The journey of pregnancy brings with it an array of different experiences. While you can see the obvious transformations of your body weight and belly, some changes are not visible. To provide complete nourishment to the baby, lots of chemical changes occur inside you during this time. But worry not, with the correct pregnancy home remedies you can easily get relief from them. The sudden change and discomfort that you face after pregnancy are called pregnancy discomforts and often they are hard to avoid.
While the second trimester is considered the golden period of pregnancy, the first and third trimesters are undoubtedly the period where most women go through pregnancy discomforts (1). Starting from fatigue and nausea to the swelling of legs and heartburn, all of them fall under the category of pregnancy discomforts. However, some simple pregnancy home remedies can act in your favor to easily subdue these discomforts. Here are the 20 most common pregnancy discomforts as well as their natural remedies for your help.
What is Pregnancy Discomfort?
The unpleasant feelings that you often get throughout your pregnancy due to several physical and internal turbulence are called pregnancy discomforts. Pregnancy discomforts occur during the first trimester as the reproductive hormones i.e. estrogen and progesterone rise sharply to secure the conception (2). You can feel extremely moody, tired, and nauseated as a result of this initial hormonal imbalance.
In the second trimester, you can start feeling pains in your joints and itchiness as you gradually gain weight and your baby bump stretches out. In the third trimester, these discomforts can worsen with added relatives like constipation, heartburn, and oh-so-annoying accidental pee. However, you will not necessarily have to endure all of them as there are effective home remedies to seek comfort.
20 Home Remedies to Relieve Common Pregnancy Discomforts
There are numerous pregnancy discomforts to count on. Thankfully you will not have to face all of them at a time. These are the 20 common pregnancy discomforts that may or may not occur to you. However, it is better to know how to cure them with simple pregnancy home remedies.
1. Pregnancy Toothache
Erosion of tooth enamel by exposure to gastric acids due to frequent vomiting is the primary cause of pregnancy toothache (3). Chewing cloves and garlic can ease your pain immediately. Also, a saltwater rinse is an effective remedy for managing toothaches during pregnancy.
2. Stuffy Nose
The surge in the estrogen hormone in your initial days of pregnancy can awaken the protein receptors in your nose, causing stuffy nose (4). Inhaling salt water vapour, sipping ginger tea and plenty of water can ease your nose. In addition, taking steam inhalation is a popular natural remedies for nasal discomfort.
3. Skin Pigmentation
Do not go on changing your beauty care products if you find yourself getting a shade darker during pregnancy. The rapid melanin production is responsible here (5). Turmeric, honey, and yogurt face pack will serve for you to exfoliate your natural beauty. If you are not a big fan of yoghurt then you can opt for any other remedies for pigmentation during pregnancy.
4. Heartburn
The third trimester is marked with heartburn. Thanks to your growing uterus which leaves nearly no space for your digestive organs to work freely (6). Eating in small proportions and having a sip of ginger tea will come to your rescue here. Ginger is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and is the most common natural remedies for heartburn during pregnancy.
5. Dry cough
Pregnancy hormonal changes can increase your allergic sensitivity and cause dry coughs (7). Dry coughs are annoying, especially during the third trimester when a sudden cough doesn’t come without leaking urine. Honey and ginger again come to your rescue here. However, if you are coughing multiple times during the day, it’s always best to have your medications and practice remedies for tackling dry cough alongside.
6. Hormonal Imbalance
The imbalance in your estrogen and progesterone levels is something you cannot control during pregnancy. And this hormonal imbalance is the main cause behind other pregnancy discomforts. Popular home remedies for hormonal imbalance in pregnancy include having a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a stress-free lifestyle (8). Results may not show immediately but with disciplined life choices, one can easily cure hormonal imbalance.
7. Pregnancy Acne
Excessive sebum production during pregnancy causes acne outbursts during pregnancy in some women. Applying apple cider vinegar, and baking soda paste and eating citrus fruits are effective home remedies to cure pregnancy acne (9).
8. Morning Sickness
The weakness, dizziness, and vomiting feeling that you get is one of the most common pregnancy discomforts. Ginger effectively relieves the feeling of nausea. You can take ginger as ginger tea, ginger lollipops, and ginger ale.If ginger is hot for your body then go for other natural remedies to cure morning sickness like having lemon or peppermint (10).
[Read: Morning Sickness During Pregnancy]
9. Bloating
Bloating during pregnancy occurs mainly due to the hormone progesterone which tends to slow down our muscle movements. The slow movement of intestine muscles causes slow digestion and the build-up of gas, causing bloating (11). Eating fiber-rich food, taking small quantity meals, and sufficient fluid intake are common remedies for pregnancy bloating.
10. Hair Changes
Whereas pregnancy causes long and lustrous hair for many, some can suffer from thinning of hair due to dandruff and gestational diabetes. Hair fall during pregnancy can also be caused due to medical reactions. Dandruff during pregnancy is also a common phenomenon. To fight dandruff you can apply aloe vera gel on your scalp. Coconut and tea tree oil are also effective for the same (12).
11. Skin Itching
Skin itching is a very common pregnancy discomfort. You may feel itchy around your belly at it got stretched once you progress ahead in your pregnancy. Taking an oatmeal bath and cool compress around the itchy area will soothe your irritation (13). Wear loose-fitting clothes to avoid skin discomfort. Another popular home remedy for skin itching is applying coconut oil all over the body. The antimicrobial properties of coconut oil help reduce inflammation.
