Tips and Tricks for a happy pregnancy « Back to Group Discussions

[shanna-cat]

After a few pregnancies (or even just a few months being prego!) it seems like most of us come up with a few key tricks to help us out. I thought it would be fun to share our best, strange, wierd, or completely useful tips to make life a little more smooth. Here's some of mine:

-Restless Leg Syndrom I cut out sugar completely or I get RLS terribly at night. I can usually eat a little in the morning/early afternoon but after that it's no good. Taking a daily walk also helps a lot. this never really bothered me much until the third tri but it was AWFUL when it happened.

-the peeing trick!! after I go pee, while still sitting on the toilet I put my hands under my belly and lift up gently, releasing the pressure off my bladder and amazingly more pee comes out! this is great because it gives me a break from the constant need to 'go'.

-squats vs. kegels. Instead of practicing m

y kegels I do pregnancy squats to strenghten my pelvic floor and lower back muscles. this article really summed it up for me http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/stop-doing-kegels-real-pelvic-floor-advice-women-and-men

-headache remedy when i don't eat sugar i generally don't get headaches... but when i DO eat sugar they come on strong and fierce. My last two pregnancies i could sip some caffiene and they would go away, not this one. I have found putting an ice pack on the pack of my neck/lower head helped A LOT though.

Edited by shanna-cat - 1/23/13 at 1:42pm

[Tenk]

Wow, the trick for peeing, thanks for the info.  It made me laugh but it's worth a try.  I always find if I lean forward a bit after I've finished and try to go more, MORE comes out LOL.

For RLS, which I tend to get in the 3rd tri as well ... this is insane and totally NOT for everyone but I call it burning my feet.  I turn the water on hot in the tub, like scalding, and I dip the soles of my feet in it.  It doesn't really hurt but doesn't feel good, but it makes them stop feeling so tingly and I can go back to sleep.

For sleeping, I use lots of pillows to prop up all the parts that need it.

If I think of more, I'll come back and post them :)

Nice thread mama!!!
 

[JaiMaMaV]

Hi Ladies!

I'm in my second trimester of my first pregnancy and the note i just wrote down in my phone for the midwife the other day was "kegel exercises... can't do them... help!" I'm so glad to read that article... I already do squats every day, so I *hope* that'll get me through, even if I can never master the kegel!

Do I have any tips and tricks? laugh as much as humanly possible every single day. My partner is not close by at the moment, my family is not supportive of my preference for a  homebirth, and then there are the usual stresses of pregnancy and life... the only thing that gets me through - finding time to laugh (or at least smile) whenever I can. Especially when those baby kicks start jabbing me... I use that as my little reminder to smile. 

[JNajla]

Thanks for posting this shanna-cat!  I learn a lot from experienced mamas and appreciate all of the tips/ tricks :)  Thank you!  

[Espion]

I'm loving the concept for this thread!  As a novice pregnant lady, I don't have anything to add yet, but I'll definitely check back!

Does anyone have any thoughts on the crazy soreness in your legs/body after laying down for a few hours?  I don't feel crampy, but more like I've gone on a difficult 5 hour hike every night.  Like crazy muscle soreness that goes away after I've been up for awhile.  I'm drinking plenty of water...electrolytes maybe?

[littlegreenlady]

the first time around I was able to go on a three mile walk every day. Now with a toddle in the winter, not so much. In fact with a crappy first trimester (which I didn't have the first time) and a kid that attacks me any time he sees me do yoga I hardly do any extra exercise. I have to go up and down a lot of stairs and am usually walking about doing things, but its so not the same. So I've found that when I'm feeling achy (like Espion mentioned) if I do a simple stretch down to touch my toes -or attempt to at least- then I feel loads better. I do it slowly and breath deeply. I can feel things snapping back into place.

[here we are]

Bump

[FarmerMomma]

Shanna cat thanks. Pregnancy #2 and learning all the time. I tried the pee trick and love it. And bye bye kegels that I wasn't really doing anyway. Hello squats. Just gonna do some chores this way, no prob.

My tips: preaching to the choir, but I love MDC due date club. What a great place to connect to people going through the same stuff at the same time. Helps normalize so much stuff.

Love my snoogly pillow. Even got DS one to protect my belly double time.

Love my prenatal yoga class.

Warning: do not read this unless you have severe constipation and or hemmroids. I use the bath tub to birth my #2s sometimes. I run some warm water over my booty and it relaxes me enough I don't tear or hemmroid on some awful logs. This is part of why I know I want to try a water birth.

[BumkinsMum]

These are all tried and true methods to ease your body through a healthy pregnancy.

 

Natural Vitality Magnesium  Is a product for regulating bowls and helping you sleep. It helps your body digest and use dairy products.  It is also for strengthening your membranes/bag of water to help prevent P.R.O.M (premature rupture of membranes). Speaking from experience after my first labor started with PROM but none of the following after taking this all through my pregnancies. (I also was 'regular' throughout)

Epsom Salt In a bath to soak in relieves aches and pains, and also later on in pregnancy, the swelling in the extremities.

