Pregnancy is beautiful, hard, scary, and full of unknowns. At the same time it is entirely wonderful and thrilling. From the time I was quite young, I dreamed of one day being a mom. My heart goes out to those who struggle with infertility. Unfortunately, it’s very common to have difficulties and it may leave you feeling at fault. It’s good to be knowledgeable about the common problems that can go along with trying to conceive as well as pregnancy itself. There are solutions to help you enjoy your journey to becoming a parent.
Unable To Conceive
It is increasingly common for couples to be unable to conceive. I have a few very dear friends who are struggling to start their family and I know it’s an overwhelming burden in their lives. My college roommate Stephanie has a delightful blog where she shares her journey as well as other great every day tips. I wish I could take the heartache away. There can be many reasons why people struggle to conceive, but if you take a brief look through this ConceiveAbilities Blog you will see that there are many options available. A discussion with your medical professional will likely point you in the right direction as well. Modern medicine is a marvel and I hope that the promise of new technology will be an encouragement to those desiring to have a baby.
Back Pain
Once you are pregnant, you are going to undergo a whole load of bodily and mental changes. Many of them can be quite unpleasant. One of the most common bodily experiences during pregnancy is lower back pain. I had back pain with all 3 of my pregnancies and remember feeling absolutely miserable. If you are suffering with lower back pain, there are some things you can do to try and counteract and improve upon it. Probably the most important thing you can do is simply make a point paying attention to your posture as often as you can. In order to help you with this, you might find that being aided by a lumbar roll can help you when sitting to make sure that you are sitting well. I used to put my hymnbook behind my back in church. Sounds more uncomfortable, but it truly helped. It’s also a good practice to do regular, simple aerobic exercises designed specifically for pregnant women. These can be enormously helpful in relieving the pain, as can seeing a physiotherapist to see what they might be able to suggest as well.
Carpal Tunnel
It is not just pregnancy which can lead to carpal tunnel, but it is one of the most common causes, and it can cause some real trouble if you do develop it. Carpal tunnel is a problem of the wrist area where it has become enlarged due to excess water in the bodily system. This often happens in pregnancy because of the monumental hormonal changes that come over you, and you might find that it can be incredibly painful indeed. If you do develop carpal tunnel, or any related problem, there are many things you can do to make it better. Again, the best method is probably to take up some kind of light and regular exercise, which a physiotherapist may be able to help you with too. You should find that this leads to an improved feeling and reduced pain, and it might well be that it disappears again after a short while.
Incontinence
Arguably one of the more embarrassing problems which pregnancy can throw up is incontinence. Nobody whose opinion is worth anything will think any less of a pregnant women for being incontinent, of course, but even so it is very hard not to feel embarrassed if you are undergoing the issue yourself. If you do have some incontinence when you are pregnant, remember first of all that it is perfectly normal. You can then look into practical solutions, of which there are plenty: pelvic floor exercises, changes in diet and lifestyle as recommended by your doctor, and so on. It is always possible to do something about it, as with the other problems above.
