I also have a video on this same topic:

What are Charlie Horses?

It’s just a muscle contracting hard in one spot. We’re not exactly sure why they happen (or why pregnancy makes them more frequent), but we know they can be very painful and annoying (especially at night — which is often when we find them).

What Prevents Charlie Horses in Pregnancy?

These prevent leg cramps in most people — but there are some special considerations in pregnancy (which is why you’re here with The Pregnancy Nurse).

Stretch

I am a huge fan of prenatal yoga and one of the BIG reasons is that keeping your muscles stretched can help prevent these cramps. Be sure to focus on lower body — hips, legs, calves.

If it’s really been a problem I might look up a video on just calf stretches that you can do before bed.

** You can actually get Charlie horses all over your body — but calves is the most frequent spot. If you’re having them on other spots stretch those areas. Some people think ligament pains are similar to charlie horses << read that whole article if you think you’re having charlie horses on your abdomen!

I think it’s smart to mention to your provider any big pains that you’ve been having including Charlie Horses — so they can help you improve them.

Listening to your body is such an important part of trying to prevent these. I’m also a big fan of listening to baby — if you’re in your 3rd trimester (or close to it) be sure to grab my kick count cheat sheet to make sure you’re doing them right.

Remain Active

It’s really easy to just do the bare minimum during pregnancy. And I’m not here to tell you to start up a giant fitness program at this phase in your life. But doing what you’ve done all along can be helpful.

Adding a short walk after dinner can help that lower body stay limber. It’s good for you, and might even help you sleep better.

Huge fan of staying active in pregnancy!

Want to know more healthy pregnancy tips? — check out these posts:

• Pregnancy, Tylenol® & Autism: What Expecting Moms Need to Know
• Signs You’re Ready to Be Induced
• What to Do If You are in Pain During Pregnancy
• Avoid Tearing at Delivery: 3 things you can do.
• Allergies During Pregnancy: What’s Safe and What’s Not

Calcium & Potassium.

Muscles use calcium and potassium to work. Adding these into your diet can sometimes help make sure all of that is available to your body. For me, I tried to eat a bananas at least every other day (potassium) and a Tums now and then (calcium). Heartburn or not (although, frankly — often there for heartburn)….

Obviously, there are lots of sources for both of these important minerals, any question ask your provider!

A note on electrolyte drinks:

Electrolyte drinks have gotten a lot of push lately. Some people swear by them. I even have a post on if Gatorade is safe during pregnancy. The reality is that a lot of these drinks have a fair amount of sugar, and maybe too much sodium (which can be a contributor to preeclampsia or hypertension in some people). Personally, I drink filtered tap water, I don’t recommend distilled water (because the minerals are out of that) and try to eat a varied diet.

If I work out hard and am especially sweaty, and maybe craving a sweet drink I’ll add some electrolytes to my water. It’s a rare occasion — more of a treat for getting so sweaty.

As a reminder electrolyte drinks aren’t regulated like drugs. You can’t be sure how much of what is in it and what else they have added. I think we should be more careful with them than we are.

However, our body most often pees out any electrolytes that aren’t necessary — so that’s the good news.

Hydration

While we’re here talking about beverages — making SURE that you are hydated is a huge key.

I know they say 8 giant glasses of water — but honestly, that’s sort of hard to know.

For me, the key is making sure that pee is a nice pale shade of yellow (if you have a white toilet — it gets tougher if your toilet is tinted).

I have some friends who want “clear” urine and I’m here to remind you that your body is always going to excrete bilirubin in the urine (that’s what makes it yellow) and I don’t think that’s a viable goal.

From someone who’s peeked at urine samples from thousands of women — you’re looking for a pale shade of yellow. That compensates for how much you’re sweating (important for a nurse here in Phoenix), and what your body needs.

If that urine is a darker yellow drink up!

I don’t hear this tip a lot, because most people want to pretend that there’s a magic number for everyone. But, I’m here being practical for you (as I can’t remember how many glasses I’ve had at any point). Your body can guide you. Want more practical tips? Join me in here!

Magnesium

I hear this tip a LOT — and I’ve actually started taking magnesium as I take my journey through perimenopause over here. However, I do it under the care of my provider. He was very helpful in talking through the….

Type of Mageniusm — there are a few different types, and they can each have their own benefits/risks. Some can make your stools softer, or too soft. So, be sure to discuss with them how much and what kind of supplement you should be taking (if any). I will say that mine has also sort of chilled me out and helped me sleep better. So, it’s been a win for me (but talk with your doctor).

The Dosage — I know that many providers have feelings about how much is too much — so talk with them!

Some people feel weird asking providers questions like this — but it’s AOK to say “I’ve been having leg cramps and I heard magnesium might help — do you think that’s safe for me and the baby?” Asking question is a PRO move in pregnancy, so starting on small things like this can help you feel more confident as the questions get a bit tougher.

Want to know more about feeling confident & ready? — check out these posts:

• Secret Keys to Labor that No One Talks About
• How to Feel Confident Making Choices During Labor
• The Three Biggest Mistakes Labor Patients Make—And How to Prevent Them
• Month-by-Month Pregnancy Timeline & To Do List

Good Shoes

You may need to bid an fond farewell to your heels for the rest of pregnancy. They can put a lot of pressure on your calves that might make these nightly terrors worse.

Or, at least save them for a special occasion.

The good news? I’ve had these like CRAZY with all of my pregnancies, but they went away afterwards. You can see those heels again once you’re not pregnant.

Compression Socks

Compression socks can help return any extra fluids to your body. They can be a big help in this issue. There are so many cute ones available any more, and you can get a smaller or a harder compression depending on your needs.

Any question about these ask your provider, but I have a whole article on how compression socks can be helpful and when to start wearing them.

Even as a nurse I wore compression socks to work — just made my 12 hour shifts more bearable — even not pregnant! Lots of people wear them, we just don’t talk about them much. They can be really helpful though! I also wear them to Disneyland!

What to do when you get a Leg Cramp?

This is going to focus on calf cramps, but the same things can be true for other muscle cramps.

Flex Don’t Point — You gotta stretch that muscle out. Pointing your toe will make it worse. Sometimes the pain is so much you can’t flex it — so you might need to get out of bed and use your weight to help it flex.

And yes — I’m with you that these absolutely suck. I’m sorry it’s just one more weird pregnancy symptom we could do with out. It does seem like mother nature has it out for pregnant patients!

For some people that stretching will be enough — but for some people the muscle while not contracting as hard is still very painful. If that is the case:

Walk around for a bit — these will help the muscle work out the lactic acid that has built up from it working so hard (needlessly). Grab a little water to help stay hydrated and help wash that out!

Heat or cold can help too — I recommend a microwaveable heating pad so you can fall asleep safely with it on your leg (and it will cool). Make sure that you have ice wrapped in a dish towel so you don’t freeze your skin too. We don’t need that! Personally, I prefer heat — but everyone is different, and I see both recommended.

Also, if you find them common having a quick stretching session before bed can help prevent them.

I am also here to remind you that you can absolutely cherish this baby and the life you’re going to build, and also hate pregnancy and all the weird things (like this) that come upon your body during pregnancy. It’s not cool and we don’t have to love it.

BUT hopefully, the tips in this article will help you manage them better.

Want more tips to manage your third trimester, labor, birth & postpartum better — check this out. I think you’ll find it super helpful!

What are YOU doing for your charlie horses? Tell us in the comments so we can learn together!

The post Charlie Horses in Pregnancy: What you can do to prevent them? appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

While you’re here be sure to grab my organized before delivery checklist:

The first question:

Is it safe pain?

Some pains should be sending us right into the doctor’s office, or into the hospital.

While it’s definitely important to talk with your provider about what to watch for YOU in your situation, here are a few questions to ask:

Are these contractions, and am I before 36 weeks? — if so, call provider or go into L&D

Has this pain suddenly gotten worse? That may need to trigger a phone call — especially if it lasts long

Does the pain have any other symptoms like a fever, burning when you pee, sudden fatigue or shortness of breath etc — if so, that triggers a call to your provider or a visit to L&D.

Again, I’d encourage you to ask your provider about problem signs specific to YOU and YOUR pregnancy.

While there are a lot of very NORMAL pains of pregnancy, it doesn’t mean we can’t work to make them better.

Want to know more about pregnancy pains? — check out these posts:

• Bladder Infections in Pregnancy
• 5 Fixes for Groin Pain During Pregnancy
• Sleeping During Pregnancy: Tips by Trimester
• What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like
• How to Sit in an Office Chair During Pregnancy

Ok, now that we’ve gotten past that part — it’s important to ask yourself:

Do you want to know if this is NORMAL or if it needs to be FIXED?

I think (once we know it’s “safe”) this is the most important question to ask yourself.

Some pains aren’t that bad — but you worry something is wrong. Things like cramping, short stabbing pains that are tolerable but it sort of feels like your uterus is ripping out of your body….

So, if that’s the case ask your provider if they’re normal.

However, some of the pains we have are affecting our day to day life and can really be problematic.

At that point you want a fix, or at least an attempt at a fix.

This is your reminder that your provider is really there for your health and safety, but does not know all the tips to fixing all the aches and pains of pregnancy. They will need to refer you out, and likely it will take some work on you end to get an appointment and then do the stretches they recommend. This isn’t a quick fix — but you may be wanting to seek for help. And honestly, it may not get all that much better, but if it’s worth a try for you, it should be worth a try for them.

They may have a “first line” of defense to help you in the office — things like some specific stretches to try, a pregnancy belly band, heating packs, in specific spots, etc. Often providers will try those first to maybe fix the problem and safe you the time/effort of finding someone else.

However, sometimes you do need someone else!

People they can refer you to help (there is likely more than this, but these are what I thought of first):

• Physical therapy
• Chiropractor
• Massage

I hear some people saying they went to the physical therapist (one visit) and say “it didn’t help at all” and that’s not what we’re even hoping for with this. It’s likely going to take:

• Changes in your lifestyle, how you do specific movements may need to change and adjust
• It may take multiple visits
• Visiting a few of those people (aka Physical Therapist and a massage therapist)
• You doing work on the days you’re not going in.

I recently had a pretty bad issue, and I was shocked that it took almost a full week of doing the stretching (which hurt a LOT) for it to really show improvement, but then it rapidly started to get better and I felt better by about 10 days in.

I sort of just had to believe she knew what she was doing…. which was hard for this nurse.

And now I do those stretches a few times/month to stay limber, and not have the problem again later on.

However, I know a lot of people feel like…

My Doctor Ignores My Pain — What do I do?

You have to remember that doctors are busy, and the reality is that almost every patient that comes to see them (especially anyone in the third trimester) is experiencing pain.

There is no way for them ascertain how much the pain hurts (and if you’re willing to put the work in to fix it as I mentioned above) and if it’s working taking the time to get you into someone else.

The words that I think really help are:

This is really affecting my daily life, I’m not able to do the things I need to do — who can help me?

I know that sort of sounds dramatic — but I think sometimes it takes that type of talk to make things happen, unfortunately.

If me helping you know the words to say helps you out — check out this. It has a whole provider communication video that can help like this!

Hopefully, when you use words like that your doctor will take the time to see what they can do.

Keep in mind that if you come to the next appointment and haven’t made your appointment with the provider or done their stretches, that makes them wonder if referring you to someone really helps — so I can only strongly recommend you start the ball rolling on your end.

The other bad news I hear a lot is that physical therapists in their area are booked. I’d still encourage you to make an appointment, and maybe call around to see if there is anyone else they could recommend.

It’s tricky because I think a chiropractor can be VERY helpful, but some chiropractors practice so far out of their practice (aka, let me talk about how to deliver your baby) it’s hard for OBGYN’s to refer them out. But, I wouldn’t hesitate to send you to a good one, they are great and manipulating your bones and I think can even be a great compliment to a physical therapist.

You want to look for a chiropractor who is trained in the Webster method. That’s a special certification for pregnancy help (as far as I understand it

And honestly, if you don’t need a referral, you might just start asking around to see if anyone you know has one they liked…. Just know it sometimes takes a few providers before you find the one that’s right for you.

Let me just summarize it in a few points:

1. Decide if you want to know if it’s normal or if you need a fix.
2. Try the first line of defense and see if those are helping
3. Ask your provider for a referral out to get more help if necessary.
4. Be aware that not all pains can be fixed, but hopefully someone can help you manage it better.

Honestly, learning how to navigate the healthcare system is hard. It’s almost like a foreign country.

The bad news is that the hospital will also be quite tricky — which is why everyone needs to get a birth class in.

I recommend this one. It can be done in just a few hours and is such a good foundation for moving through the rest of your pregnancy, labor, birth and life after baby!

The post What to Do If You are in Pain During Pregnancy appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

Before we get started, prodromal labor is definitely a great time to pack those bags. Grab my hospital packing list here:

We’re only talking about TERM labor (after 36-37 weeks). Anything prior to that is PRETERM labor, and even if it’s “prodromal” we don’t want it to progress so please contact your provider or head into the hospital if you’re experiencing labor signs. There are things we can give you to stop it to allow baby to develop more in the womb!

What is Prodromal Labor?

I see a lot of people saying that it’s “false labor” — and while I wouldn’t really categorize it as “true” labor it isn’t to say that our contractions aren’t doing anything.

Sometimes they are — and we’re going to talk about that next — but usually prodromal labor is when your contractions get going for a bit and then either space out or peter out and go away.

It. is. wildly. annoying.

I get it, it feels like our body is attacking us, and I think prodromal labor is a reason a lot of people ultimately ask to get induced because it just feels like false start, after false start.

But, what if I was here to tell you that’s just the last few weeks of pregnancy?

You’re likely going to have a LOT of false starts. Maybe prodromal labor is just part of the fun. Maybe we ride the waves, and don’t really think anything til’ the contractions progress.

Remember, heading into true labor you’ll see:

• Stronger (more painful)
• Closer together
• Most often lasting longer.

Often those prodromal labor contractions don’t last a full minute — and they’ll slowly get closer to 60 seconds.

I know that is easier said than done, but I see so many people trying to PUSH their body into labor online doing fruitless, and often painful, things to push themselves into labor.

Wishing those things worked — check out these posts (and the studies that debunk them):

• When Should I Start Drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea?
• What is Stripping Membranes? (Membrane Sweep)
• Sleeping Positions to Induce Labor: Best Positions to Dilate
• Why Does Eggplant Induce Labor?

What about those contractions that do nothing?

So, when you’re dehydrated your uterus is “irritable” meaning it’s just sort of cranky. Most people just feel cramping and kind of gross.

But, dehydration is definitely a part of what people call prodromal labor… which begs the question…

Can You Avoid prodromal labor?

The main thing is to make sure you’re drinking enough water. I tried to do that mostly before dinner so I wasn’t peeing all night.

However, a BIG time for prodromal labor is that bedtime hours. SO often people will have contractions, likely after a long day of hauling their body around and not being as kind to ourselves as we should (definitely guilty of that here).

That happened to me, so I’d drink a big glass of water just to make sure that wasn’t the culprit (because even if I was peeing, at least I wasn’t in fruitless pain, peeing).

I would often have patients feel like if they didn’t drink water it could push them into labor — but instead you’re just making that uterus (and likely you) more irritable — so make sure you stay hydrated.

Another tip — while not exactly avoiding it is to just sort of ignore it.

You can treat the “symptoms” aka —

• Take a warm bath (or shower) to help you relax
• Use a heating pad if it hurts somewhere in particular (just not over your belly)
• Do some light stretching to help those tight hips

But the more we play into “is this it?” the worse it ends up being for us.

My tip is to ignore it as long as you can…. and once you can’t really ignore it, maybe it is it!

What to do in early labor to help labor progress?

