"Dry goods" for pregnant mothers: Help you relieve several common pains during pregnancy

As the pregnancy progresses, pregnant women's bodies undergo different changes, and pain is one of them.

In the early stages of pregnancy, pregnant women may experience early pregnancy reactions such as stomach burning pain, breast tenderness or tingling. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, they may experience discomfort such as back pain, pelvic pain, and leg cramps.

The above pain is very common during pregnancy. Here, a TCM gynecologist from Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine will show you what to do when you experience these pains during pregnancy.

1. Breast tenderness or tingling

The mammary gland undergoes secondary development during pregnancy. Under the influence of estrogen and progesterone, the breasts gradually grow larger starting from about 8 weeks of pregnancy. The color of the nipple and areola deepens, and dark brown nodules may appear around the nipple. About 4-5 months after pregnancy, some pregnant women will also secrete a small amount of clear milk, and feel tingling and itching in the breasts and nipples.

Improvement methods:

1. Timely cleaning and care are required: it helps prevent milk duct blockage and relieve breast pain and discomfort.

2. Apply a hot towel externally: it can keep the mammary ducts unobstructed and facilitate the glands to secrete milk.

3. Gently massage the breasts: helps relieve breast pain.

4. As the pregnancy weeks increase, choose underwear that is appropriate to the current size and comfortable.

2. Burning pain in the stomach

In early pregnancy, the peristalsis of gastrointestinal smooth muscles slows down under the action of progesterone and estrogen; in late pregnancy, the enlarged uterus compresses the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in prolonged retention of gastric acid. Both can cause pregnant women to experience symptoms such as nausea, bloating, abdominal distension, and burning pain in the stomach. Usually, the above symptoms gradually return to normal after delivery.

Improvement methods:

1. Eat small meals frequently every day: Eat a light and nutritious diet, and avoid greasy, raw, cold foods that may irritate the gastrointestinal tract.

2. After a meal, you should sit quietly or walk slowly for half an hour.

3. You can drink a small amount of soda water, milk and other foods every day.

4. If the above methods cannot improve the condition, if you have not eaten in the past two days or have severe vomiting, seek medical attention immediately.

3. Back pain

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the uterus of pregnant women expands significantly and the center of gravity of the body moves forward. In order to maintain balance, pregnant women can only lean back. Therefore, it is common for pregnant women to support their waists with their hands when walking, forming a body shape with the belly pushed forward and the shoulders pulled back, which is easy to cause back pain.

Improvement methods:

1. Try to maintain a correct posture during pregnancy. Because the weight of the abdomen moves the body's center of gravity forward, try to straighten your body whether walking or sitting, and do not let your spine tilt.

2. Applying hot compress to the waist and back, or gently massaging can relieve muscle tension.

3. You can also buy a suitable belly support belt.

4. Pelvic pain

Studies have found that after pregnancy, women can secrete relaxin and luteinizing hormone to relax the ligaments. The above two hormones can make the pelvis more flexible, which is not only beneficial to the development of the embryo, but also helps the delivery of the fetus. However, if the above two hormones are secreted too much, the ligaments between the pelvis will be too loose, eventually leading to excessive separation of the pubic symphysis and causing pelvic pain.

Improvement methods:

1. Reasonable exercise: Appropriate aerobic exercise, such as swimming, yoga, etc., can relax the muscles of the whole body to the greatest extent and relieve symptoms.

2. It is recommended to avoid pain caused by spreading your legs too much when sitting, turning over or spreading your legs.

3. If you have severe pelvic pain, it is recommended that you stay in bed immediately and seek medical help. You should rest in bed more often.

4. It is not recommended to stand for a long time or use one foot for too long.

5. You can use a suitable belly support belt to alleviate excessive separation.

5. Leg cramps

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, pregnant women often experience calf cramps. Cramps are actually muscle spasms, which refer to sudden, involuntary and strong muscle contractions that can cause muscle stiffness and pain.

There are three main reasons for the occurrence of symptoms: 1. Insufficient calcium supplementation during pregnancy; 2. Increased weight in the upper body and long-term weight-bearing on the leg muscles; 3. As the fetus grows, it compresses the blood vessels in the lower limbs, affecting blood and oxygen supply.

Improvement methods:

1. Massage and apply hot compress to the cramped leg muscles to relieve spasms.

2. When cramps occur, it is recommended to stand up immediately to stretch the leg muscles.

3. You can drink a small amount of soda water, milk and other foods every day.

4. Eat more foods rich in calcium ions and vitamin D. It is recommended to supplement calcium 1200 mg/day in the late pregnancy.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Tan Qiongfang and Wang Nansu, Department of Gynecology II, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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(Edited by YT)