Home » While you're pregnant » Common symptoms during pregnancy

Common symptoms during pregnancy

You may be delighted to be pregnant, but you may be slightly less delighted by some of the symptoms. These can include morning sickness, heartburn and indigestion, constipation, piles, varicose veins, backache, itchy skin, and puffy hands and feet. Most women have at least one or two of these, while others seem to have the lot, which can spoil an otherwise happy normal pregnancy. Doctors and midwives tend to think of these complaints as minor woes that don't usually merit medication or medical attention. You may see things slightly differently.

Symptoms are often at their peak in the first three months, before you have told the world that you're expecting. This can make it harder to put up with them. There are, however, many effective self-help measures to reduce your symptoms and help you enjoy your pregnancy more.

Morning sickness

About seventy percent of women suffer nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It typically strikes in the second month and lasts until 14 - 16 weeks, although some women suffer throughout.

It is known as 'morning' sickness, but any-time-of-the-day-or-night sickness is more accurate. The precise cause is unknown, although it's thought to be a result of hormonal changes. The surge in progesterone causes the stomach to empty more slowly, leading to a feeling of bloating, nausea and often heartburn. The emotional upheaval and exhaustion of early pregnancy aggravate the symptoms.

What you can do

• Avoid coffee, alcohol, fatty foods, and any other foods or drinks you've gone off.
• Eat small amounts regularly, even if you're not hungry. Dry biscuits or bits of ginger can help.
• Avoid smelly atmospheres like bars and pubs, and delay any decorating of rooms like the nursery (the smell of paint can be particularly nauseating).
• Try to avoid bending down, especially first thing in the morning.
• If travelling by car or train makes you worse, avoid it as much as possible.
• Acupressure bands (like Seabands) worn on the wrist can relieve morning sickness.
• Some women have been helped by homeopathic remedies; consult a qualified homeopath if you want to try these.
• Anti-sickness pills can be prescribed by your doctor and can be helpful for severe morning sickness. Drugs should be avoided as much as possible in pregnancy, but one or two have been in use for decades and have a long track record of safety.
• Remember to consult your doctor if the vomiting is so severe that you're unable to keep down fluids. This may put you at risk of dehydration. If you're passing less urine or it appears highly concentrated, call your GP. This is known as hyperemesis and requires urgent help; you may need to be rehydrated with a drip in hospital.

Back to Top

Heartburn and indigestion

Thanks to the hormone progesterone, the valve at the top end of the stomach doesn't work well during pregnancy, so stomach acid travels up the gullet. Add to this the sheer mass of the baby and it's no wonder heartburn and indigestion are so common. Symptoms are a burning sensation or even discomfort behind the breastbone. In some cases, an acid taste can reach the mouth.

What you can do

• Avoid acidic foods and drinks such as oranges. Avoid spicy foods too.
• Drink more milk, which will also give you much-needed calcium.
• Snack often and take small frequent meals instead of a few big ones. Large meals late at night are best avoided.
• Sleep with your head raised so that your head is higher than your stomach.
• You can use antacids during pregnancy. such as Rennie Peppermint, unless you have heart trouble or high blood pressure. Medicines can affect the unborn baby. Always ask your doctor before taking any medicine in pregnancy. Always read the label.

Back to Top

Trapped wind

This isn't the same as heartburn, but some people confuse the two. Symptoms are bloating and discomfort, or even pain, in the upper abdomen. It's not obvious why it happens in pregnancy, but it does, possibly because the gut just isn't moving very well.

What you can do

• Trapped wind is worse if you bolt your food down, so one obvious course of action is to eat more slowly.
• You can try peppermint water, herbal tea or even just hot water with dash of lemon.
• Try an over-the-counter medicine for wind such as Rennie Deflatine, but check first with the pharmacist, midwife or GP that it is appropriate for use in pregnancy.
• Remember that persistent abdominal pain can be serious - it could be appendicitis, cystitis or even labour. So see your doctor or midwife if things get worse.

Back to Top

Constipation

We have progesterone to thank for this as the hormone relaxes the muscle of the gut, making the bowels sluggish. Constipation is very common at all stages of pregnancy. In fact it's very unusual to have loose bowels when you're expecting, so if you have diarrhoea it usually needs to be taken seriously.

What you can do

• Drink plenty of fluids and eat lots of fibre-rich foods, such as wholemeal bread, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables (fruit and veg also boost your intake of folic acid).
• · Take some exercise every day. It needn't be vigorous, just walking will help.
• Avoid laxatives unless they are prescribed by your doctor or recommended by the pharmacist (be sure to mention you're expecting).

Back to Top

Piles (Haemorrhoids)

Piles are enlarged veins in and around the back passage. It's not too surprising they occur: there's increased pressure inside the belly from the growing baby, and often there's constipation too.

Piles are usually worse towards the end of pregnancy, or after delivery, especially if you spend a long time pushing in the second stage of labour. The symptoms of piles are itching or small lumps (which can be painful) around the back passage. These often first appear after a bowel movement. Piles can bleed too. Usually the blood is bright red, and is in the toilet or on the paper, but other conditions can cause bleeding too, so check with your doctor if you have more than just a streak or two of blood.

What you can do

• Avoid constipation. Your aim should be regular soft motions without having to strain.
• Always use soft toilet paper, or even wet wipes if you're out.
• If you need any cream or ointment for piles, check with your doctor or pharmacist before buying.

Back to Top

Varicose veins

These are prominent or bulging leg veins, with or without discomfort or itching. Varicose veins in pregnancy are usually blamed on the hormone progesterone which relaxes and dilates leg veins, and of course on the growing baby which makes it harder for blood in the legs to flow back up towards the heart. But not every woman gets varicose veins in pregnancy, so it's not quite as simple as that. Family history is a factor so if your mother or sisters had troublesome veins in pregnancy then you may develop them too.

Symptoms are lumpy visible veins, and often aching legs, especially towards the end of the day. Symptoms usually worsen in the third trimester of pregnancy. If you develop varicose veins, they'll improve after your baby's born, though they may not quite return to normal.

What you can do

• Keep walking. This stimulates blood to flow up the leg veins. If you must stand about, keep your legs and feet moving.
• Avoid crossing your legs. When sitting, keep your legs up on a stool.
• Wear good shoes with fairly flat heels. Avoid tight socks or pop-socks.
• Maternity support tights are a great help - put them on in the morning before getting up and walking around.
• If you have localised leg pain or swelling, see your doctor or midwife to rule out the possibility of deep vein thrombosis (blood clot). Thrombosis is slightly more common in pregnancy and needs treatment to prevent complications.

Back to Top

Puffy hands and feet

These are the result of localised fluid retention, and the reason is hormonal. A little puffiness is normal, especially towards the end of pregnancy, and most women find that their shoes or their rings are a bit tighter then.

What you can do

• Sit with your legs up, making sure your calves aren't resting on a sharp surface, such as the edge of a coffee table.
• Rest more.
• Wear flatter shoes.
• Avoid tight socks or pop-socks. Try support tights - maternity versions are available.
• Take your rings off while you still can.
• Don't try to restrict your fluid intake - it will not help your symptoms, and you may get dehydrated.
• If you get more than just a hint of puffiness, mention it to your midwife or doctor. It could be a symptom of pre-eclampsia. This is a serious complication of pregnancy which causes fluid retention, high blood pressure and protein in the urine.

Back to Top

Backache

It's hard to avoid some backache in late pregnancy when your tummy muscles are stretched out of shape and the enlarging bump puts extra weight on the spine. Backache can occur early in pregnancy too, probably because the hormone relaxin has already started doing its work of softening ligaments. This is useful for labour, but it also makes minor strains and injuries more common. Nearly two-thirds of pregnant women have back pain in the first or second trimester, and nearly nine out of 10 have it in the last trimester.

Back pain is usually low down in the spine. It sometimes travels down the buttocks or legs.

What you can do

• Avoid unnecessary lifting, whether it's a bag of heavy shopping, furniture or a whining toddler.
• When you bend down, keep your back straight and go straight down instead of on one knee.
• Wear flatter shoes, and try to stand with your buttocks tucked in.
• Use warmth from a hot pad or water bottle to relieve pain.
• Get your partner to give you a gentle back massage.
• Continue to exercise. Swimming is ideal. Ask your antenatal teacher or midwife about specific exercises to relieve backache.
• Some women benefit from a maternity girdle.
• Paracetamol can be very helpful for backache. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or midwife first though.
• If you have really persistent pain, see your doctor.

Back to Top

Itchy skin

Itching, usually on the abdomen and the back, is a common symptom in late pregnancy. It's not clear what causes itching, but it could be because the skin tends to be drier and more stretched in the last few months of pregnancy.

What you can do

• Keep your skin smooth and moist with bath oils and body lotions, preferably unperfumed. You may need greasier lotions and creams than before pregnancy.
• Warm baths are soothing, but avoid very hot water which can make the itching worse.
• Try not to scratch - this releases chemicals like histamine which cause more itching.
• If there's itching in or around the vagina, check with your doctor as it could be thrush.
• If you itch all over, or in less usual places (like the hands and feet), contact your doctor, especially if you also have dark urine or pale bowel motions.

Back to Top

Stretch marks

To doctors and midwives, this is the least interesting symptom of pregnancy, but it can cause a lot of concern for women. The cause, you may think, is the size of the baby, but this isn't always the case as some women carry huge babies (even large twins) without developing stretch marks. Skin type and family history probably play a part.

What you can do

• Keep your skin well moisturised, especially on the abdomen, buttocks and thighs.
• A gentle daily massage may help. Some women like to try aromatherapy oils, but do check first that the oil you have in mind is safe for use in pregnancy. There are many including lavender, marjoram and myrrh, which should be avoided.
• If you do get stretch marks, try not to worry about it. They will fade considerably after the birth, and although they won't disappear they will turn an inconspicuous silvery colour.

Back to Top

Leg cramps

Cramps usually occur in the final months of pregnancy and can have women leaping out of bed in the middle of the night with a degree of agility they'd forgotten they possessed. The exact cause is unknown but it may be a combination of the muscles' response to the increased work of carrying a baby, together with the womb pressing on the nerves to the legs.

Ways to soothe cramps:

• Choose food rich in calcium, such as cheese and milk products.
• Stretch the calf muscles before going to bed.
• Ease the pain by stretching the calf, massaging the area, or applying a hot water bottle.

Back to Top