Besides ignoring it, and treating the symptoms is what I ALWAYS call-in the first line of defense…

A lot of people love the miles circuit. However, there is no evidence on it (or, frankly studies) and if you’re hating some of the positions I 100% tell you to stop. But, some of them might feel good, and I think movement is always a good thing, if it’s feeling good.

I’ve heard a lot of anecdotal evidence about curb walking as well — especially in early labor.

My tip — get on a phone call with a good friend, and do 30 minutes of it, making sure to switch sides every 5 minutes or so. BUT, if it’s really hurting, stop.

Remember, going into “true” labor there has to be an agreement between:

• The baby — it’s developed enough to come
• Your brain — you’re in a safe space to let this happen
• Your uterus — it’s time to get that baby OUT

Of course, this system doesn’t always work perfectly (looking at you preterm labor) but that’s the basic idea of thought.

Want to know more labor tips — check out these posts:

• Avoid Tearing at Delivery: 3 things you can do.
• Why Labor Pain Can Feel So Different For Each Person
• 5 Simple Tips for a “Natural” Labor & Delivery
• Mistakes You’re Making That Makes Labor Longer
• Is an Induction More Painful than “Regular Labor”

Anything else you can do?

Studies don’t show a single thing will kick you into labor ASAP…. but there are things you can be doing in your last month of pregnancy to prepare your cervix. I have a whole post about it, including more info on the studies behind all four things:

In case you’re just curious, but don’t want to really click through the 4 things are:

• Sex
• Pumping
• Primrose Oil
• Dates

Again, the idea is to start these things a few weeks before your due date — with the consent of your doctor. Some of those things are NOT good for everyone, especially anyone with mental health concerns or platelet issues needs to be careful with primrose oil. Be sure to talk with your provider before starting them (can I say that enough?).

Plus, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t do all of them. Pick and choose which ones seems appealing or doable in your already busy and very tiring life during that last month of pregnancy.

Hey, if you’re in your 3rd trimester don’t miss my prep pack:

What to do in early labor?

It’s a great question, and one that I see a lot of people get wrong.

Let’s start off with what NOT to do:

• Obsessively time the cramps (especially if they’re not painful enough to take your breath away)
• Call everyone you know and say you’re in labor.
• Lay in bed in one spot just feeling miserable

Honestly, there is an art to early labor at home. I think it’s one of the most important thing to set your hospital birth up for success — because, as an L&D RN I firmly believe that the BEST place for you to be in early labor is at home — not the hospital. It allows you to stay comfortable, and likely progress with less issues due to that comfort.

I have a whole chapter on those early contractions, and what to do at home (and what partners can do to help) in here. I can’t recommend it enough, you need that lessons, along with the rest to really have an amazing birth.

Even if you think you’re in early labor it’s not too late for that class. Because it’s only 3 hours you really do have time to get started — great news, right!

However, since you’re here — let me give you 3 things to do:

Rest: So many people are busy doing that miles circuit and getting miserable they ignore the fact that rest is such a benefit as your body is heading into an important job. I can promise you that true rest isn’t going to stop your body going into labor (I’m talking about sleeping — not laying their “resting your eyes” — like my mom used to do).

Eat: I’m not talking a full steak, I’m saying every couple of hours fuel your body with a snack that includes both carbs and protein. I have a whole nutrition bonus video in here that helps with that too.

Move: When you’re not actually sleeping move your body. Now, that can be turning side to side if you’re feeling miserable, or it can be getting on all 4’s and cleaning your shower depending on your energy level.

One of the best things partners can do in early labor is to get those snacks already and help you move every 30 minutes or so (and help you clean that shower if you’re trying that). Partner tips are in there too!

My three other tips:

1. Don’t get frustrated with yourself, it will come — patience is hard, but a real need here.
2. If you’re just miserable and want labor to come, talk with your provider about an induction (if you’re past 39 weeks) — I’m glad we have that choice
3. Be kind to yourself. This is confusing and miserable and you deserve credit for moving through it.

The good news is that baby should be here soon!

I want you to have the best birth you can hope for — come join me in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples where we prep you for your upcoming hospital birth (plus laboring at home, and managing life postpartum) in just a few hours. It truly is the EASY way to do it!

What are you going to try in this article? Let me know in the comments!

The post Prodromal Labor: What is it and how to avoid it? appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

FYI, in addition to being a nurse for so darn long, I also had kidney stones with my last baby — so I really understand how miserable and annoying these are. I’m right there with you.

FYI: Bladder infections are also called UTI’s (urinary tract infections)….

Signs of a Bladder Infection

The main signs are (and these can be very different than what you’d see when you’re NOT pregnant — even if you’ve had them before signs may be different while you’re pregnant).

Fever – A fever is normally anything over 100.4 — but if you’re feeling chills, night sweats or that backache you often get with a fever I’d take note.

Feeling Like You Have to Pee All the Time – Even right after you’ve gone, you may feel like you have to go again. Sometimes you just want to pitch a tent on the toilet. This isn’t fun at all.

I know that pregnancy can make you feel this way, but it would be more than normal. Especially when accompanied by….

Burning When You Pee – When you pee and right after you may have a burning sensation in your bladder and urethra. For me, it was always worst right when I was done peeing.

You may also have some lower abdominal pain, some small contractions, sometimes back pain as well. But those 3 above are the worst ones.

There’s also the possibility of blood in your urine or it smelling off. All things to take note of.

FYI, if you’re later in pregnancy, usually the symptoms are even worse. And if that’s you — be sure to get a birth plan going too (as if you didn’t have ENOUGH on your plate so far, right?).

Bladder Infections in Pregnancy?

Bladder infections are different in pregnancy:

More Frequent

Due to changes in your “flora”, increased discharge, and increased blood flow to that area you’re more likely to have bladder infections.

It’s a real bummer because with pregnancy they also tend to be more painful and can also be….

Problematic

Bladder infections can start preterm labor. Your bladder is ornery, so your uterus wants to get in on it as well.

In fact, most often when people come in with preterm labor we always check their urine, to make sure a bladder infection isn’t the culprit.

Other Urinary Issues

Beyond a bladder infection, there are other things that can happen in that area:

Kidney Stones – As I mentioned above I had them during my last pregnancy. Again, due to increased blood flow, and changes how the kidneys filter urine you are more likely to have them during pregnancy. This is often really serious and painful back pain (but can have the other symptoms above as well).

Kidney Infections – Normally, these come with a fever and some pretty severe back pain, plus the other symptoms mentioned. This can be really serious and needs to be looked at ASAP.

What Should You Do?

If you think you have a bladder or kidney infection you should call your provider. Most often they’ll just have you give a urine sample at the office to check it.

If it’s after office hours, they will likely say to do it in the AM — which is usually fine unless you’re having:

• Severe Symptoms
• Contractions with it

If you feel like it’s too much, you can ask them if you can be seen as the hospital. Depending on how far along you are, they may see you in labor and delivery.

Labor and delivery sees a LOT of bladder infections. Sometimes people just come in thinking they’re in labor or just feeling “weird” — so it is a normal thing for us.

Treatment for Bladder Infections

Most often you need antibiotics for a true bladder infection. You can have bladder spasms or other issues that don’t involve bacteria you can treat in other ways — but a true infection needs antibiotics from a provider.

Most often they’ll test your urine, and may send it for a culture where they will test what antibiotics will kill whatever bacteria it is.

One sort of weird thing is that if you have a bladder infection the BEST thing you can do is drink a lot. Yes, you’ll have to pee more, but your bladder will be less ornery with you. This wasn’t intuitive for me (I wanted to pee LESS) — but when I drank more, I did feel better. This isn’t going to fix it though.

If the infection is super painful, ask your provider if there is anything you can take.

I also have a whole article on bladder infections on my sister site that goes into some other home treatments.

How to Prevent Bladder Infections in Pregnancy

If you’re reading this and would like to prevent them — that’s super smart!

Good Hygiene – Make sure you’re wiping well, keeping the area clean. Most providers recommend just water and your hand (no soap).

Stop Extras – If you’re using things like lotions, soaking in bubble baths, or something similar in that area — stop it. They can be very triggering for infections.

Good Undies – You may need to switch out the underwear you’re used to wearing to something more breathable. A nice 100% cotton pair (affiliate link) is smart.

Stay Hydrated – Dehydration can set-off a series of issues, so staying hydrated, while a foundation of pregnancy, is something you’re doing to stay UTI-free!

So, hopefully this post helped you out about bladder infections.

There’s LOTS to know during pregnancy — please do come join me in my prenatal class to get prepared for ALL of it. We actually touch on bladder infections in the first chapter that’s on your last trimester. So, it really does prepare you for all of it!

The post Bladder Infections in Pregnancy appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

We’ve got quite a few — and for most of them I have some good information, so let’s get started!

Pregnancy is definitely a two-edged sword. You may very much want to be pregnant, and have a baby but when you ARE pregnant you can realize it’s absolutely miserable. All of those feelings are valid and you can still love your baby and hate being pregnant. There is room for all those emotions here.

I also have a video on this topic:

Acid Reflux or Heartburn

I saw this one a LOT. Heartburn is very normal in pregnancy but doesn’t mean it’s fun.

I actually don’t have a post on this one (although I should).

The only bit of advice is that there are medications you can take beyond Tums — so talk with your provider to see what could work for you!

Sorry guys, talking about what meds you should take is beyond my paygrade.

Pelvic Pain

Ugh, I feel you on this one. I had it so bad (worse on each progressive pregnancy). I have a LOT about pelvic pain that might be able to help you out:

• Diastasis Symphysis Pubis During Pregnancy
• 5 Fixes for Groin Pain During Pregnancy
• 6 Easy Ways to Get Relief from Hip Pain During Pregnancy
• Pain Between Your Legs During Pregnancy
• 38 Weeks With Pelvic Pain & I Can’t Walk — HELP!

Cramps/Braxton Hicks

YES! Your uterus will start to contract now and then throughout your pregnancy. Some people call them “practice” contractions, but they sure don’t feel like a practice — they feel like the REAL THING!

I will say that some people think that ligament pain is contractions — but they’re different, so I’d read that article to see what you can do about the ligament pain.

But, beyond that the best thing to keep Braxton Hicks at bay is to make sure that you’re drinking enough water. I’d also recommend to make sure that you don’t have a bladder infection as that can often trigger Braxton Hicks.

I have a few articles you might find helpful on this one too:

• Contractions vs Braxton Hicks Quiz
• Signs of Labor
• True Labor Contractions: The signs of real labor
• When Will I Go Into Labor Quiz
• What does a contraction feel like?

Waiting for Pregnancy Test Results

I got nothing for you here. I wish you could by patience at Costco because I need it bulk packaging.

The main thing is that you’re not alone. I have so many people anxious about their pregnancy tests — and the only thing I can tell you is to wait a day or two.

Try to distract yourself. That’s my only thing. Have you watched Bridgerton? Or maybe Call the Midwife? That one’s my favorite.

Here are a few posts you might find helpful though:

• Early Pregnancy Symptoms You Might Be Missing
• The MOST accurate — am I pregnant quiz!
• Pregnancy Calendar by Week: Your calculator to your pregnancy progress

BTW if you’re early in pregnancy I think this pregnancy planner can be SO helpful (honestly, even if you’re later on too):

GDM (Gestational Diabetes)

Diabetes — both taking the test and actually having it are a real concern for a lot of people.

While I don’t have any information if you have diabetes. I will say that I did the diabetic diet for the majority of my last pregnancy and nothing tastes better than that chocolate cake once baby is out. Just do your best while baby is in…. hugs to you my friend, it’s hard to feel so miserable and have diet restrictions too.

BUT if it’s taking the test, I do have some tips for that:

• The Pregnancy Glucose Test for Gestational Diabetes
• You Failed Your 1-hour Glucose Test – What’s Next?
• Avoid Failing the Glucose Test During Pregnancy
• What to Eat Before Your Pregnancy Glucose Test
• Signs You Passed Your Glucose Screening Test During Pregnancy

Postpartum

Man oh man, this one is my mission to help change. There is SO much (especially in the US, where I live) that we could do better.

The biggest thing I can tell you (if you’re still pregnant) is to prepare for postpartum.

I do have a postpartum plan that is SO smart to get started on:

Personally, I took a prenatal class that just acted like it would be sunshine and rainbows after my baby was born. When it wasn’t, and I was in so much pain I just thought I was the only one.

I’m here to say that isn’t true, and there is a lot you can do to make it better.

When I created my own birth class I created two full chapters on life postpartum. One for getting what you need from the hospital (this is a KEY) and then also life after you go home. I’m very realistic about what to expect, and things you can do to make it better.

I love what Julia S had to say about the class:

“This class is wonderful! The information Hillary shared really helped us feel more prepared and validated our current understanding of childbirth and postpartum care. I especially loved the message of hope at the end and to enjoy your baby.”

I really do think preparation is key for postpartum life. I also think my post on postpartum self-care can be really helpful too!

Back Pain

YES! I hate how this one is mostly physics (although some early labor cramping can be back pain too).

As your belly grows, your back has to shift how it normally does things so you can stand up. Which results in strain in your lower back.

I totally recommend some yoga (because your thigh muscles also get into this and stretching your whole body will help a lot).

I have a few other articles that might help too:

• Period Pains and Backache On and Off at 36 Weeks of Pregnancy — Is it Labor?
• What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like
• Pain Under Your Bra Line During Pregnancy

Restless Leg

I had quite a few people mention this one on my survey.

I do have a post on using soap for it (seriously, the comments are crazy on that post because it makes NO sense to me).

If this is your issue I’d ask your provider what they think about adding some magnesium supplementation and see what they say. I’ve heard some people helped a LOT with that.

Anxiety

Girl, I feel you.

SO much anxiety about previous losses.

BTW, I’d 100% recommend this podcast episode with my friend Winter:

Anxiety around things like issues on ultrasounds (a few mentioned sub chorionic hematomas) — so many people just carry anxiety with them during their pregnancy.

I think that we always think: “If I can just get to XYZ I will feel better” — but then, somehow we don’t feel better (if you do feel better though, that’s awesome).

The reality is that parenting includes a lot of anxiety, at least it has for me.

Letting go of this myth has helped a lot.

I have also turned a lot towards positive affirmations, and trying to give my brain the signal that things could also work out VERY well.

Truth Bomb from Hilary: I just want to say that I am a naturally anxious person. I ended up with postpartum anxiety and didn’t have a clue what it was. I wish I’d gotten treatment for it. I had so much anxiety I never ended-up enjoying my newborns as much as I wish I had. I think drugs would’ve helped a lot.

However, I have gone to therapy, I work on gratitude and thinking positive. I have to work on it every day. I’m naturally a very glass half empty (frankly, it’s almost gone you guys) — and I think I will struggle with this until I die. But it’s something I’m currently thriving with.

Waiting for Baby to be Born

GAH, this is SO HARD! It’s only made worse by other friends having their baby before you — the nerve!

I have a few posts that might help with this:

• To the Mom Who Thinks She’ll Go Early.
• 40 weeks + a day and No Sign of Labor?

I will also say that on my last baby I went 12 days over my due date. I get this. It’s hard. I wish I’d had more frozen yogurt.

I will say while you’re waiting you can pack your hospital bag:

AND you can make your birth plan with me:

Morning Sickness/All-day Sickness

Oh man I saw this one SO much.

I have one VERY big thought on this:

There are things you can do to help. If your provider just says it’s “normal” but it’s affecting your day to day living say that.

They should be trying things.

At the very least if you’re not holding down fluids they should offer an IV to get you re-hydrated. I can’t tell you how much better you’ll feel hydrated.

That isn’t to say that they can solve this issue — but they should be trying things and taking it seriously.

It’s miserable, and the only good news is that it doesn’t last forever — it just seems like it will!

I do have a post on if lollipops help….