12. Swollen leg
Swollen legs during pregnancy especially the third trimester when your pregnancy weight gain puts excessive pressure on your legs is a common pregnancy discomfort for all would-be mothers. Water retention during pregnancy also causes swollen knees, ankles, and feet. Elevate your feet whenever you have a swollen leg to let the blood come back upwards. As sodium tends to retain water, avoiding salt intake will also help you out (14).
13. Constipation
Progesterone that relaxes your intestine muscles to slow your bowel movement also causes constipation. Constipation during pregnancy is very common due to the growing uterus and does not harm the baby. However, the excess pressure you put to pass the stool can surely add to your discomfort. Eat more whole wheat grains and drink plenty of water to stay away from constipation (15).
14. Fatigue
Fatigue or tiredness during the initial days of pregnancy is also a result of the sudden surge in pregnancy hormones. Lower levels of iron during the last stage of pregnancy can also cause fatigue (16). Drinking lots of nutritional food and fluids as well as taking sufficient rest will make you feel stronger and keep pregnancy fatigue at bay.
15. Athlete’s foot
The excessive sweats that you get during pregnancy due to increased blood circulation and hormone levels cause athlete’s foot during pregnancy. You can treat this fungal skin infection by using tea tree oil and neem oil as both of them contain ant-fungal properties (17).
16. Vaginal Odor
A shift in the PH levels, dietary changes, and your uplifted nasal sensitivity may make you smell an odd odor from down there. Vaginal odor during pregnancy can often indicate UTIs and vaginitis (18). Drinking apple cider vinegar and cranberry juice can help you lessen this bad odor by acidifying your urine a bit.
17. Vomiting
While vomiting during pregnancy is quite common, vomiting blood may raise your concern. This can occur due to severe nausea, and inflammation in the esophagus from long-time exposure to gastric acids (19). While ginger is an effective home remedy for vomiting you should take immediate medical care in case of vomiting blood during pregnancy.
18. Veiny Breasts
As your blood volume increases by up to 50% during pregnancy, it is not abnormal to see networks of blue veins in your breasts (20). Wearing well-fit underwear and applying apple cider vinegar has positive effects in reducing veiny breasts during pregnancy for some women.
[Read: Soothe Itchy Breasts During Pregnancy]
19. Eye Twitching
Your pregnancy stress and less sleep can cause your eyes to twitch during pregnancy. Lack of minerals and vitamins in your diet can also cause spasms in your upper or lower eyelids (21). Drink lots of water, sleep tight, and eat food containing potassium and magnesium to subdue this problem. In addition, eye massage is also an age-old effective remedy for eye twitching.
20. Skin tags
Skin tags are those tiny grains like sudden growth of skin that you may find near the neck or other places that experience frequent friction. Skin tags during pregnancy are mostly painless and non-cancerous. Pregnancy weight gain and hormonal changes can help in the occurrence of skin tags (22). Applying banana peel, garlic, and tea tree oil on your skin tags can reduce them.
So, pregnancy will surely make you ride through an emotional and physical roller coaster. While some pregnancy discomforts are unavoidable some can be treated well using simple home remedies. So, if you are experiencing a number of these pregnancy symptoms then try to get some comfort through these age-old practices of home remedies. But upon having a consistent discomfort it is always good to talk it out with your doctor. So, be guarded up mamma, lots more to face in the upcoming months. Get ready.
FAQ’s
1. How Do I Get Rid Of Uncomfortable Feelings During Pregnancy?
To get rid of uncomfortable feelings during pregnancy you can sit and do some meditation. You can listen to soothing music or take a brief barefoot walk in your garden. Doing light exercises and proper sleep will also relieve your uneasiness.
2. What Are The Treatments For The Common Discomforts Of Pregnancy?
Drinking sufficient water, having 8 hours of sleep, and eating healthy food in small quantities can reduce many of the pregnancy discomforts. Avoiding lying down all the time as well as standing for too long is also necessary to subdue common pregnancy discomforts.
3. What Is The Best Home Remedy For Pregnancy?
The best home remedy to subdue multiple pregnancy discomforts is ginger. Ginger can single-handedly cure your nausea, inflammation, stuffy nose, and dry cough.
4. How Can I Make My Pregnancy Pain Go Away?
To release your pregnancy pain you can take a warm water bath. Wearing comfortable clothes and shoes, drinking sufficient water, and taking rest from time to time will make pains during pregnancy go away.
References
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- Pascual ZN, Langaker MD. Physiology, Pregnancy. [Updated 2023 May 16]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): –https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559304/
- BetterHealth Channel, Pregnancy and Teeth – https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/pregnancy-and-teeth
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- Lete I, Allué J. The Effectiveness of Ginger in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy and Chemotherapy. Integr Med Insights. 2016 Mar 31 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818021/#
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- Hashemi SA, Madani SA, Abediankenari S. The Review on Properties of Aloe Vera in Healing of Cutaneous Wounds. Biomed Res Int. 2015 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4452276/#
- Reynertson, K. A., Garay, M., Nebus, J., Chon, S., Kaur, S., Mahmood, K., Kizoulis, M., & Southall, M. D. (2015). Anti-inflammatory activities of colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa) contribute to the effectiveness of oats in treatment of itch associated with dry, irritated skin. Journal of drugs in dermatology – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25607907/#
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