Tag: pregnancy

Five First-Trimester Discomforts And How To Remedy Them

Five First-Trimester Discomforts And How To Remedy Them

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Surrogate pregnancy is thrilling and amazing, whether it’s your first or not. But as you know, it can also be seriously uncomfortable – especially in the later stages, serious preparation and major lifestyle changes may be necessary.

But discomforts begin as soon as the pregnancy does, in the first trimester. Fortunately, none of them are without a solution. Here’s some advice for what to do when they arise:

1. Nausea and Vomiting.

About half of all pregnant women have experienced nausea – and sometimes vomiting – in the first trimester. This is called ‘morning sickness’ and for some unfortunate women it may persist throughout their pregnancy.

Most experts believe that morning sickness is caused by pregnancy-driven changes in hormonal levels. It seems to be aggravated by stress, travel, and certain high-protein and high-fat foods.

To lessen these symptoms, it helps to eat several small meals a day, rather than a few large ones.

A diet high in complex carbohydrates – foods like whole-wheat bread, pasta, bananas and leafy green vegetables – may also help to reduce the severity of this nausea.

2. Fatigue.

During the first trimester, you’re more likely to feel tired as your body works overtime to nourish the baby. Simple chores will be harder than usual, and you may be surprised at the effort it takes just to get out of bed.

You’ll simply need to accept that your body needs to rest more than it otherwise would. Take as many breaks or naps as you can.

3. Backache

As the baby grows, your weight will increase and your balance will change, causing backaches. Also, in preparation for childbirth, your pelvic joints will begin to loosen – this also contributes to the back strain.

To reduce the strain on your back, learn proper posture and lifting techniques.

4. Frequent Urination

Your uterus, as it grows, will press directly on the bladder. This leads to frequent urination – and can be very uncomfortable when you’re at work or in the middle of something important.

To deal with this, avoid caffeine – drink as little tea, coffee and soda as you can, since these diuretics cause you to urinate more frequently.

It also helps to completely empty your bladder every time. Never try to hold it, when you feel the urge to urinate.

Although these first-trimester discomforts do vary between individual women, it’s important for every surrogate mother to be aware of them – so that you’ll know what to do when they arise.

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Five Pregnancy Cravings and How to Safely Deal With Them

Five Pregnancy Cravings and How to Safely Deal With Them

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Many surrogate mothers have experienced cravings during pregnancy for foods that they couldn’t have cared less about before. Some of these cravings are healthy for you and good for the baby, but not all of them – sometimes they can be actively dangerous.

To deal with the cravings, you need to remember to choose healthy options that resemble any unhealthy food you might be craving – you need to integrate some of those cravings for salty, sweet, sour and spicy foods into a nutritionally-balanced diet.

Here are some suggestions for healthier alternatives to commonly-craved food.

1. When you want ice-cream, go instead for non-fat frozen yogurt. This meets your calcium needs while containing far fewer calories.

2. Instead of chocolate, try drizzling some non-fat chocolate syrup onto fresh fruits.

3. Instead of candy, take dried fruits like apricots, or fresh tropical fruit such as mangoes or pineapple.

4. Instead of salty snacks, opt for popcorn sprinkled with herb blends. Sesame breadsticks with spicy mustard dip are also a good substitute.

5. When you’re craving something sour, try squeezing some lemon on your fish, or into a salad. This ensures regular but moderated intake without empty calories. Sugary lemonade can also help meet this need.

Occasionally, pregnant women crave non-food items such as paper, laundry starch and chalk. This is known as ‘pica eating’, and these desires are always best to resist – they can be harmful to you and your baby’s health.

Do your best to keep these pica cravings out of your mind – reward yourself with other treats for resisting them, possibly even unhealthier treats like chocolate.

Occasionally, these cravings can be a sign of other problems – if they persist and become bothersome, see your doctor.

Remember, food cravings are normal during pregnancy. It’s entirely possible to satisfy them while still providing your baby with the nutrients they need to grow. But don’t give in too much to your desire for high-calorie foods – they may translate into excessive weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of gestational diabetes and unhealthy blood pressure.

Instead, make sure your diet is balanced – it should include lean sources of protein, reduced-fat dairy foods, whole grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes. If your diet is generally good, a little bit of unhealthy food won’t crowd out the nutrition you and your baby need.