Not Feeling Movement

So much of this depends on how far along you are. Most people feel movement by 20 weeks (but you’ll hear of people feeling it much earlier). The reality is that only you know when you’re feeling baby move and it’s not very reassuring when you’re not feeling them move.

I have a few articles on this:

• Normal Daily Fetal Movement – Kick Counts
• Should You Buy Your Own Fetal Doppler?
• 30 weeks Pregnant and Baby’s Movements Have Slowed Down
• Increased Baby Movements Before Labor
• Feel Baby Move in Lower Abdomen: 20 Weeks Pregnant

If you’re further along, I’d 100% recommend kick counts too:

Sciatica

This is a nerve pain that goes down below your butt and can be MISERABLE.

Much if it follows the same things as the hip pain section — and a lot of people find some light heat helps. Talk with your provider to see if there’s anything they can recommend or if they think physical therapy can help.

Here are a few tips about heat:

• Can You Use a Microwave Heat Pack While Pregnant
• Using a Heating Pad While Pregnant: Can you use it on your stomach?

I think people are afraid of heat (and in some cases that is valid — but not when it’s your hips/butt that hurts). So be sure to figure out how to use it safely.

Delivery of the Baby

The deliver of the baby is often what people think is the worst. Which makes me sad.

Yes, it’s likely to be hard and a story you will tell for years to come (it sure should be — that baby deserves to know you walked to hell and back for them before you even met them!)

However, taking a birth class has proven to make birth better. The Online Prenatal Class for Couples is really the easy way to get prepared. I can’t recommend it any more.

• It can be done on your own timeline — 24/7 it’s available in short “birth bites” so you’re not overwhelmed.
• It is meant to be done with your partner to turn them into a teammate vs just a cheerleader.
• Learn how to make choices that suit you for pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond.

I don’t want you feeling “pushed” into things, or miserable about what’s going on — and I’ll teach you how to avoid all of that!

Fighting with Providers About Your Wishes

I saw this one a few times — and I see it ALL the time in my comments.

Let me state a fact right now:

Every. single. choice with your birth is up to you.

Ok, there are some rare cases to quickly preserve life we do some pretty amazing things, but in 99.9% of scenarios the choice is yours.

In The Online Prenatal Class for Couples I teach you how to take that power back. To get the information you need and be clear with everyone that you’re in charge. I think you’ll love it and you won’t have regrets as you look back. No one needs that!

Can’t Breathe

Did you know that your baby pushes up on your diaphragm making it so you literally don’t have as much lung space to get your breathe in.

To compensate your body expands your ribs a bit to let more air in. But seriously guys — it’s crazy town what we have to go through!

What I’m saying is that you aren’t fooling yourself when something that used to be easy now leaves you out of breath. It’s that baby.

HOWEVER if you’re out of breathe at rest — that isn’t something I’d keep quiet about. It’s a warning sign both during pregnancy & after birth that you need to be alert to.

I actually go over those signs in my Postpartum Care Made Easy Class (the written power point is free — but the video is included in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples as a bonus) — those warning signs are SO important an EASY to know and share with family.

ALL of it!

I heard this a couple of times, and it’s so valid.

Pregnancy can feel REALLY miserable.

It can feel unfair that you have to do all the things while your partner’s life is fairly unchanged.

It can feel like your doctors aren’t listening to you or helping — and it often takes effort to say that’s not OK and to try to get help.

It can feel like a losing battle as you hear people’s stories online.

I am here to say that you can take back that power.

• You can talk with your partner about what you’re feeling and wishes after birth so you’re shouldering it together (I have a whole workbook to talk about that)
• You can talk with your providers about what you need so they actually address your issues rather than brush you off.
• There really are SO many positive birth stories out there — staying positive can help a lot!
  • Having a Confident Delivery with Amber Breeding
  • Preparing for an Unexpected Cesarean with Katy
  • Getting Your Confident Birth with StormyFires
  • Creating Your Confident Birth with Alejandra

Come join me in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples where we really aim to make pregnancy, labor, birth and life postpartum so much easier so it’s not the worst anymore. You can actually enjoy it!

The post The WORST Parts of Pregnancy appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

I have to say that I 100% understand how MISERABLE this is. It really affected my life for YEARS because I didn’t get the help I needed (even as a labor nurse). I have explored a LOT about what can help — so I’m excited to give you some options.

I have a quick download for some tips that you might find helpful:

I also want to say that there are SEVERAL causes for groin pain in pregnancy:

• Bladder infections (if it includes ANY symptoms around peeing please talk with your provider ASAP, they can cause preterm labor)
• Symphysis pubis dysfunction (meaning where your pelvis is splitting)
• Compensation by other muscles in compensation for pelvic changes

It’s really important to understand WHY yours is happening (or, if it’s a combination of things). A few of the things I’m going to talk about will address some of that as well, so let’s get going.

Talk With Your Provider

This can feel daunting. Providers need to know what type of help you’re wanting:

• Are you wanting to know if it’s NORMAL -or-
• Are you wanting it FIXED?

Some people just worry something is wrong with some of the aches/pains of pregnancy and once they know they’re not BAD they’re able to move on easily.

However, if the pain is affecting the function of your life your provider should be helpful. This can include:

• A thorough assessment of the area and your movement
• Some stretches to try at home
• Possibly recommend some device to wear or use to help (be it a band, pillow, etc)
• A consult with physical therapy if they feel like fixing it is beyond them.

It’s important to remember it is NOT your OB or Midwife’s job to fix stuff all over the body during pregnancy, so referring out is of the most helpful thing they can do!

If your provider gives you — that’s just part of pregnancy — that’s not OK. They should be willing to work to address the issue like I talked about above.

That isn’t to say that they can FIX This pain. They should at least be willing to try or refer you out if it’s beyond their skills.

Feeling like talking with your provider is tough — I have some provider tips that might help right here:

Of course, I would hope that your provider/physical therapy would recommend these next few things, but let me give you an overview of what most people often find helps:

Light Heat

Some light heat might help. Your muscles are really compensating for your expanding belly and how things are shifting in your pelvic area.

You never want to put heat directly on your belly, light or otherwise however light heat can be helpful especially between your legs or on the outside, or in your butt area.

I have a few posts you might find helpful in this area:

• Using a Heating Pad While Pregnant: Can you use it on your stomach?
• Can You Use a Microwave Heat Pack While Pregnant
• Can You Use A Heating Pad While Pregnant?

SI Joint Band or Maternity Belt

These are “belts” you wear either under your belly, or over hips (depending on your issue). If this is your problem, I’d definitely ask your provider if they thing one or the other would work for you.

For me, my pelvis felt so weak “because it was splitting” the SI belt sort of helped hold it together. I found it to be extra helpful when I had looser pants on (like scrubs in the hospital).

I have a few posts on this too:

• How To Wear A Pregnancy Belly Band
• What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like
• Belly Straps For Pregnancy: Finding The Right One For You!

(that last post includes using kinesiology tape which has proven to be helpful in some instances too)

Pillows for Sleep

We’re sleeping for a good part of our day, and if you’re doing it wrong it can really affect your body (check out this post on getting better pregnancy sleep if that’s an issue for you).

Using a pillow between your thighs can really help hip pain.

Using a pillow under your belly can also sometimes help some of the stretching feeling in your hips as well.

A lot of people like yo use a pregnancy pillow, but you can also just use a variety of pillows you already have. This is a great time for partners to help out!

Partners can actually help out a LOT — but often you and them are both clueless as to what they could do to help. You sort of feel overwhelmed by the pain so coming up with ideas for them just feels like extra work.

I talk a LOT about what partners can do to help out both during pregnancy & labor/birth in here. I think you’ll both find it super helpful.

Stretching

Stretching can be super helpful. There are some pretty generic stretches during pregnancy that can help a variety of conditions (it would be awesome if your provider gave you some of those to work on). However, they can also hurt other conditions….

There are a lot of great youtube videos on pregnancy stretching that you could try out.

If the generic stretches aren’t enough I can’t emphasize any more how much either a chiropractor or a physical therapist can be.

