![]() Other things you can try before going to bed are sipping warm milk or tea, taking a warm bath, or using lavender scents in your bath or lotion. Practice good sleep hygiene, such as not watching TV or looking at your phone right before you go to sleep. My sister particularly liked the Snoogle pillow, which is C-shaped and goes up under the neck, around the shoulders, and between the legs. There are a variety of body pillows you can try. Sleeping on your back is likely not comfortable, but if you want to sleep this way, it helps to shift your hips just a little to keep all the weight from being on your back. What you can do: Find the position that’s most comfortable for you to sleep in, whether it’s your left or right side. In your third trimester, sleep becomes more elusive because it’s difficult to get comfortable due to your growing belly. However, your progesterone levels off in the second trimester, returning you to peaceful slumber. In the first trimester, it’s a result of hormonal changes, specifically due to a surge of progesterone. Why it happens: Insomnia – trouble falling asleep or staying asleep – often occurs in the first and third trimesters, although for different reasons. Swelling in non-dependent parts of your body like hands and fingers may suggest the development of preeclampsia. When to be concerned: If you notice sudden swelling, asymmetric swelling – such as one leg being larger than the other – or one calf being warm or tender to the touch, see your physician right away. Or if it’s nice out, throw on some flip flops. If your shoes are starting to feel tight, wear shoes with straps you can loosen. You wouldn’t even know some of them are compression stockings! Many manufacturers are making much more stylish versions these days. ![]() If you’re picturing your grandma’s stockings, don’t worry. They help move fluids up to the heart and keep them from pooling in your legs. ![]() These can go from your feet up to your knees or mid-calves. When you need to be on your feet for a long time, wear compression stockings, or TED hose. If you elevate your feet right before bed, you’ll likely have to get up right as you’re falling into a deep sleep to use the bathroom! I recommend doing this a few hours before bed because all those fluids that you’re helping return to the heart will be filtered by the kidneys and you’ll have to pee it all out. I often tell patients to prop their feet up on a few pillows on the coffee table. While you don’t have to have them straight up, get them as high as you can. One of the best times to put your feet up is after dinner. This helps gravity pull fluids from the legs back into your circulatory system. If you have to stand for a long period of time, take a break every couple hours to sit down and put your feet up for 10 minutes. What you can do: The best thing you can do to avoid or reduce swelling is to reduce how long you’re on your feet. These are called varicose veins, and they should go back to normal after the birth of the baby. This pressure also may cause some veins to become swollen or look purple or blue. Meanwhile, your growing uterus is putting pressure on the large veins that return blood to your heart, leaving all the extra fluid to pool in your lower limbs. You also may notice swelling (edema) in other parts of your body, especially in your lower extremities, such as your feet and ankles.ĭuring pregnancy, your body produces about 60 percent more blood volume. Why it happens: When you hit 30 weeks of pregnancy, it may not just be your belly that’s swelling. Let’s take a look at eight common symptoms during the third trimester of pregnancy: What causes them, how to help relieve them, and when you should call your doctor. This topic has been on my mind more in the last few months as my sister, Toral Patel, who is a neurosurgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center, entered her third trimester and began dealing with some of these discomforts. Patients often ask me how to make the third trimester a little more comfortable. Swelling ankles, trouble sleeping, back pain, having to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes – these are all possibilities as you move into the pregnancy homestretch. Unfortunately, there may be a few uncomfortable symptoms still in store for you. Now it’s the third trimester and you’re so close to meeting baby. Congratulations! You’ve made it through the early pregnancy morning sickness and fatigue.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |