The Ailments of Pregnancy : Part 5

The Prospective Mother: A Handbook for Women During Pregnancy
by J. Morris Slemons

(Page 12 of 18)

In severe cases it is helpful to restrict the diet for a few days until the congestion and acute suffering have subsided. If the hemorrhoids protrude, they should be replaced (which the patient may generally do for herself), and an ice bag should be applied to the seat of pain. Various ointments and suppositories of different composition are valuable in the treatment of this ailment, but, as not all cases are relieved by the same medicine, a physician should be consulted to learn what is most suitable in any given instance.

Hemorrhoids often grow progressively worse as pregnancy advances, and are frequently aggravated immediately after the birth of the child; but they generally disappear within a few weeks. Whenever a natural cure is not thus effected, it may become necessary to resort to surgical treatment. Operative procedures, however, should not be undertaken during pregnancy, since the condition is likely to reappear before the child is born.

Cramps in the Legs. - There are nerves as well as blood vessels that the pregnant uterus may press upon, and pressure of this kind may cause pain. At times the pain is definitely localized at the point where the nerve is pressed upon; under these circumstances the discomfort is felt in the lower part of the back. On the other hand, the pain may be referred to the point where the nerve ends. In this way is explained not only pain in the leg but also those sensations of numbness and tingling which prospective mothers not infrequently complain of.

The presence of these pressure symptoms is usually limited to the last few weeks of pregnancy. They often begin about the time the child's head enters the bony canal through which it is ultimately born; engagement of the head, as this is called, occurs simultaneously with the dropping of the waist-line, that is, about two or three weeks before delivery. From the time the head is engaged all the pressure symptoms become somewhat more intense.

From the very nature of their causation, it is clear that cramps in the legs are difficult to treat. The recumbent posture lessens the discomfort, and, if in addition the hips are elevated, absolute comfort will occasionally be secured. Whether or not the administration of medicine is advisable must be determined by the physician who has the opportunity to see the patient. The birth of the child, of course, removes the cause of the pressure and permanently relieves this discomfort.

Shortness of Breath. - Besides the ailments caused by the downward pressure of the pregnant uterus, there are also symptoms due to its upward growth. Thus shortness of breath is regularly noted toward the end of pregnancy, and, as has already been mentioned, it is one of the reasons for exercising leisurely.

Unlike the other pressure symptoms, shortness of breath is ordinarily aggravated by the recumbent posture, for lying flat on the back increases the compression of the chest. At night, which is frequently the time when difficulty in breathing is most pronounced, the patient may, if necessary, sleep propped up in bed. For this purpose an appliance called a back-rest may be used, but an extra pillow under the head and shoulders is usually sufficient.

Leucorrhea. The meaning of the white discharge from the vagina known as leucorrhea is variable: at times it indicates the existence of an ailment requiring treatment, and at other times it does not. To be on the safe side, therefore, anyone who is troubled by leucorrhea should obtain her physician's opinion as to its significance.

Normally, as we learned in Chapter V, there is an increase in the vaginal secretion during pregnancy; but this fact is rarely noticeable until the latter months. Usually it is pronounced only during the last few weeks. At that time, owing to its antiseptic qualities, this pale white fluid should not be disturbed by the use of douches. In the early months of pregnancy, however, leucorrhea may cause such inconvenience as to demand medical treatment.

While itching is the most disagreeable effect of such a vaginal discharge, it should be known that itching is not always due to leucorrhea. Thus it may be caused by a highly concentrated urine, and in that event will be relieved by drinking a larger amount of water; or it may be due to the presence of unusual constituents in the urine. Skin diseases also cause itching; and light haired people, since they have more delicate skins that brunettes, are especially susceptible to these ailments. To such skin affections soap and water may be very irritating; so that when they exist it is often advisable to cleanse the parts with olive oil. In other cases, ointments are required and will be prescribed by the physician.

Itching of the skin over the extremities or over the whole body, it is clear, cannot be attributed to leucorrhea, but in these very rare cases the irritation would seem to be caused by some waste product which is being eliminated through the sweat glands. We do not know what the substance is, but, as the symptom appears so seldom, it must be due to an unusual kind of waste product or else to one whose elimination normally occurs through other channels. The affection of the skin thus brought about is really a very mild kind of poisoning, and since the offending substance arises in the body of the patient herself the condition is called an autointoxication. Effective treatment consists in drinking water freely and taking a cathartic, for the one stimulates the kidneys and the other the bowels to assist in getting rid of the cause of the trouble.

Toxemias. In order to understand what are known as the toxemias of pregnancy, we must remember that the nutrition of our bodies involves three separate and distinct sets of processes. What we eat is, in the first place, digested and absorbed into the body; secondly, the products of digestion are utilized by the tissues; and, finally, the waste material is thrown off from the body. Any one of these processes may be carried out in a way that is not consistent with health. Most of us realize that disturbances may occur in the course of digestion, and we are also aware that the excretory organs occasionally fail to do their work in a satisfactory way.