A physical therapist can:

• Really help diagnose your PHYSICAL problem to help you!
• Give you stretches that can help that problem and make sure you’re doing them right
• Do other things (like cupping, heat, adjustments, massage, acupuncture even — called “dry needling”) to help your issue
• Talk about your activities of daily living and what you could be doing to make it worse, and how to adjust those movements to have less pain
• Follow-up to see what you can do to strengthen the muscles you have and see as things change through your pregnancy

Recently, I had a back issue and really didn’t want to take the time (or spend the money) to go to PT. In just one session she pin-pointed my problem. Gave me some stretches and some things to do with lacrosse balls to fix it. I diligently did them at home and within 5 days I was feeling 90% better. I had suffered with it 3 weeks before I saw her. I am dumb, don’t be like me. It took one visit. That’s it.

Also, PT is often more easily-covered under insurance.

A chiropractor can do very similar things, but providers tend to be hesitant to recommend them because:

• Many like to practice outside their scope of the human body and recommend other things for your pregnancy which can be harmful
• Have you come back over, and over, and over — they often see patients as a cash cow vs something to be fixed
• They don’t often give you as much work to do at home because they’d rather you come into the office and they do the work (this is tough with all the appointments you already have in pregnancy)

Honestly, I’ve seen benefits to both. I’ve actually seen a LOT of good things from a chiropractor for breech babies (see my most on getting babies to flip).

Talk with your provider and see what they say. If they have a chiropractor that a lot of patients have found luck with — that is a GREAT sign!

I should also say that I was a HUGE fan of prenatal yoga with my last baby. But, I wish I had talked with a good physical therapist to find out what exercises were actually hurting me overall. Stretching can feel great, but it may be exacerbating a problem you have.

Pain Meds?

A lot of people want pain meds for this pain — and while they can be used at times to be helpful (really depending on you, your needs and how far along you are). I would really recommend trying all the other things before going to pain meds.

Most often things are causing it — and if you fix those you won’t need the pain meds which could ultimately be very problematic.

So, there’s 5 fixes for groin pain in pregnancy. I hope you found them helpful.

Most importantly, you need to learn to talk with providers about getting what you need — rather than things that can be resolved quickly in the office. Sometimes that is tricky, however good providers really DO want to help but the more you can:

• Describe what hurts
• What you’ve tried and if it’s worked at all
• What exactly the pain feels like

The better you can both work together to find a solution.

Honestly, this problem extends into labor also. So often people talk about taking a birth class to mange pain during labor (which is important) — but learning to talk with your entire your birth team to get the best advice, help and ultimately the room to make your own choices can be the MOST important thing to learn about birth.

I recommend The Online Prenatal Class for Couples — we talk about doing that, and I give you real life scripts that you can adjust to make work for you. It makes it SO easy.

I will say that sometimes people are thrown-off by what we do in the hospital to help you. Just like groin pain — where they might recommend a belt for your hips — in labor you may have 3 nurses run in your room and start helping you to turn.

That can be really overwhelming, until you understand that your safety, and doing things quickly is a priority of all the nurses on the floor — you start to understand that you’re in safe hands (and not being tortured). We talk about interventions like that in that class as well. I don’t want you to be caught off-guard by anything!

Want to do a vibe check before diving into the whole thing with me? — check out my free labor pro tips. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.

The post 5 Fixes for Groin Pain During Pregnancy appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

Before we get started, sometimes it’s just the fears of your future that keep you up. While I’ll have MORE tips on that, I really think positive affirmations can help you feel much more calm before bed.

General Tips for Pregnancy Sleep

Heads up! There may be affiliate links in here – I might earn a smidge with your click. No cost to you, just good vibes! Check my boring stuff for deets.

Get Comfy

Are you comfortable in bed? While purchasing a new mattress isn’t in the cards for everyone (and honestly, may not be your problem). Here are a few tips to make your sleeping space accommodate you better:

Get a memory foam topper — feeling like you wish you had a softer mattress, a memory foam topper might help. I like how this one offers “cooling” — because sometimes those can get HOT.

Consider new pillows? Maybe you’ve gone from a stomach sleeper, or back sleeper to side sleeper. You might need a firmer pillow for your head, or a pregnancy pillow for your whole body. Don’t discount how much pillows can help! Sometimes even putting ones under an arm can really help circulation and prevent issues.

How’s the temperature? It can be easy to think you don’t want to make your a/c bill more in the summer, but sometimes going down by just a degree can help you sleep better, and it may not raise your bill enough to make it not worth it.

We also have BetJet and it’s been a GAME CHANGER. It’s not cheap, but ours hast lasted for YEARS and I just love it (full disclosure they sent me a unit to try out). The new one even gets cooler than ours does right now.

If temperature is an issue in your relationship, I can promise it’s cheaper than a divorce lawyer. I love that you can adjust anywhere between pretty cool and REALLY warm — I think it would be really nice in Pregnancy when I had a hard time regulating my temperature.

New bedding? Maybe you could use some new bedding. Sheets, comforter, etc. Is there something that is bugging you that with a quick replacement might feel better? This is worth a splurge in pregnancy because sleep is SO important!

Ok, let’s talk about tips by trimester:

First Trimester Sleep Tips

BTW, if you’re in your first trimester — let me hang out with you for the next few months giving you my BEST TIPS for right where you are!

Guys, give yourself grace during this period. I remember on my last baby thinking I either had cancer or I was pregnant. I was doing a delivery one day and then looked at the placenta and realized HOW MUCH nutrients goes into that thing — building it, growing it. No WONDER I was so tired.

So, first of all — if you feel extra tired, give yourself grace. Take naps when you can. BUT, also make sure you’re not napping so much it hurts your sleep at night.

Nausea tips:

Some people get extra nauseated at night. If that’s you:

• Vary the time you’re eating dinner or having an evening snack (or no snack if it makes it worse)
• Vary what types of food you eat at that last meal.
• If your provider has recommended medications, vary the time you take it, ask if you can take it at night if that’s the worst time for you.
• Use pillows to prop yourself up if laying flat makes it worse
• Have tums by your bedside if they help

Need some eating tips? Grab them here:

Worried?

Some people are so worried about baby in those first few weeks that they just can’t sleep.

They assure themselves that once they pass the first trimester they won’t be as worried, and while that may be true — I can assure you that for the rest of your life there will be things to worry about for this baby. Be it making milestones, finding friends at school, or driving — learning to have hope has helped me a LOT at bedtime.

Even if you’re not normally a pray-er — I recommend at least mentally naming 5 things that you’re grateful for before bed, so your mind at least focuses on the positive.

Get a To-Do LIst

Your might might be racing with all there is to do with this new baby. The good news, you’ve got time. I have a pregnancy planner that might help you out! It has spots for memories, to-do’s, reminders and more — it can OFTEN be your key to a better night’s rest!

Second Trimester Sleep Tips

This is the sweet spot of pregnancy, and I would hope that you’re sleeping well.

Again, cooling things down can help, as well as adjusting bedding if that’s an issue.

Heartburn can still be an issue even though baby is still small.

Make sure that whatever you’re sleeping in can accommodate your growing belly so that’s not constricted.

Also, a pregnancy pillow can be helpful even now! << that post even has some tips if you’re missing sleeping on your belly!

Here’s a few other tips for other issues during pregnancy:

• What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like
• How To Sit In An Office Chair During Pregnancy
• Sharp Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy
• Pain Between Your Legs During Pregnancy: Is It Pelvic Pain?
• 6 Easy Ways To Get Relief From Hip Pain During Pregnancy

Third Trimester Sleep Tips

Ugh, it’s tough, but here are my best tips:

Cut-off water after dinner. Sure — have a sip now and then, but no big drinks of water after bed so you can clear your bladder and hopefully IT won’t be the reason you wake up.

Hydration is EVEN more important during these later weeks so make sure you’re still drinking all that water (aim for 10 LARGE glasses/day), you just need to get it in before dinner time.

