Ople, Orejudos, Piñol, Reyes, Sinolinding, Tan, Villanueva, & Zerrudo

Group 5 (Mother and Child Care)

HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE NEEDS AND DISCOMFORT OF PREGNANT

MOTHERS
Pregnancy ultimately is build up a woman. It is the pinnacle of life wherein women become
more than just women; they become mothers. The journey of pregnancy is also a tough one but is
meaningful and wonderful. The discomforts a woman would undergo are just bumps along the
road of fulfillment once she has delivered her child. The following are the discomfort
experienced by pregnant mothers during the first trimester:

1. Breast tenderness is one of the first symptoms that the woman would notice in early
pregnancy. The tenderness may vary between women; some hardly notice the sensation
at all. To address this issue, first, advise to wear a bra with a wide shoulder strap. The
support it gives helps ease the tenderness. Second, dress warmly and avoid cold. She
should also dress warmly as exposure to cold increases the tenderness. Third, get
examined. Women who experience intense pain should have to examine the presence of
nipple fissures or breast abscess to rule out these conditions.
2. Palmar erythema is the constant itching and redness of the palms but is not considered
an allergy. Increased estrogen levels possibly cause the pruritus. To address this issue,
apply calamine lotion to soothe the itchiness and know that it is not an allergy and it
disappears naturally.
3. Constipation is caused by slow peristalsis due to the pressure from the growing uterus.
To address this issue, increase fiber in the diet. Encourage the woman to move her
bowels regularly and increase the fiber in her diet. Drink water. Advise her to drink at
least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Iron supplements. Educate her that iron
supplements can cause constipation but need not be stopped because it helps build up
fetal iron stores. Don’t use mineral oil. The use of mineral oil to relieve constipation is
not advisable because it absorbs the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K, and E. Don’t use
enemas. Enemas are also prohibited as it may initiate labor. So as OTC laxatives. Over-
 the-counter laxatives are also contraindicated unless prescribed. Avoid gas-forming
foods. Advise the woman to avoid gas-forming food to prevent excessive flatulence.
4. Nausea and vomiting are also one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. Pyrosis or
heartburn typically occurs when the woman ate a large meal. To address this issue, small
frequent feedings. Advise the woman to take small, frequent meals and avoid greasy
foods. Upright position after. Encourage her to keep in an upright position after meals
to avoid reflux.
5. Pregnant women experience fatigue mostly in early pregnancy because of increased
metabolic requirements. To address this issue, Rest and sleep. Advise her to increase
the amount of rest and sleep and to continue with her normal nutrition intake. Take short
breaks. For women who still work, advise her to take short breaks, especially if her work
involves being up and about the whole day.
6. Muscle cramps are caused by decreased serum calcium levels, increased phosphorus
levels, or interference in the circulation. To address this issue, First, ask the patient to lie
down. Advise the woman that when this happens, she should lie on her back and extend
the affected leg while she keeps her knee straight and dorsiflexes the foot. Second,
magnesium citrate or aluminum hydroxide gel. Magnesium citrate or aluminum
hydroxide gel is prescribed to women who have frequent and unrelieved muscle cramps.
Third, raise those feet. The woman should elevate her lower extremities frequently to
promote circulation.
7. The pressure of the uterus on the bladder causes frequent urination. Frequency occurs
early in the pregnancy and late in the pregnancy. To address this issue, no fluid
restriction. Advise the woman not to restrict her fluids to diminish the frequency of
urination, instead; caffeine intake should be diminished. Offer assurance. Assure the
woman that voiding frequently is a normal occurrence during pregnancy. Kegel’s
exercises. Kegel’s exercise also helps to reduce the incident of stress incontinence and
helps regain the strength of urinary control and strengthens perineal muscles for birth.

During the 2nd and 3rd Trimester:

1. Backache as the Lumbar lordosis develops as pregnancy progresses to maintain the

balance. To address this issue, Low heels. Advise the woman to wear shoes with low to
 moderate heels to reduce the amount of spinal curvature necessary to maintain an upright
position. Warm compress. Backache can be relieved by applying local heat on the area.
Body Mechanics. Advise the woman to squat rather than bend over to pick up objects.
Close to center of gravity. Advise the woman to lift objects by holding them close to the
body.
2. Dyspnea results from the pressure of the expanding uterus on the diaphragm. Dyspnea is
prominent especially when the woman lies flat on the bed at night. To address this issue,
Proper sleeping position. Encourage the woman to sleep with her head and chest
elevated. Limit activities. Advise her to limit her activities during the day to prevent
exertional dyspnea.
3. Ankle Edema it appears during late in pregnancy, some women experience swelling of
the ankles and feet. The edema is caused by general fluid retention and reduced blood
circulation in the lower extremities. To address this issue, Watch out for proteinuria or
eclampsia. Assess if the woman has hypertension or proteinuria to rule out eclampsia.
Sleep on the left side. Advise the woman to lie on her left side when resting or sleeping.
Sit. Encourage her to sit half an hour in the afternoon and in the evening with legs
elevated and to avoid constrictive clothing.
4. Braxton Hicks Contraction from the 8th to the 12th week of pregnancy, the uterus
periodically contracts and relaxes, and this is termed as Braxton Hicks contraction. To
address this issue, Give assurance. Assure the woman that these are not signs of
early labor, but they can inform their healthcare provider about them.

Exercising Tips Pregnant Woman:

The benefits of exercising has always been associated factor of wellness and living a healthy
lifestyle regardless of anyone’s age, race, sex, body composition, and overall physique. But
especially for women who are pregnant or planning to be, there are many benefits that exercising
has to offer. However such a change in the body should be approached in a careful manner since
pros and cons may vary depending on how the execution of exercises are done and number of
times.
 First the benefits of exercise is seen both mentally and physically if it is done correctly.
Changes that would be expected to occur in is the prevention of circulatory stasis, greater sense
of well-being, lowered cholesterol level, reduces risk of osteoporosis, increases energy level,
maintains a healthy body weight, decrease the risk of heart disease, and increase of self-esteem.
All these positive changes help alleviate for women who are experiencing the symptoms of
pregnancy since most of them may experience changes in the body such as weight gain,
increased appetite, and a decrease of mobility.

A second idea to note is how and when the exercise should be executed. To just exercise
“blindly” without knowing what your body is capable and incapable of will lead to consequences
with no benefits and possibly lead to more risks/cons than pros if incorrectly approached.
Women who are pregnant especially for first timers will have to expect that they will not be the
same person as they once were before being pregnant. In this case before any exercise plans,
programs, and methods to be done one should consult with her physician/nurse-midwife to see if
there is any complications such as incompetent cervix, lifestyle, bleeding, and physiological
changes. Once approved by their primary health care provider exercising can begin with what
she is best experienced with. For example, if she is a bicyclist then it can be assumed that she
can continue this type of exercise but doesn’t mean it's for everyone since being pregnant is not a
good time to be in a “beginners” stage for the reasons that your body is less fit and overall
increased risk from exercise or sports and so are with anything that involves any body contact
since obviously you don’t want the fetus to get hit. But before exercising the mother should plan
her schedule and activities to at least exercise 3 times a week with each session being 30 mins
with a 5 min warm up, “stimulus” phase for 20 mins, and lastly a cool down session for 5 mins.
The aim of exercise for this manner is to target 70%-85% of their max heart rate (220-age then
multiply 70% or 85%) and just enough to they can continue talking while exercising to ensure to
not be short of breath.