Pregnancy is fantastic, at least in my opinion. After experiencing loss and quite some time TTC, everything that comes with pregnancy feels worth it to me. But the fact is, there are pregnancy symptoms that are just no fun. Symptoms that we could happily do without. That’s why I thought I’d share some tips for the unwanted pregnancy symptoms so that maybe we can make these nine months a little easier.
These tips come from my midwife, my own personal experience, and the advice from other mamas out there.
Pregnancy Symptoms That Just Aren’t Fun
Morning Sickness
I was lucky that I didn’t actually get sick every day, but I did feel nauseas a lot of the time during my first trimester. Check out these tips to relieve morning sickness:
- Eat crackers and very small meals. My doctor even suggested just one bite can help with feeling nauseas.
- Fill an ice cube tray with gatorade and suck on the ice after it freezes. This can help keep you hydrated if you are having trouble keeping food down.
- Preggie pops are a life saver! These little hard candies are made with essential oils that help keep nausea at bay.
- Suck on sour candies.
- Drink ginger tea or lemon ginger tea.
Heartburn
At the beginning of the second trimester, heartburn began for me. It was terrible. I thought I had had heartburn before, but no — that was nothing compared to this. It didn’t matter what I ate or what time of day it was. Sometimes, I felt like I was going to throw up it hurt so bad. Learn what helped me:
- Don’t lay down after eating.
- Take out or reduce these foods from your diet: tomato based foods, coffee, chocolate, fried foods, greasy foods, and garlic.
- Drink a glass of milk.
- My midwife prescribed Zantac for me. I take it two times a day, and it has helped so much. In fact, if I forget to take it I know immediately because the heartburn returns!
- Try Tums. Some suggest getting the chewy kind because they taste better. Be sure to talk to your doctor about taking Tums. Do not take more than the recommended amount. I have a friend who was eating around 10 Tums a day and ended up getting kidney stones from it.
- Eat small meals every two hours limiting your intake of sugar and carbs.
Leg Cramps and Restless Legs
My second trimester brought leg cramps at night. After drinking more water and stretching, my leg cramps got better. I had them less and less until my third trimester began and they started back up. I also had restless legs when traveling in the car or when very tired but unable to sleep. See what people suggest for these pregnancy symptoms:
- Take a warm bath for at least 10-20 minutes immediately before bed. Massage your legs while in the bathtub.
- Eat two cuties a day to keep leg cramps away.
- Stretch before bed.
- Add epsom salts to your warm bath. Epsom salts have magnesium, and a lack of magnesium is a common reason we get leg cramps.
- Drink lots of water.
- Get prenatal massages as often as you can afford.
- Pickle juice. I can vouch for this tip! In the middle of a really bad cramp, chug some pickle juice and the cramp will ease almost immediately.
Swelling
I’m at the beginning of my third trimester and I haven’t experienced this yet. I’m hoping I’ll get through without it, but that might not be the case the closer I get to due day. Check out these tips from other mamas who have experienced this pregnancy symptom:
- Elevate your feet whenever sitting.
- Take a warm bath or soak your feet with epsom salts.
- Some say walking helped more than elevating their feet. Try going for a walk every day.
- Drink plenty of water. Try eating lots of watermelon as another way to stay hydrated.
- Cut carbonated beverages out of your diet completely.
- Have your husband give you a foot rub.
Inability to Sleep and Lack of Energy
Sleeping has definitely been a struggle for me at times, and of course, there have been days or even weeks where I just felt exhausted all the time. My body is definitely not used to growing another human! Check out these tips for getting sleep and staying energized:
- Get a body/pregnancy pillow! This is my number one tip, and it just so happens that every other mama I talked to mentioned this tip too. I use the Leachco Back N’ Belly Contoured Body Pillow, which works great for me because I roll back and forth all night. Find the right pillow for you and it can make a huge difference!
- Try to take a short nap in the middle of the day if possible. It can make a big difference on your energy levels. Even if you can’t actually nap, having rest time is so important. Lay down or sit down — read a book, watch TV — whatever it is that is restful to you.
- Remind yourself to slow down. Your body is going through major changes, and you just can’t do everything you could before. Give yourself grace and allow yourself to slow down. Remind yourself it is for the health of your baby.
Back Pain
I’ve had a lot of back pain throughout my pregnancy. Sometimes it’s so bad I can hardly walk. It’s even caused problems with sleeping. Here are the things that have helped me:
- Get a pregnancy pillow that can support your back. See my recommendation above.
- Use a maternity support belt, especially when doing a lot of standing or walking. Here is the one I have!
- Do stretches throughout the day or at least before bed at night.
- Try a prenatal yoga class or follow along with some youtube videos at home.
- Get prenatal massages — it’s heaven.
- When sitting for long periods — whether on road trips, sitting at your desk, or wherever — stand up and take breaks. Walk around a little to stretch your legs and back.
- When standing for long periods, take breaks and sit down for a bit.
What other pregnancy symptoms have you experienced? What did you do to ease or relieve them?
Check out some of my other pregnancy posts:
Follow my Pregnancy Pinterest board for tons of other great tips!