Keep these simple substitution tips in mind, and you can be sure that your surrogate baby will get all the nutrients it needs to properly develop.

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Food Cravings During Pregnancy Explained

Food Cravings During Pregnancy Explained

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While food cravings are a well-known symptom of pregnancy, surrogate and otherwise, it’s still not quite understood what causes them. Some experts believe they’re meant to indicate nutritional deficiencies in a woman’s diet, while others believe that the types of food being craved are indicative of the baby’s gender.

In a recent survey, 80% of pregnant women said they’d experienced food cravings. 40% of them craved something sweet, 33% wanted salty foods, 17% craved spicy foods, and 10% craved sour and citrus fruits.

Based on these results, the top ten foods included ice cream, pickles, tomatoes and tomato sauce, lemon, cheese and chocolate. It seems relatively common for women to want animal fats – steak and pork fat, for instance.

Some women want strange combinations – black olives on cheesecake, pickles wrapped in cheese, and eggplant on pizza have all been reported. Exclusively craving a single food is also common – pickled onions, salsa and peaches seem especially popular in that regard.

Following the birth of their baby, many women for some reason experience an aversion to those same craved-for foods.

As stated, experts are divided on the explanation for these cravings – there are several theories. The more popular ones are:

1. Hormonal changes may alter a woman’s senses of taste and smell, making her want food she normally wouldn’t have enjoyed. This theory could also explain why menopausal women often experience food cravings/aversions.

2. They’re a reaction to nutritional deficiencies. For instance, a craving for pickles may indicate low sodium levels in the blood, while a vitamin B deficiency may drive a craving for chocolate. Desire for red meat could indicate a need for protein, while cravings for peaches could be a result of low beta carotene levels.

3. Emotional changes are known to be connected with food intake – a pregnant woman may crave certain foods, consciously or subconsciously, as a response to emotional needs. Often pregnant women want foods that remind them nostalgically of their childhoods, or perhaps their cultural/religious backgrounds, particularly if they haven’t eaten those foods in a while.

Remember that there’s no scientific consensus on this – no data to prove that cravings are related to biological needs, and none to prove that they (generally) are harmful.

But it’s important regardless to watch your diet while pregnant. Find healthy substitutes for the tastes your body is craving, and never deprive yourself of food in general. If problems do arise that prevent you from eating balanced meals and gaining weight as you should, check with your doctor – it may be indicative of something more serious. As a surrogate mother, your intended parents will most definitely appreciate your taking care of yourself.

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What Causes Heartburn In Pregnancy – And How To Avoid It

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One of the most common discomforts associated with pregnancy is acid reflux, or heartburn. Several factors associate this with pregnancy, but they boil down to hormonally-driven bodily changes.

It’s relevant that even women who had never previously suffered from acid reflux, may experience this during pregnancy. The problem usually manifests in pregnancy’s later stages, especially once the fetus has developed into full-term.

The severity does vary between women – some surrogate mothers receive very mild, tolerable and controllable symptoms, while others unfortunately experience much worse bouts. But it may help to understand just why this discomfort occurs.

One of the factors linking heartburn to pregnancy is the hormonal change that happens then – an increase in hormonal levels can drive certain changes in how the body functions.

For instance, the lower esophageal sphincter – LES – may loosen up, causing gastric acid to flow up, or ‘reflux’, into the esophagus. The main function of the LES is to prevent stomach acid from doing this, but it’s loosened by hormonal changes.

Another factor is the simple change that occurs to a woman’s body. As the baby develops and grows, the woman’s belly expands to accommodate its increasing size and the associated increase in amniotic fluid.

This can cause some amount of pressure to the esophagus and stomach, disrupting normal digestive processes and thereby causing acid reflux.

There are several ways to avoid the problem. One is to avoid foods that tend to trigger or aggravate the system – citrus fruits/juices, spicy foods, oily or fried foods, and processed food products especially. It may also be a good idea to cut down on chocolate and caffeine.

Another tip is to eat small but frequent meals throughout the day; this helps to achieve efficient digestion. Light snacks between meals will keep you from experiencing hunger pains – the point is to avoid heavy meals that put pressure on the digestive system and trigger heartburn.

Acid reflux is definitely preventable, if you observe the proper measures. Learn what to do and make changes in your eating habits to control it – and therefore enjoy a healthier and more comfortable surrogate pregnancy.

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