I am in my 8th month and I have very swollen hands, feet and face. The doctor asked me to monitor my blood pressure regularly (which is normal), and the urine tests also did not show that the swelling could be due to toxemia. What is happening to me;
During pregnancy, many changes take place in the woman's body, both metabolically and hormonally.
The biggest changes concern the 2nd trimester of pregnancy and need good medical monitoring.
The swelling first needs good clinical laboratory investigation before it is characterized as a mild fluid retention due to overloading of the venous system as the fetus itself presses on the inferior vena cava with increased peripheral edema.
Before I got pregnant I was a heavy smoker and now I'm trying to quit but I've only managed to get it down to five or six cigarettes a day. Is there any amount that is considered "safe" in pregnancy?
Unfortunately smoking has been blamed for many diseases with the most important being malignant changes (cancer) and heart disease.
In pregnancy it has significant negative effects such as fetal abnormalities residual development, toxemia (pressure in pregnancy with edema and albumin in the urine) and many others.
Smoking cessation begins before the woman becomes pregnant and is of course prohibited during pregnancy, which means that there is no safe limit of daily cigarette consumption.
Is it true that taking a hot bath or vigorous walking can speed up labor? I'm already 40 weeks and I want to finally give birth!
In general, mild exercise during pregnancy helps to improve the outcome of childbirth.
Walking is also a type of exercise that should of course be done in moderation depending on the condition of each pregnant woman and of course with the instructions of her doctor.
At the end of pregnancy, it is ideal to have a constant temperature during the bath because too cold but also too hot can have negative effects on the outcome of the pregnancy with the intense vasoconstriction or vasodilation they cause respectively.
It has been proven that the onset of labor after 40 weeks can be helped by the sweep an stretch examination by the gynecologist, by sexual contacts and by mild exercise.
Is it safe to use insect repellent during the summer while pregnant?
Pregnancy is a different situation in our lives because we make decisions not only for ourselves but also for the fetus we are carrying.
Whatever we use, be it medicines or creams and insect repellents, we must read the instructions for use and see if they are allowed to be used during pregnancy.
In many insect repellents, it is not clear whether their use is safe during pregnancy, so caution is needed.
Is there anything I should watch out for in my diet to avoid dehydration and heartburn since I will be going through the last months of pregnancy in the summer?
A smart way to avoid heartburn is to eat small meals with simultaneous intake of water and juices at regular intervals every 2-3 hours.
Fruits in the summer are a good ally against dehydration, but pay attention to those with a high caloric value and amount of glucose, such as watermelon and melon, which must be consumed in moderation.
