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Pains & Stiffness During Pregnancy
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Pains & Stiffness During Pregnancy >>>
| Q: I am in the 8 month of my pregnancy. I suffer rom severe back ache and sometimes my throat become very dry. Why does this happen? Ruplai (Tokyo, Japan
) |
| A: Backache is quite normal at this stage of pregnancy. The dryness in the throat could be due to infection or less fluid intake or oral breathing instead of nasal breathing. |
| Q: I am 5 months pregnant. I have pain in my abdomen and my left leg. My doctor says this is normal. But I am worried about the health of my baby. My blood has been drawn for Down Syndrome test, but the results are not yet out. All other blood test and urine tests were normal. Chinki (Mumbai, India
) |
| A: Yes, it is quite normal to have pains going down the legs and abdomen. Only after your blood tests and ultrasound reports are available, one will be able to say anything about your baby's health & growth. |
| Q: I am in the 8 months pregnant. My B.P. is normal. My doctor says that my cervix has come down. I feel heaviness while walking or in standing for long periods, I urinate often though my urine culture was clear, and I have a constant pain in the joints of my thigh bone, hip bones and backbone. I also have pregnancy induced diabetes so am on insulin and am following a strict diet. My doctor has advised full bed rest. What risks does my child face in delivery? What precautions should I take? What is foetal distress and what are the symptoms? Yamini (Knoxville, USA) |
| A: Pain in the joints occurs in a large number of women in the third trimester of pregnancy due to calcium deficiency and also due to relaxation of ligaments caused by hormonal influences in order to facilitate child birth. Frequency of urination can increase in the 3rd trimester due to the head descending into the pelvis. Diabetics on insulin must be very careful during the last few weeks of pregnancy as there is always a risk. Preterm labour in a diabetic is risky as we cannot give steroids to the mother to enhance foetal lung maturity because it may accelerate the diabetic process. |
| Q: I am 22 weeks pregnant and have severe lower back pain. My work requires me to stand all day long. All that seems to work is two regular Tylenols. I have been taking one dose every two days, just to get a little relief. I however feel very guilty for doing this. Is it OK to take two tablets a day, or every other day? Can it harm the baby? Vijayanti (Denver, USA
) |
| A: You could use a muscle relaxant gel locally. Also you can take calcium supplements. It is okay to take a couple of tablets of Tylenol. Exercises will give you relief too. Drink milk. |
| Q: I am 21 weeks pregnant. I have a lot of pain in my lower abdomen and groin area. Also, there is a pain in my lower back region. I am taking vitamin E, iron and calcium tablets. Please let me know whether there is anything to worry. What should I do to get rid of the pain? Britanny (Atlanta, USA) |
| A: Is the pain from the uterus, the ovaries or the kidneys? You must visit your doctor to find out the nature of the pain. A treatment can only be prescribed after finding out the cause of the pain. |
| Q: I am 8 months pregnant. My back hurts. What should I do to reduce the backache? Madhulika (Indore, India) |
| A: Do some leg exercises, go for a walk. Apply pain killer creams and increase your calcium intake for a few days. Don't wear heels at all. |
| Q: I am 6 months pregnant. I feel as though my waist is stiff. My monkey bone hurts while changing positions when I am sleeping. How can I minimise these pains? Ajanta (Kawasaki, Japan
) |
| A: These pains are due to hormonal changes that take place in the body. One would advise active movement so that the pain is reduced. You can also use a soft cushion to sit which will reduce the pain in the lower part of your spine. |
| Q: I am 14 weeks pregnant. I get a terrible pain in my lower back and thigh muscles when lying on my back. While walking and standing my back does not hurt. Is a backache common in pregnancy or should I see a doctor? Sometimes it becomes difficult to change sides wile sleeping. Mahulika (Auburn, USA) |
| A: Pain in the lower back during this period of gestation could be an early sign of a possible pre-term labour in the future. However, since in your case the pain is only present on lying down, there is a chance that it is caused due to calcium deficiency. In general, pregnant women should be taking daily calcium supplements and having 3 glasses of milk a day. In case you are using a dunlop mattress, you may want to try sleeping on a slightly harder mattress (coir mattress, for example). |
| Q: I am 2 months pregnant and expereince terrible pain below my chest. Is it natural in pregnancy? Please advise. Chanda (Mumbai, India) |
| A: Many women do complain of the kind of pain that you mention, but there is no really cause for it. You can attribute it to changes as a result of pregnancy, where your body is going through a lot of changes. As the baby grows in size and moves higher up in the uterine cavity towards the rib cage, the pain cold become quite uncomfortable. But at this stage, it is too early to worry about anything. For more information on these topics, you can revisit the section on Pregnancy and look up Common Complaints during Pregnancy. |
| Q: My wife is three months pregnant. She often gets a mild pain in her lower abdomen. She is taking Gestrin twice a day, as advised by our doctor. Is this pain normal? Should we take any precautions? Jiten (Delhi, India
) |
| A: From your history, this appears normal. If your doctor has seen her, and assured you that everything is ok, then there is no need of any precaution. |
| Q: I am 20 weeks pregnant. Several times a day I feel my stomach (below the navel) tightening for about a minute or two, after which it becomes soft again. There is no pain or any other problem at all. Is this a cause for concern? Kausali (Alva, USA) |
| A: As long as this abdominal tightening is not associated with pain in the back or any urinary symptoms; and the cervical length (from a clinical examination or an ultrasound) is normal; and there is no history of pre-term labour in a previous pregnancy, then there should be little cause for concern. However, I would advise you to take the following precautions: a. Adequate rest, which includes at least 2 hours of lying down during the day and 8 hours at night, preferably in the left lateral position b. Avoid any kind of heavy work,, which includes bending and lifting of heavy objects. If the problem still persists, you should consult a gynaecologist to rule out any possible complications. |
| Q: I am in my 6th month and go for walks for around 20 minutes. I seem to have developed some pain in the pelvic muscles. Is this normal? Since then I have stopped walking. Manju (Pune, India) |
| A: This pain could be because you are not used to exercises. Go for a shorter duration next time, and do not walk fast. If the pain still persists, mention it your gynaecologis during your next visit. |
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