away all together after I had my daughter. Hope this helps!
During my pregnancy I had very severe carpal tunnel. I guess it is very common due to extra swelling. I was fit for splints but they didn't help. At night I would tie ice packs onto my wrists using pillow cases, It was the only thing that helped.
I also had a problem with my right hip kind of popping out of place. I started going to the chiropractor. The hip problem went away and I didn't really have any back pain, which is unusual for me since I've always struggled with back issues! The doctor I saw specialized in babies, children and pregnant women. If you are in Buffalo area I will give you his name. He is wonderful!
Drink lots of water. That will help with the swelling, and when in bed for the night, put a pillow at the foot of your bed to elevate them while sleeping. As far as the joint pain, when you are pregnant you secrete a hormone called relaxin which is designed to make your hip joints more mobile for delivery. However, it affects all of our joints and not just the hips. My knee to this day is messed up. Just be careful, don't make quick movements so you don't injur your joints. Because you are so limber during pregnancy, you can more easily get injured. Believe it or not, water will help this too. Good Luck!
I had swelling like this with my pregnancy. My dr told me to get off my feet as much as possible because standing for long periods of time while your pregnant make your body swell up. Avoid salt too because as the pregnancy progress you might swell up more especially with summer coming. My oby gyn had also suggested lying on my left side with my feet elevated. For whatever reason your body releases some of the water and lets more circulation through. Hopefully this will help a little! Good Luck and Congrats :)
I see you are getting a lot of different advice. Most likely the wrist pain you are feeling is carpel tunnel, and it *should* go away once the baby is born. Try to make sure you sleep with your hands open, and not curled into a fist. When you are using your computer put something soft under the part of your arm between your wrist and elbow. As for your hip, that could be because the baby is laying on your sciatic nerve. It is best to sleep on your side when you are pregnant, so try sleeping with a pillow between your knees so the upper leg is even with your hip. To help with the swelling whenever you are sitting try to prop your feet up on something. Put a stool under the dinner table, at your desk, and if you have time to watch tv at night put your feet on the couch. Ask your partner to rub your feet and calves when you are relaxing together as well. And yes, definately watch your salt intake with the fast food, and convience food. They have more sodium then you think. Diet sodas have a lot of sodium as well. This is all normal pregnancy stuff, but you need to find at least 1 day a week when you aren't running around doing things. It also helps if you can get a straight 8 hours of sleep a night. Good luck, I know it's hard when you are working and have another child to care for.