Tums by the bed — heartburn can be a real problem. If Tums aren’t cutting it, ask your provider if there’s something else they can recommend or prescribe. You can also vary what/when you’re eating for your last meal of the day. If you notice it’s way worse on a specific day try to trace it back to any possible causes….

Pillows, Pillows, Pillows – don’t negate how great a pillow can be. There are few places to put them at this point:

• Between your legs to help your hips
• A thin one one under your belly so it’s not “hanging” but is supported
• One under your arms to help promote circulation (especially great if you have numbness)
• Obviously one under your head, but then another one diagonal to that to rest your face on

Did I miss a spot you love a pillow? Tell us in the comments! I can promise you most pregnant people are looking for advice to sleep better.

Physical Therapy? — No, they’re not sleep doctors, but your body is going through a LOT carrying around an extra human all day. If you have areas that are store, or stiff doing physical therapy can really help. The good news, you may only need a few visits to get some stretches that can really help you feel better.

Some people love a late night prenatal yoga session to calm them down (I am just not one of those people — it tends to hype me up).

Meditation — Being in the here and now can help a lot of pregnancy worries. There are so many positive medications on YouTube or Spotify I’d try one now and then to just help yourself clear your mind.

Take a Class — Worried about delivery? You’re not alone. I hear that a ton on social media that the thoughts of having the baby are keeping them up. Be it just the hospital, pain, or something going wrong. That can all take a spot in your mind when things get dark.

The Online Prenatal Class for Couples has proven to reduce worries by over 50% (seriously, I’ve studied it). It also helps people over 60% more prepared for birth. It really can help you (and your partner) sleep better, and be a little closer too since you’re going to be on the same page.

You may even find your partner is ALSO having a hard time sleeping worrying about delivery. That class will help him as well!

Want to do a vibe check before diving into the whole thing with me? — check out my free labor pro tips. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.

The post Sleeping During Pregnancy: Tips by Trimester appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

Also, is thinking you’ll go early a good way to THINK? Let’s talk about it.

Before we get started, if you’re in that last month or two of pregnancy make SURE you’re not this person:

Your Provider Thinks You’ll Go Early

Let’s get this out of the way. Often, your provider might check you at 36 weeks and just say think “think it will be any day now.”

I have no idea why they say this. Other than the fact that it will likely be in the next month.

Even if your cervix is dilated (unless you’re like 5+ cm), even if you’ve lost your mucus plug, even if your baby is low — that doesn’t always mean labor is close.

There are two options at that point: Your body stays the same, or you go into labor — and there really is no way to guess who’s going to do which. That option happens every minute, of every day — and I get THAT uncertainty is hard.

Personally, I like to keep my mouth shut on stuff like this. I have FAR too often thought someone was in early labor and their cervix was so early labor — only to see them stay pregnant for another couple of weeks.

There just isn’t a real way to say what’s going to happen!

Also, your provider wants you to be done and stop being miserable almost as much as you do.

They also often want to brush-off questions about how to fix your pain rather than addressing it — but saying things like “well, you won’t be pregnant much longer” — when in reality they should say — how about a referal to PT to see if we can keep you a bit more comfortable this last month.

Are you sensing a soap box here? Because I am.

Don’t let your provider brush off your pain by saying “you’ll probably have this baby any day” when it could be addressed and you likely have another few weeks of being pregnant.

Here are a few posts on how providers can address common pains:

• Round Ligament Pain
• What To Do If You’re Miserable At The End Of Your Pregnancy
• 6 Easy Ways To Get Relief From Hip Pain During Pregnancy
• Can You Request To Induce Labor At 37 Weeks?
• Pain Between Your Legs During Pregnancy

And, don’t forget to make your birth plan:

What do the studies show on due dates?

I’ve been wondering for a while what the studies show about how long, on average people are pregnant (especially in the US where most of my readers are from):

According to this review — the average time of delivering the US as of 2020 was 38.5 weeks. That is compared to in 1990 when we didn’t induce much at all — the average gestational age at delivery was 39.1 weeks. When compared to home births (where they don’t have medical inductions, although some midwives will use a midwives brew) the average age was 39.5

Interesting, when they shifted the study to ONLY full term (37+ weeks) births it shifted with 40% (the majority) of births happening at 40 weeks.

Mindset tip: You really are aiming to go “full term” (aka 37+ weeks). Studies have shown those babies adjust better to life outside the womb and it is our goal as your healthcare team.

Things I learn from this:

Babies are being born, on average about a full week earlier than they used to be. I would guess this is from higher risk issues, and an a low-risk tolerance where we induce people frequently prior to term (and sometimes prior to 37 weeks).

When we look at babies JUST coming after 37 weeks, the average is still 40 weeks.

We USED to say that full term was 36 weeks, but we now call babies born from 34-36 weeks “late preterm” and while they usually do alright, they can have serious problems — so we REALLY try to avoid it if possible.

In this report we see that only 57% of babies make it full term, and that number is slowly decreasing.

I would like to find a study that only includes spontaneous labor but I couldn’t find one…. maybe I will find one at some point!

BUT, if you’re thinking due dates — grab my hospital packing list:

A Note on Due Dates

The came up with 40 weeks because that is the average time that people were pregnant starting from their last menstrual period. This is before birth starting getting super medical.

When you compare hospital vs home births — hospital births peak at 39 weeks, and home births peak at 40 weeks.

It’s important to remember that home births should only be low risk — meaning people with severe illness, or other complications — should NOT be delivering at home (and a good midwife will tell them this). So, that whittles it down to low-risk pregnancies (with no chance of a hospital induction).

When will you have your baby?

Most likely around 40 weeks, unless you are induced earlier.

If you don’t want to be induced, you’re likely going to go closer to 40 weeks. That’s when natural labor most often happens.

But we have NO IDEA what will happen in YOUR case. Will you have your baby early or late? We have no idea, until it happens. So far there’s nothing that can really predict when you’ll go into labor — but I do know one thing.

You need to plan on it being 40 weeks.

When you think it will be like 37 weeks you’re just not doing yourself any favors. Every day after 37 weeks is “extra” — which just isn’t the case.

Of course, watch for signs/symptoms of labor early on, but past about 37 weeks your thoughts should turn to comfort rather than “how can I get this baby out” because the studies also have shown there really aren’t too many reliable ways to get them out NOW (other than the medications used in the hospital for inductions).

How can I get this baby out early?

It’s probably my #1 question. A few facts for you:

• Where there are some studies that show things like dates or sex when done frequently over your last month of pregnancy can decrease your chance of an induction, it does NOT show that doing these things will put you into labor.
• The better question is how can I get more comfortable while I’m pregnant?

I have a whole category of posts called pregnancy pains that might give you some ideas!

I think some people put EXTRA pressure (and pain) on themselves — sometimes doing things like Jumping Jacks — when lowering their expectations and just chilling out would be their best plan of attack.

Another interesting note:

I found this part interesting….

This study showed Induction of labor after 37 weeks does reduce stillbirths. It also showed this:

Induction of labour probably made no or little difference for neonatal trauma, postpartum haemorrhage and breastfeeding compared with expectant management

Read the Cochrane review here

The consensus is still to wait until 39 weeks to choose an elective induction (no medical reason) but this is why providers, when a problem is noted, will pretty easily induce after 37 weeks.

Final thoughts:

You may go early, you may go late. One or the other might happen. We do know that ACOG is on board with elective inductions at 39 weeks — so you can always ask your provider about that, but other than that — we just don’t know.

So, plan on 40+ — it helps keep expectations low and you functioning longer. AND look for ways to days more comfortable as you’re growing a human in you. It truly is miserable and there’s no two bits about that. You’re doing great!

One of the worst parts can be wondering what birth will be like (and just wanting to get it over with).

The Online Prenatal Class for Couples is going to give you a play-by-play plan to know what birth will be like, how to make good choices, and prepared for life after baby is born too!

And, if you’re not quite sure you’re ready for that whole thing, check out my free insider tips to labor like a pro. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.

