Minor dosorders of

pregnancy
  
 Most pregnant women do suffer from minor

disorders during pregnancy. Minor disorder

is a condition caused by pregnancy, which is
not present in the prepregnant state. It
should be solved in correct time to prevent
complication offering minor treatment and
proper explanation for the reduction of
these problems and anxiety. The exact
cause of minor disorders are still unknown
but it could be due to increasing level of
hormone especially progesterone in the
blood.
DEFINITION
Minor disorder is a condition caused by pregnancy, which is
not present in the prepregnant state.
 
The common minor disorders are

 Morning Sickness ( Nausea and Vomiting)

 Indigestion
 Varicose veins
 Backache
 Fainting
 Heartburn
 Constipation
 Itching
 Leg Cramp

  
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting especially in the morning, soon after getting out
of bed, are usually common in primigravida. It may due to emotional
factors, fatigue, and carbohydrate metabolism. So it is important to
prevent it from getting worse as hyperemesis gravidarum may occur.

Prevention

 
◦Identify the particular odour of foods that are most upsetting and avoid
the odour of certain foods, because women are very sensitive to
smells.
◦Eat dry crackers or bread 15 minutes before getting up from the bed in
the morning.
◦Advice to consume small frequent meal (every 2 hours if possible).
◦Avoiding spicy and greasy food and consuming protein snack at night
◦Advice to take light and dry snacks instead of heavy meal.
◦Avoid brushing after eating.
◦Keep room well ventilated for fresh air.
Indigestion
Indigestion often occurs after eating too much of heavy
or greasy food or drinking too much of alcohol. It is
characterized by discomfort or a burning feeling in the
mid – chest or stomach.

Prevention
 
 Avoid fatty, greasy and spicy foods
 Eat small frequent meals instead of the usual three

meals.
 Avoid alcohol, coffee and cigarettes.
 Eat boiled foods.
Varicose veins
Varicose veins are enlarged superficial veins on the legs;vulva and
anus varicose veins are disorder of the second and third
trimesters. It is due to increased maternal age, excessive weight
gain large foetus and multiple pregnancies etc.
 
Prevention
 
 Exercise regularly and avoid tight clothes.

 Avoid standing for long time and sitting with feet hanging

down.
 Lift the legs up with extra pillows while sitting, resting or

sleeping.
 Avoid crossing legs at the knees because it provides the

pressure on her veins.

BACK ACHE
This is common problem during pregnancy especially in the
third trimesters. Slight backache may be due to faulty posture
and is more common in multigravida.It may be due to fatigue,
by lifting heavy objectives and poor postures, fatigue.
 
Prevention

 Take adequate rest in proper position and posture.

 Wear supportive shoes with low heels, avoid high heels shoes.
 Do prenatal exercise and do not gain more weight.
 Avoid excessive twisting, bending, stretching and also
excessive standing or walking.
FAINTING/SYNCOPE
It is the disorder common in second and third trimester.
Many pregnant women occasionally fall to faint, especially
in warm and crowed areas. It is due to anemia, sudden
changes of position, standing for long periods in warm and
crowd areas.
 
Prevention
 
 Avoid prolonged standing.

 Rest in side lying position in left lateral to prevent supine

hypotension.
 Eat regularly iron containing food and plenty of liquid.
 Advice to be alert for safety.
Heartburn
 Heartburn is a burning sensation in the mediastinal region due to
back flow (regurgitation) of acid contents into the oesophagus
often accompanied by bad test in the mouth.

 Prevention

 Avoids foods known to cause gastric upset.

 Avoid greasy, fried foods, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes.
 Advice to take small frequent meal, but eat slowly.
 Take adequate rest in sleeping with more pillows on propped

position.
 Explain that this is related to pregnancy and the problem

disappears after pregnancy.

Constipation
Constipation is a condition of infrequent, irregular and difficulty in
passing stool or the passing of hard stool. It is common during
pregnancy. It is due to lack of physical activity or exercise, decrease
fluids, oral iron supplement, pressure of enlarging uterus on
intestine.

Prevention

 Encourage to maintain bowel habit, going to toilet at same time

everyday and toilet when having the urge.
 Encourage to drinking adequate liquid ( of least 200ml per day)
 Advice to eat in regular schedule.
 Encourage eating fruits, vegetables, gains and roughage in the diet.
 Advice to do regular daily exercise.
Leg Cramps
Leg Cramps are painful muscle spasm in the muscles. They
occur most frequently at night but may occur at other
times. Leg cramps are more common in the third trimester.

 Prevention
 
 Advice to take enough calcium ( milk, greenleafy
vegetables)
 Advice to take warm bath to improve the circulation.
 Advice to do exercise regularly.
 Strengthen the legs, point or pull toes upward towards the

knees.
PTYALISM
 Occurs at 8th week of gestation
PICA
Craving for certain food items and unnatural
substances
Frequency of micturition
 Occurs in the first trimester where there is
pressure of the gravid uterus on the urinary
bladder
 Reasssurance is sufficient
Leukorrhea
 Increased non irritant white discharge during
pregnancy
 Frequent washing of vulva 3-4 times with

plain water
 Wear cotton underwears and avoid tights
 Midwife should asses for thrush and

trichomonas infection
Edema
 It is the result of venous and lymphatic stasis
 Blood pressure to be checked for

hypertension
 Elevation of leg
 Sleep in left lateral position
 Avoid sitting with the feet hanging down
Itching
Itching is an unpleasant cutaneous sensation that
provokes a desire to scratch the skin. It may be
due to poor personal hygiene, heat rash, minor
skin disease.

Prevention

 Advice to take daily bath.

 Advice to wear non- irritating clothes, cotton
panty.
 Anti histamine is often prefered
Insomnia
 Due to the discomfort caused by the fetal
movements, frequency of micturition and
difficulty in finding normal position or may
be deep seated fear and anxiety
 Can take rest in the afternoon
 Drink glass of warm milk at bedtime
 Psychological reaasurance
Warning signs of pregnancy – aids
medical care
 Vaginal bleeding
 Reduced fetal movements
 Frontal or recurring headaches
 Sudden swelling /edema
 Rupture of membrane and amniotic fluid

leakage
 Premature onset of contraction
 sudden nausea or sickness
 Epigastric pain