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Neck Pain During Pregnancy - Causes, Remedies, and Prevention
A pregnant woman's body goes through a lot of hormonal changes. The imbalance in hormones, expanding belly, changes in the posture, and a lack of mobility can lead to neck pain which can extend to the back and shoulders as well.
During pregnancy, a woman might feel stiffness in her neck during the first trimester and experience pain as the pregnancy progresses. Neck pain is more of discomfort that starts in the neck and advances to the shoulder and muscles nearby. This causes stiffness, headache, numbness, or even swelling in the neck. Most pregnant women think that there is no way to combat the pain and that they will silently have to bear it. But that’s not true! Some women take painkillers after consulting with their doctors but some even try home remedies. The best way to counter neck pain is with simple home remedies. If you are experiencing neck pain too during pregnancy, here's everything you need to know about it.
Causes of Neck Pain During Pregnancy
Some common causes of neck pain during pregnancy are mentioned below:
Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes and bodily changes during pregnancy post conception can trigger neck pain. The overdrive of hormones causes the neck muscles to slacken and this causes pain in that region.
Excessive pressure on muscles: During pregnancy, the ligaments of the neck tend to expand and the muscles of the back and spine experience more pressure as a woman’s abdomen begins to grow to accommodate the growing foetus. This leads to neck pain.
Changes in the posture: As pregnant women are advised to sleep on their left side, the constant pressure on the left part of the body due to this sleeping posture causes stiffness in the neck and leads to pain.
Lack of mobility: Staying in the same position for extended periods of time during pregnancy can make your muscles sore and stiff. If you are pregnant, you need to move around enough to keep your muscles warm. Lack of mobility only leads to stiffness and may result in neck pain during the later stages of pregnancy.
Home Remedies for Neck Pain During Pregnancy
If you experience neck pain during pregnancy, avoid taking pain relievers or any other medication unless specified by your doctor. However, this does not mean, you should live with the pain. There are several home remedies that can help alleviate neck pain if practised correctly. Following are some simple treatments that will help in relieving neck, shoulder and upper back pain during pregnancy:
Try warm compress.
A warm compress can help relieve neck pain to an extent. Get a warm compress and apply it on the neck every day to beat the pain. Use it at regular intervals if needed.
How about a cold compress?
Similar to a warm compress, a cold compress can also help you beat the pain. Simply, take an ice pack and place it on the neck region. It will help provide relief from the pain to a great extent.
Change your pillow.
Using a wrong pillow or too many pillows to provide support to your head can cause neck pain and backache. So invest in a good, comfortable pillow, preferably a maternity pillow. You will slowly get relief from neck pain. You can also use a maternity pillow to support your knees. Place the pillow between your knees to maintain a good sleeping posture.
Stretch it out!
Stretching can also bring about relief from neck and back pain during pregnancy. So if you are pregnant, it is important that you do some pregnancy-safe stretches. Stretching while pregnant can lengthen your muscles, relax your body, and relieve stress too. Apart from doing stretches, you can also practice light yoga and pregnancy-safe workouts.
Try hydrotherapy!
Hydrotherapy can also provide relief from neck pain. When you are in the shower, target the force of the water on the affected area. Let the water run on the neck for 3 to 4 minutes. Switch to cold water for another 60 seconds. Repeat for a few times, you will feel better. The hot water stimulates blood circulation and eases the stiff muscles while the cold water lowers any inflammation that exists. However, hydrotherapy should be done under supervision.
Try swimming!
You can also indulge in some water-based sports like swimming to get rid of neck pain. Swimming is known to ease neck pain, but one must consult with a doctor before taking up swimming or any other water-based sports.
Use a tennis ball.
You could put a tennis ball to use to relieve you of pain. Keep the softball between your back and the wall and move slowly from one side to the other. And use your body weight to get the desired amount of pressure.
Get a neck massage.
Ask your husband or someone in the family to give you a neck massage. A neck massage will relax your muscles. For better results, get a massage after a hot bath. You can also opt for prenatal massages if you can. Try massaging with lavender oil, coconut oil, or olive oil for better results.
Tips to Prevent Neck Pain
As they say, prevention is better than cure. So here are a few ways to prevent neck pain during pregnancy:
Maintain a good posture. As you gain weight, there will be a lot of pressure on your spine and you may feel neck and back pain. So it is essential that you maintain a straight and firm position. Avoid slouching as it will only put pressure on the neck area and result in pain.
You can take up swimming or other water-based exercises after consulting with your doctor - it will help prevent neck pain during pregnancy!
Always maintain an eye level when looking at things and try not to slouch. This is important for women who work in front of a screen. If you slouch or look down, it will put pressure on your neck and it may hurt.
Use the right pillow while sleeping. A pillow that is hard and uncomfortable can stress your neck muscles. So invest in a good pillow!
Simple Exercises to Ease Neck Pain During Pregnancy
You can combat neck pain during pregnancy especially in the first trimester with simple workouts and exercises that are safe to practice at home. Try these exercises after seeking medical consultation. And if the pain persists, make sure you check with your doctor immediately.
Sit straight on the floor and look ahead. Then turn your head to the left side as far as it can stretch and stay in this position for about 15 seconds. Then slowly turn your head to the original position. Then turn your head to the right; hold this position for about 15 seconds then slowly turn your head to the original position.
Slowly push your chin down to the chest and stay in this position for fifteen seconds, then come back to your original pose. This will relax your neck muscles and provide relief from neck pain.
Neck pain is common during pregnancy but it can be treated with home remedies and simple pregnancy-safe exercises. But if the pain is excessive and home remedies fail to work, consulting a doctor before trying out any techniques at home is a must as a doctor will be able to rule out the possibility of any complications.
Also Read: Exercises to Relieve Back Pain During Pregnancy Read more
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Eating Lady Finger (Okra) during Pregnancy - Is It Good?
A good diet of fresh vegetables can make a great difference to your body, especially during pregnancy. With the number of changes your body is going through, it is important that you provide it with enough nutrition to sustain and accommodate these changes. Vegetables like okra can be ideal for your pregnancy diet. Let’s find out about all about lady finger benefits during pregnancy.
Nutritional Value of Lady Finger
Okra stores a lot of nutritional components in its tiny frame. Here is a chart with the nutritional value of the vegetable.
Nutritional component
Value per 100 gram
Energy
30 kcal
Carbohydrates
7.6 g
Fibre
3.2 g
Fat
0.1 g
Protein
2.0 g
Vitamin A
0.198 mg
Vitamin B9 or Folate
87.8 g
Vitamin C
21 mg
Calcium
75 mg
Magnesium
57 mg
Health Benefits of Okra during Pregnancy
Okra extends several benefits to pregnant women. It is a low-calorie vegetable and is rich in folate and riboflavin which are essential for the healthy development of the baby. Some of the benefits of eating okra during pregnancy are,
1. Packed with Vitamin C
Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron in the body which promotes your baby’s growth. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C also prevents cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. It further promotes immunity and the development of skin, capillaries and bones in your baby.
2. Rich in Folate
Okra is a good source of folate and folic acid can help prevent the risk of birth defects in babies. Consuming okra is especially recommended between the 4th and the 12th weeks of pregnancy as this is when the neural tubes in your baby develop. Folic acid in okra will aid in this development.
3. Good Source of Antioxidants
Okra has an abundance of antioxidants which can build your baby’s immune system, promote foetal growth and lower the risk of ailments and cardiovascular diseases or diabetes in the baby.
4. Packed with Fibre
A rich content of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre makes okra an excellent choice to prevent constipation during pregnancy. The soluble fibre reduces the risk of diabetes and even cuts down cholesterol in the blood.
5. Promotes Good Sleep
Essential amino acids like tryptophan are present in okra along with oils and proteins which are known to improve the mental well being and aid in getting quality sleep.
Apart from these, okra can also remove toxins from your body as the mucus and the fibre in okra stabilise the glucose in the blood. Pregnant women can also consume okra to maintain their skin and hair, especially if they are affected by rashes and hair fall.
How to Include Okra in Your Pregnancy Diet?
With the multitude of benefits adding bhindi in your pregnancy diet is something that you shouldn’t miss out on. Here are some tips on how to add okra to your diet and some precautions you need to follow while doing so.
Ensure that you wash the okra thoroughly with water before cutting or cooking it. This helps prevent any risk of infection.
Try to cook okra on low heat to prevent losing out on essential nutrients.
You can try a simple recipe where you clean the okra, slit into vertical halves, coat them in gram flour and fry it. This can serve as a delicious finger food.
You can also coat the sliced okra with egg and breadcrumbs and fry it.
To remove toxins from the body, you can crush two okras and soak them in a glass of water overnight. Drink this the next morning. The drink helps detoxify your body, including your kidneys and even regulate your cholesterol.
You can also make okra soup or curry as per your liking.
Okra is a wonder food that has no harmful side-effects to your body during pregnancy. You can consume it every day to improve the health of both you and your baby. However, if you notice any allergic reactions to the vegetable or feel any physical discomfort after eating it, it is advised that you consult a doctor to rule out any serious issues.
Also Read: Bitter Gourd During Pregnancy - Benefits & Side Effects Read more
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That First Cry! - The Cry That Gave Me Tears of Joy, Relief and Gratitude
Hours of excruciating pain that seeped down to my bones had had a toll on me. Between pushing the baby out and catching some sleep in between the contractions, I was in a dizzy with the ambivalent thoughts bombing my brain left, right and center. Is the baby okay inside? Will she ever come out? Please, please cut me open, take her out, I can't bear it any more! What will she look like? I'm so, so hungry. Just a few minutes to go, hopefully...
