Women’s Health

Is Cramping Normal in Early Pregnancy

Is cramping normal in early pregnancy? Cramps are unpleasant, painful sensations caused by muscle contractions.

Cramps often feel like the ones you have when expecting your period; in women who are trying to conceive, it may be the sign of pregnancy. In addition, that is one of the things that many pregnant women are concerned about, especially first time mothers.

The most common reason for having cramps is expanding of the uterus and preparing the body for a baby, implantation or hormonal changes that will be happening during the early pregnancy.

A woman’s body is changing and preparing itself for a baby and it is under a lot of pressure. Some of the reasons for having cramps may also be unhealthy diet, smoking, stress etc. Cramps can also be caused by other symptoms that can appear during pregnancy such as nausea, vomiting or gastritis.

Pregnant women sometimes worry that cramping is a sign that something is not right, but, fortunately, in most cases that is not the case. It is normal to feel mild cramps or ache in your lower abdomen during the early pregnancy and low back pain or even some shooting pain in vagina or vulva. Some women who are carrying their second or third child may experience a strong pain in their groin or hip area. That kind of pain often subsides by walking.

However, you should start worrying if the cramps are intense and followed by an intense pain – or in the worst case – bleeding. Sadly, cramping might be a sign of a miscarriage, too. Severe pain, especially on one side, that you have experienced joined with cramps that lasted more than 24 hours, could also be a sign of ectopic pregnancy.

If you want to sooth cramps, you can take a warm bath or a shower; also, you can do a mild exercise. Exercise will help you during the pregnancy and might moderate or even prevent unwanted cramps. Resting, staying in bed, short walks, massages, swimming, reasonable input of fluid and vitamins are some of the methods that can help you in preventing cramps.

Many women do not pay attention on cramps of mild intensity and consider that they will pass by themselves, or take medications on their own. Regardless of the intensity of a pain or cramps – whether they’re followed by bleeding or not – it is necessary to see a doctor and do an examination or ultrasound.

How to Recognize the Symptoms of Appendicitis in Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you would probably like to know how to recognize the symptoms of appendicitisin pregnancy and prevent complications. Since abdominal pain and discomfort are quite common problems occurring in some point during pregnancy, some women find it difficult to make the difference between different types of abdominal pain.

Sometimes abdominal pain is not severe and in many cases it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong. That is why some women ignore the pain and start to worry only if the pain becomes strong and severe. But you shouldn’t wait for that long. We are not saying that you should be worried and concerned all the time during your pregnancy. But you should definitely go to regular checks and should not hesitate to contact your doctor in case you have any questions or problems.

Appendicitis causes pain in the right quadrant of lower abdomen. The pain is very persistent and doesn’t go away. There is the difference between appendicitis pain and common pregnancy pain in the abdomen. Appendicitis pain doesn’t feel like cramps. In the beginning, appendicitis pain is mild. Later it gets stronger and stronger. Finally, in some point it will become quite severe. You will feel it somewhere near your pelvic bone. If you touch the painful body part, the pain will get stronger. Another thing that is very important to mention is that appendicitis in pregnancy often causes vaginal bleeding. Some women may think that vaginal discharge is not so strange occurrence during pregnancy. But if you are having severe abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding (or light bleeding) along with the pain, you should see your doctor.

Other pregnancy problems like vomiting and nausea are also symptoms of appendicitis, so they can easily be mistaken. If you experience fever that lasts for quite some time, that could be an indicator that you may have appendicitis.

What are the Risks of Shingles during Pregnancy

What are the risks of shingles during pregnancy? If you are pregnant, you probably have many concerns. You have to take extra care in order to prevent an infection or other illness. IT is extremely important that you are healthy in this period. There are infections that can be transmitted from mother to fetus.

Some infections can be passed to the baby during labor. So you should be well informed about different types of infections and take up some measures to prevent them. Shingles (herpes zoster) is caused by visors (also called herpes zoster virus). If a pregnant woman gets infected anytime during her pregnancy, it could harm fetus.

In some cases, fetus defects may develop. But when it comes to shingles developing during pregnancy, many experts have agreed that the risk of baby defects or any other harm – is very low. It is possible to get shingles during pregnancy. Still, this doesn’t happen very often. If it does happen, the treatment for shingles during pregnancy is the same as treatment for women who are not pregnant.

Shingles treatment is carried out with antiviral medications. These are quite safe to use during pregnancy, so there is no reason to be worried. Although these medications haven’t been tested on pregnant women, they have been tested on pregnant animals and it seems that they are very safe and leave no harmful consequences. Since shingles can be very painful condition, treatment may also include some medicines for pain relieving. But if you are pregnant, keep in mind that some pain medicines should not be used during pregnancy, so never take any of them without previous talk to your physician. If you are having any doubts, fears or questions, call your doctor and find out everything you need to know. That is the right thing to do in order to be safe and protect yourself and the baby.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms in Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or planning to conceive, this article will be useful to you since vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms in pregnancy can sometimes develop into severe condition that can harm not only the mother but the baby as well.

Deficiency of vitamin B12 in pregnant women can be caused by several factors. Drinking too much alcohol can be one of them. Some drugs like Metformin (in those with diabetes) can lead to deficiency of this vitamin. There are also some types of parasites that can cause vitamin B12 deficiency.

The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiencyin pregnant women are not so different than those in other people, but can have different consequences because pregnant women have greater need for this vitamin. If the symptoms are still mild, they will include digestive problems like constipation or diarrhea; general weakness; stomach discomfort, sickness, paleness and tongue soreness.

Pregnant women need more vitamin B12 than those who are not pregnant, which is logical. In some cases B12 deficiency can turn into a very serious condition and this is why you have to control your B12 levels during pregnancy. If you recognize this problem in time, your chances for successful treatment will be greater. Pregnant women should pay extra attention to their diet. They should consume foods rich in vitamin B12. If there is still no sufficient amount of B12 in the body, your doctor will prescribe the right treatment. This can also include the supplements intake, but do not consume any of those before you consult your physician.

It is very important to detect B12 deficiency in time, while it is still a minor thing. If it turns into a serious deficiency, the chances for complications are higher. This must be prevented because it can affect the baby’s health.