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Why your pregnant belly feels tight and heavy?
Your belly is getting tight and heavy to prepare for labor. You're almost there so buckle up and get ready for the rest of the journey.Why does your belly start feeling hard during pregnancy?🤰Growing uterusAs you're stepping into the third trimester, your uterus pushes against your abdominal wall and makes your belly feel hard.🤰 Your growing uterus also crowds your internal organs such as lung and bladder. Stretch marks on your belly become more visible and itchy.🙁🤰Gas and bloatingGas and bloating can also contribute to belly hardness. You get gassy because hormone changes slow the rate of digestion, leaving the food longer in the intestine🍲 and giving time to bacteria to produce gas.🦨 🤰Braxton Hicks contractionsIf you feel sensations of stomach tightening, it could be Braxton Hicks contractions. They appear more frequently in the third trimester as they prepare your body for labor.😃 🤰Preterm laborSharp pains on one or both sides of your belly might be caused by round ligament pain. However, if you feel excruciating pain accompanied with your belly feeling hard, this belly cramping can signal a more serious problem such as preterm labor.🙁 When to call doctorIf your contractions are so painful that you can't endure it, you should consider calling your doctor.👩⚕️ Any signs like vaginal bleeding, less fetal movement, amniotic fluid leaking can be dangerous so you should call your doctor immediately.🏥
Common pregnancy aches and pains
Growing a new person in your body takes a toll on your body. You should expect some body aches and pains along the way. Causes of body aches during pregnancy😩Hormonal changesSurges of relaxin and progesterone hormones relax your ligaments and joints to prepare your body for labor.🤰 Your body then feels all the aching and pain😫 as these unstable ligaments slightly move.😩Weight gainYou're gaining weight and putting extra pressure on your joints. Your growing uterus👶 also shifts your center of gravity and stretches abdominal muscles, causing inevitable pain to your back and spine.Relieving body aches in pregnancy😩HeatYou can apply heating pads, a hot water bottle on your abdomen. However, don't apply heat to your body for longer than ten minutes because you don't want to heat up your baby.👶😩ExercisesOne of the best remedies to reduce pain is to stay physically active.🚶 Pregnancy safe exercises help keep weight gain in check, strengthen muscles, support your blood circulation🩸 and reduce swelling. Common body aches in pregnancy😩HeadachesFeeling a squeezing pain on both sides of your head is a sign of tension headache.🤕 It's usually a harmless symptom due to hormonal changes and increased blood flow.😩HemorrhoidsHemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels🩸 in the rectal area due to straining during bowel movements. The growth of the uterus puts pressure on your rectal veins, making you feel downright painful.😩 😩Heartburn Burning sensation in your chest strikes you after you eat. During pregnancy, progesterone hormone relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing the stomach acid🍲 to travel up your throat. Your baby👶 also contributes to pushing on the stomach and adding to the burn.😩Leg crampsLeg cramps🦵 can be rooted from vitamin deficiency, electrolyte shortage or other reasons. Changes in your body🤰 during pregnancy can cause unprecedented pains in your body.😩Carpal tunnel syndromeDuring pregnancy🤰, you experience tingling pain in your hands✋, wrists and arms. Extra fluid and swelling are the main culprits causing these symptoms.
Pregnant belly button
Your pregnant belly's growth keeps pushing your belly button out. It looks weird and makes you feel a bit uncomfortable but it will return to its normal shape after delivery. During pregnancy🔘Belly button changesYour belly button🔘 doesn't connect to the uterus. It's just the remnant of your attachment to your mother in the womb from years ago.👩 As your belly grows, it puts pressure on your belly button and causes some inconvenience. The belly button is out in the open making you feel weird😕 when it rubs against your clothes.👚 🔘Belly button painsUmbilical hernia happens when a piece of your intestines protrudes through the small hole in abdominal tissue into your belly button and gets stranded.🙁 Umbilical hernia is usually harmless, but you'll experience intense pain😣 when this piece of intestines gets stuck and squeezed in a small space of your belly button.After pregnancyThe belly button is likely to return to its normal size and shape after delivery.😃 However, sometimes your belly button may stay permanently outside, making you uncomfortable and diffident.You can choose umbilicoplasty, a surgery that makes the stretched belly button more vertical and less wide.👩⚕️🏥 The surgery is only recommended for moms who have no intention of getting pregnant again because another pregnancy will give you the same result.🤰
Hospital bag checklist for parents
You must feel anxious and excited at the same time when it's closer to the due date. Packing all necessities in your hospital bag👜 in advance will save you lots of time and energy when that moment comes.Hospital bag checklist for moms👜Essential items and documentsLet's pack all your necessary stuff first! Your driver license or any other identification card is fine.💳 You should check with the hospital or birth center🏥 regarding any hospital paperwork that you should bring. You need to bring your doctor's contact and birth plan if you have one.Medical records can be helpful to show your current status of health. Chargers and cell phones📱 are two things you can't live without. You might bring a cord blood kit if you're planning to donate your baby's cord blood.🩸 👜Personal itemsPack your favorite toothbrush and toothpaste, lip balm, deodorant, makeup, hair ties, shampoo and lotion🧴 if you prefer using yours.🧼🧺 The hospital will provide sanitary pads to absorb your blood after delivery, but if you prefer using your favorite brand, feel free to bring them with you.If you wear contacts, remember to bring lens solution and a lens case. Glasses are also an essential if you need them.👓 👜ClothingThe hospital provides gowns but you can bring your daily nightgowns or pajamas. Backless slippers🥿 and a lightweight robe may come in handy if you want to take a walk after delivery.🚶 Bring a comfortable and loose outfit or two to change.👚 You also need several pairs of postpartum underwears that are suitable for wearing with maxi pads. Your breasts are likely to be tender and swollen especially when they leak some colostrum so you might need nursing bras to help absorb leaks and provide comfort.😃 👜Miscellaneous itemsBring your favorite snacks because you will feel hungry after labor and probably are bored of hospital food.🥨 Eye masks can help you sleep safe and sound at night after a long day. Also you might need a camera📷 to record these historical moments of you and your baby! Hospital bag checklist for baby👜Baby nail file and nail clippersAfter birth, your baby👶 often has sharp nails that can hurt and scratch the baby's face. You may want to trim tiny nails and make them softer a little bit.👜Coming home outfitLet's dress your baby up with comfortable clothes, socks and booties.👗 Welcome home, little angel!👜Baby blanketYou need a blanket to tuck around your baby around the car seat on the way home to make sure the little one is warm and cozy. The hospital will likely provide you blankets but you can bring one by yourself.🤗
Braxton Hicks contractions
Braxton Hicks contractions are also called false alarms of labor. You can feel them early on in your pregnancy, but usually most moms won't feel them until mid to late pregnancy.😃 Braxton Hicks contractions🤰What are Braxton Hicks contractions?Braxton Hicks contractions are mild and sporadic contractions that you probably won't notice until mid to late pregnancy.🤰 They feel like tightness in your abdomen, typically last less than 30 seconds, then go away. They are uncomfortable but rarely painful.😃 Since Braxton Hicks contractions are often mistaken for early signals of preterm labor, you should not make any diagnosis yourself just to be safe.🙅♀️ You should consult with your doctor👩⚕️ if you experience abdominal pain that doesn't get better even after you rest. More regular and stronger contractions accompanied with vaginal bleeding as you approach your due date are also warning signs of possible preterm labor.⚠️ 🤰What causes Braxton Hicks contractions?The exact cause of Braxton Hicks contractions is unknown but you can think of them as a practice before your true labor.🤔 You will notice them more clearly when you're dehydrated or have a full bladder, or after having sex or doing physical activities. The difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and true labor🤰PatternBraxton Hicks contractions often appear sporadically and don't get closer together. True labor signals come at regular intervals and get closer together over time.🧐 🤰DurationBraxton Hicks contractions are weak, rarely causing any pains and lasting shortly. True contractions last 30 to 90 seconds.⏱️ 🤰PositionBraxton Hicks contractions occur in the front of your abdomen. However, real contractions feel like they start in the back and gradually progress to the front.🤰 🤰ChangeBraxton Hicks contractions stop when you change your position.🚶 True labor contractions continue despite position changes and intensify over time.
👉 third trimester content list