Sources:

Declercq E, Wolterink A, Rowe R, de Jonge A, De Vries R, Nieuwenhuijze M, Verhoeven C, Shah N. The natural pattern of birth timing and gestational age in the U.S. compared to England, and the Netherlands. PLoS One. 2023 Jan 18;18(1):e0278856. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278856. PMID: 36652413; PMCID: PMC9847908.

National Vital Statistics Report: Shifts in the Distribution of Births by Gestational Age: United States, 2014–2022

Middleton P, Shepherd E, Morris J, Crowther CA, Gomersall JC. Induction of labour at or beyond 37 weeks’ gestation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 15;7(7):CD004945. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004945.pub5. PMID: 32666584; PMCID: PMC7389871.

The post To the Mom Who Thinks She’ll Go Early. appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

Before we get started, I know that any new crazy new pregnancy symptom is worth talking to your provider about — so if you have new aches and pains please talk with them. BUT these aren’t uncommon, so I want to explain them a bit more!

What Are the Round Ligaments?

They basically hold your uterus in place. As you can imagine, you can’t have your vital organs just floating all over the place, so ligaments help hold them in place.

The uterus has a few ligaments holding it, but the ones that seem to get the most stretched during pregnancy are the round ligaments. They attach at the sides of the uterus and then fan out and attach to the side walls of the abdomen (so, not quite like the photo, but it’s the best my sweet canva skills could do).

As you can imagine, these ligaments have gone your whole life just holding the uterus in place. Honestly not a real hard job as the organs all sort of shuffle into their own spots and stay there with fat, muscle, and membranes sort of doing most of the job for them.

As the uterus starts to grow that ligament gets STRETCHED like a rubber band and that often translates into pain.

What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like?

I want to be clear that it’s not always the round ligaments you’re feeling. This can happen to any of the uterine ligaments. You can see a picture of all the ligaments here. However, I believe that because the round ligaments is on the side, and is normally pretty short it gets the maddest.

Most people describe the pain as sharp. It is often associated with movement like:

• coughing
• sneezing
• laughing
• getting up quickly

In general it’s quick movements that send that pain through you. It can feel like someone is stabbing you. Most often it lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes and then goes away.

Most people feel this on the sides of their belly (where the ligaments attach to their abdomen) or sometimes down into the crotch area.

Isn’t pregnancy magical? I know.

Some people also get pain from their broad ligament and frankly, I’m not really sure how to know which ligament is causing the issue but I do know that it can be VERY painful. Both from patients sharing it with me, and my own personal experience.

How to help pregnancy ligament pain?

The best thing is to try to not do the things that cause the pain in the first place (or assist those ligaments):

• When you cough, sneeze or laugh hold a pillow over your belly to support it
• Take getting up in slow steps so the ligaments have time to adjust.

These ligaments ARE meant to stretch, it’s more the quick movements that catch them off guard and they translate that to pain.

Once you’ve got the pain things to help them relax like heat, relaxing, taking a warm bath can help.

Mostly you need to relax, because the more angry/stressed out you become with them, the tighter your abdomen pulls and just makes them more upset. So, anything you can do to deep breathe and chill out will help.

And yes, learning natural pain management techniques is NOT just for labor pains!

Ligament vs Contraction Pain

Really quick if you’re wondering what the signs of labor are — grab my signs of labor checklist:

So, how do you tell ligament pain from other pains? Well, I’m the first to say that’s tricky.

Ligament pain tends to be described as sharp. Contraction pain isn’t usually described that way — it’s usually more “cramping”, or it builds and dissipates rather than “attacking” you.

Contraction pain normally lasts less than a minute and then goes away for a bit, and then may come back. If the pain is constant, or lasts for like 5 minutes it’s likely not contraction pain.

Ligament pain tends to not be on your uterus, more on the sides/bottom of your abdomen.

But again — if it’s a new pain that is frequent and catching you off-guard you need to talk with your provider about it. If you have ANY concerns that it might be preterm labor please contact your provider right away.

So, that’s ligament pain. I honestly think that heat is one of the best ways to help both me, and the ligaments relax when I feel like I’m being stabbed by my own body. I know it’s miserable, but hopefully knowing what it is, and why it’s happens helps you feel better about it.

Really, a lot of pregnancy is like that. Once you understand it, it’s not as scary (and maybe even hurts less). Labor is going to be just like that. I’d love to help your anxiety about birth. Let me help you feel confident and prepared about your birth in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. In just a few hours you can get that way! In fact, you can do it WITH a heating pad on your couch…. which sounds way more magical than pregnancy in general!

And, if you’re not quite sure you’re ready for that whole thing, check out the free lesson from it. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.

Did or do you have ligament pain? Tell us in the comments!

And, if you want more on this topic I also have a video:

The post What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.

Every pregnant woman, and position is different — so I’m going to give you 4 tips to make your office work a bit more bearable during pregnancy:

Get the right chair

You may work in an office that has prioritized “cute” over effective as far as chairs, and now is a time to tell your boss that you need something that can help support your pelvis during pregnancy too.

Things to watch out for:

Good lumbar support — make sure your lower back is supported as you sit.  This will help you maintain good posture and lead to less pain overall.

Arm Rests — Your forearms are at risk for carpel tunnel, so make every effort to support them, and try to have your elbows at a 90 degree angle and that your wrists don’t have to flex much to reach the keyboard.  I prefer to have something to rest my elbows on as I type, so something that adjust for that can be nice.

I have a whole post on the best office chairs for pregnancy — finding an ergonomic office chair can really help!

And remember it doesn’t HAVE to be a chair.  Many pregnant women also find a yoga ball very comfortable as they do their desk job. You could also consider a walking pad, or a standing desk as well.

I do think a desk that allows you to stand or sit depending on your needs is a GREAT option. I’d 100% do this during pregnancy….

While we’re here talking office chairs, grab my safe eating guide here:

Heads up! There may be affiliate links in here – I might earn a smidge with your click. No cost to you, just good vibes! Check my boring stuff for deets.

Set a Timer

Get a timer on your desk and set it for every 30-60 minutes (whatever you think is best) and just get up and move around when that thing goes off.

Go to the restroom, refill your water bottle, just get up.

With your increased weight, and changes in how you’re sitting along with pelvic issues it just helps to move and not be stuck in one position for long periods.

Also, you’re at an increased risk for blood clots, so moving around can help you out with that as well.

This honestly has so many benefits (not holding your bladder, moving your body, decreasing blood clots). I totally recommend this!

In fact, I hate annoying chairs so much I made my own prenatal class so you could watch it from your couch (or bed, or toilet or wherever feels best):

The Rule of 90’s

Try to have your knees at a 90 degree angle, and your elbows at a 90 degree angle.  

If having your feet flat on the floor is bothersome, some people like a little stool to rest them on.  

Watch the Keyboard

As your abdomen grows it may push the keyboard further and further away.  Just be as mindful as you can about how far your arms are extended and what you can do to make it easier on your body.  Some people like a split keyboard where your hands can be more in their natural position.  Just be mindful of how that’s hurting your posture as you sit.

If it’s miserable and you don’t see a change, try to rotate keyboard work up with other duties such as phone calls etc.

You can also consider getting wrist supports for your keyboard and mouse. That may help any wrist issues (but, talk with your provider if you’re having those so they can give you some more tips like wearing a brace, etc).

Bonus Tip:  Do you find your legs swelling as you sit during the day.  Beyond taking breaks, you could also try compression stockings.  They can help push that fluid back up to your heart when your legs are still.

Most of all I’m really glad you’re thinking about this. Many people just “suffer through it” when there are easy fixes they could apply that would help them be more comfortable overall.

SO many changes to our bodies during pregnancy. You deserve the support of a good chair, and a good employer to make sure you’re still able to bring your best self to work.

Learn more about those changes, and what happens after delivery in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples where in just a few hours you can get prepared for birth!

Want to do a vibe check before diving into the whole thing with me? — check out my free labor pro tips. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.

The post How to Sit in an Office Chair During Pregnancy appeared first on The Pregnancy Nurse®.