Corn Silk  In Capsules or Tincture, builds up a coating in the urinary track and helps prevent UTI's and urethra spasms caused by pressure from the babe.

Prenatal Cradle or Support belt  Is vital for those growth spurts that make your sides ache and also for RLP.

Liquid Iron Supplement  Because pregnant women NEED extra iron for the increased blood in their bodies. A lot of cravings, (especially non-edible cravings called Pica) are cause by an Iron deficiency. Taking liquid iron stopped my Pica craving for eating ice.

Fetoscope  Buy your own to have at home. There's nothing possibly harmful to the baby no matter how many times a day you listen, and it sure puts my mind at ease. I use it later on to help determine position of the babe's head by where the heartbeat is loudest.

*My disclaimer* All these methods have been advised by my Midwife and have helped me greatly through 5 healthy pregnancies. BUT these are not for every mama so please be sure to check with whomever and make sure it's all good before you try them

Edited by BumkinsMum - 1/23/13 at 6:38am

[Mama4life14]

Super idea for a thread!!! I didn't have a very eventful pregnancy the first time around. It was a textbook pregnancy, so I didn't really learn any tips or tricks that you all wouldn't know already. This pregnancy however is proving to be way different! I don't have much to add to the thread yet, but keep em all coming! I'm learning a lot if I can think of anything I'll come and add it!

[Sassicaia]

Wow, thanks so much for the holding the belly up while peeing trick. That never occurred to me the first time, and I tried it today and it totally worked! YAY!

[Espion]

Originally Posted by littlegreenlady 

the first time around I was able to go on a three mile walk every day. Now with a toddle in the winter, not so much. In fact with a crappy first trimester (which I didn't have the first time) and a kid that attacks me any time he sees me do yoga I hardly do any extra exercise. I have to go up and down a lot of stairs and am usually walking about doing things, but its so not the same. So I've found that when I'm feeling achy (like Espion mentioned) if I do a simple stretch down to touch my toes -or attempt to at least- then I feel loads better. I do it slowly and breath deeply. I can feel things snapping back into place.

I worked out last night and it made a huge difference!  Now I wish I could stop the wild and weird dreams.  (I never used to dream, so this is crazy.)  

Question, what do Braxton-Hicks feel like?  I never feel crampy, but sometimes my belly feels tight.  I walk around for a bit and it goes away.  Sometimes it happens when I'm working out/walking, etc.  I just wonder if that is what I'm feeling.    

Again, thanks for the advice everyone!

[BumkinsMum]

Braxton hicks for me feel very tight then heavy like my uterus turns into a watermelon for a moment then relaxes.  As the babe grows it will feel bigger and you will definitely know when you are having one. Sometimes they can hurt but usually it's just an achy feeling nothing sharp or scary. As your muscles continue to exercise and get stronger ready for labor they'll get more intense until finally it's birthday time!

Sudden movements like getting up quickly, or rolling over, can trigger them not to mention the baby will kick or roll over and trigger your uterus to squeeeeze.

I can always count on having a braxton hicks every time I lay on my back. I think it's probably due to the baby having to shift around in there. It's all part of your body readying for labor.
 

[pokeyAC]

How soon do women normally start having BH?  I have assume tightness has been related to everything stretching and expanding/round ligament pain, etc.  These discomforts don't usually just last a few seconds and go away though.

[FarmerMomma]

Hmmm I never thought I had any BH with first or this time. Is that me and not the baby sometimes or do some mommas never get them? I totally knew it was contractions at the end. Never any confusion there. Though I was warned of BH then.

[BumkinsMum]

BH contractions will no doubt be different for every mama and every pregnancy. Mine usually start as soon as I've got a bump to show (14-16 weeks) 

A lot of aches are caused by stretching and RLP but are blamed on BH quite often I'd imagine. I can always tell for me because BH will last 10-20 seconds then stop completely whereas stretching and growing pains will make me achy all day.

I've always thought of it as a good sign, at least my body wants to get into shape even if I don't
 

[JNajla]

What about tips for worry wart first time mamas? I honestly think that being in the healthcare field is a blessing, and a curse. Every twitch, pain, tingle has me worried sick.... :/

[JNajla]

Farmermama, I just laughed out loud at work reading the post about a warm bath to "birth your logs". As a mama with severe constipation, I appreciate your candidness and advice!

[pokeyAC]

jNajla--I would recommend listening to some guided meditations.  You can download them on your iPod or something like that.  I like Visualizing Pregnancy by Kathy Freston.  I got it on Amazon.  I listened to it while TTC, but I think it can work for pregnancy too. There are lots of other ones out there too.  Yoga is also great for relaxation and centering your mind.  Plus, you could talk to other moms-to-be who might be anxious as well.

[Tenk]

Seriously, MIRALAX, is your friend, JNajla!!  It is tasteless and odorless and you can mix it in pretty much anything.  I like to put it in my 1 cup of morning coffee and i'm usually better within a few hours.  if you're seriously constipated though you could do the lid full and add it to something before bed like warm tea maybe and you should have some relief by the next morning.  Sometimes I need to take it twice before getting relief and even then it's the beginning day 3 when I go, so not terrible.