...and then I heard those three magical words: "The baby's here!" I had never felt so grateful and accomplished all my life. I had just given birth. A new life had been created, and let's be honest - a new death too, for there can be no life without death. I had helped bring forth a whole new human being, a person who would, in future have her own successes and failures, thoughts and perceptions, friendships and memories, heartbreaks and disappointments.
While the doctors were busy fixing me up, I was waiting for the sound of my baby. I had not been able to see her yet. She was delivered and taken away for a bath a few metres away from my delivery chair.
And then she cried. The cry I had been waiting for all those nine months as I tracked her growth on my pregnancy app. As she blossomed from the size of a red kidney bean to a raw mango and then gradually to a large pumpkin, I'd been wondering what it would feel like to actually see and hear this sweet little thing. Her first cry was intermittent and melodious, rising and falling as she caught her breath. In the symphony of my baby's cries, I could listen to the helplessness of a new baby, a fragile, tiny creature who would now be entirely dependent on me for the next few months.
Mother. A word that embodies warmth, love, care and perfection. A word that for me, holds the power of the universe. A word that I could, until now, only feel from one side -- a daughter's side. A word that I could now feel from the other side too. My baby had just crossed the threshold and I had become a Mother.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
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Five fun things to keep your child busy during this lockdown
By Bani Dey John
Yes, the lockdown is most harsh for the kids who are trapped inside the house. But they are fighting brave, actually better than us. They somehow find ways to keep themselves busy. I am sure they all now know what this lockdown means. Here are my top five which my kid does to keep herself busy.
Learn dance and music: Music heals everything and dancing expresses your emotions. My kid suddenly wanted to learn kathak and learned some basic moves of kathak and ballet from YouTube. She even learns basic of classical singing. It actually helped her improve her dancing skills.
Art : Yes, whenever she says I want to watch TV, I give her something to draw and now she draws everyday. Even sometimes she draw something which makes no sense but it keeps her busy. Just give them colours and see their rainbow. It sure makes them happy.
Reading books: Books are your best friend. During this time for sure. Make a habit for the child to read one story everyday before going to bed. It will help to improve their writing skills. They can pen down there experience of lockdown as well.
Helping mommy: Yes, give them work like watering plants, dusting, arranging cushions, keep their toys and books tidy. And also play with the little one when momma is busy in kitchen. My stress level goes down when the elder one dons my role happily.
Watch kids movie: Make them watch interesting kids movies like Frozen, Lion King and other interesting stuff. It helps to improve their vocab and generate new ideas. My child now only speaks English in accent😀 and records her videos making imaginative stories.
Hope these tips help you keep your child engaged in some activity apart from long watching hours on television and mobile phone which affects their mind and eyes.
Share your thoughts and reviews too. Happy Quarantine. Read more
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Dr Priyanka Kalra has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
15 hours ago
Q. I am having pcod problem.
At which day should I take pregnancy test
Dr Priyanka Kalra
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
13 hours ago
A. after 2 weeks. do ultrasound n necessary tests after consulting a specialist. without proper check up we can't advise or help you.. Avoid shirt cuts when it comes to health if mother n baby. ok.
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
15 hours ago
Q. I am having pcod problem.
when should I take pregnancy test?
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
14 hours ago
A. after missed your periods you can wait for one week more ,then you can do a urine pregnancy test to know about the pregnancy result and consult with your doctor according to the result for medication
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
15 hours ago
Q. I am having pcod problem.
but having regular cycles below 35 days. some time it will extended upto 40 days.
so when should I take pregnancy test at home?
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
14 hours ago
A. If you have missed your periods you can wait for one week more or else you can do a urine pregnancy test to know about the pregnancy result and consult with your doctor according to the result for medication.
The best treatment to have Regular periods is by having a healthy lifestyle with regular daily walking or jogging along with mild exercise and meditation whenever possible. as medications will only act till you are taking them
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
12 hours ago
Q. Done my first routine blood test ..it shows thyroid border line.its my 6 week running as per USG.
but prior to that my thyroid level was always normal I did check up every year and got it normal .this time it shows borderline high in 6 week pregnancy.
is it something to worry.plz guide
Read moreDr Ghouse
Paediatrician
11 hours ago
A. it is better to follow your doctors advice for treating the thyroid deficiency. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
7 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts
Best activity toys for 15 month old baby
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
7 hours ago
A. Toys which have light and also sounds so that is going to be a good option for you to use apart from the different kids have different interest some kids like to play with cars some like to play with something else so just have to try to figure out what your child likes to eat just check what your child is more inclined towards
ZIAULHAQ ABDUL KHADAR has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
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Q. how to gain weight 32weeks
ZIAULHAQ ABDUL KHADAR
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A. Have good amount of Proteins food
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