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During pregnancy, most women have more pressing concerns than coronavirus. From the cramps to antenatal clinics, and even getting the right birth plan; COVID-19 may be the last subject on your mind.

However, studies have shown that the virus also affects moms-to-be, and in some cases, their unborn babies.

In this article, you’d find all you need to know about childbirth and pregnancy in the COVID-19 pandemic.

First, What Is COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, is an infectious condition caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In most cases, people infected with this virus experience some degree of respiratory illness. Although most individuals with COVID-19 recover without any special treatment, older people and pregnant women are more likely to develop serious symptoms.

Medical experts around the world agree that the best way to prevent and reduce the transmission rate of the virus is to be well informed about the disease and how the virus spreads. During pregnancy and childbirth, this information is much more important.

Don’t Stop Reading!

How Does COVID-19 Affect Pregnancy & Childbirth?

Sadly, pregnancy and childbirth increase the risk of having more serious symptoms of COVID-19.

Although the overall risk of getting severe symptoms of COVID-19 is low, pregnancy reduces your immune function, making you more susceptible to serious illness due to Coronavirus in this period.

Furthermore, this risk increases greatly in the first two days after childbirth. In fact, studies show that pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to need intensive care with a ventilator than non-pregnant women.

In addition, the risk of preterm delivery (birth before the 37^th week) increases significantly in women with COVID-19.

Also, underlying conditions like hypertension, obesity, and gestational diabetes increase a pregnant woman’s risk of having severe symptoms of COVID-19.

Effect of COVID-19 on Childbirth

Here’s the fact: You’re going to get all the care and support you need.

To minimize human contact in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, many hospitals have switched to telemedicine and other online resources for antenatal clinics and consultations. In addition, new hospital policies restrict partners, friends, and family from sitting in on the delivery day.

Some women are even unable to hold their children in the first month after childbirth due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Sadly, this may increase the risk of postpartum depression and other maternal mental health conditions.   

Although a recent study shows that 6 in 10 women claim that they received inadequate support during pregnancy and childbirth, your story does not have to be this way.

In fact, all you need is proper information and the right plan.

Thankfully, you’d find all that and more in this article!

5 Things to Do During Pregnancy and Childbirth with COVID-19

As we mentioned earlier, all you need to stay healthy and happy throughout pregnancy and childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic is the right information.

To help you out, we’ve compiled an effective list of 5 things to do in this period:

1. Follow The Rules

This time, the rules are not made to be broken.

As you prepare for the arrival of your precious one in these strange times, it is really important that you follow the recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In this period, you need to:

• Wash your hands as often as you can.
• Avoid sick people.
• Wear a mask.
• Clean and disinfect all frequently-touched surfaces.

These recommendations, including the ones unique to your country, are designed for your (and your baby’s) safety.

2. Go for Home Deliveries

As much as you can, don’t go out.

A safer option is to stay indoors and order all you need. In fact, your groceries can be ordered online and delivered to your doorstep after all COVID-19 protocols have been followed.

3. Start A Healthy Diet

As we mentioned here, your diet is an important part of your pregnancy and childbirth journey. In this period, you need to ensure that you’re getting the right mix of carbs, proteins, vitamins, essential fats, and of course, water.

This is really important becomes the right diet would boost your immune system and protect you from contracting the virus.

You can find all the info you need to start your healthy pregnancy diet in this article.

4. Exercise Often

Following the right exercise routine is really important during pregnancy. As you prepare for childbirth, kegel exercise strengthens your pelvic floor and prepares your body for delivery. In addition, regular walks in the park strengthen your lungs and keep your immune system healthy enough to fight the virus.

5. Draw Up Birth Plan

The first step is to calculate your conception and estimated delivery dates. Once you do, you can begin to draw up your birth plan.

This involves planning out your antenatal clinics and packing your delivery bag that includes all COVID-19 protective equipment.

What to Do If You Have COVID-19 Symptoms

The first step is to contact the Centre for Disease Control. Once you get tested, your healthcare providers would supply all you need to stay safe and healthy in this period.

Thankfully, it is possible to have a safe labor and delivery even with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Furthermore, if you think you may have been exposed to the virus, please contact your healthcare provider to get tested.

Conclusion

Finally, it is important to remember that a lot of studies are still going into the effects of Coronavirus and pregnancy or childbirth. At this point, the best thing you can do is to follow all the guidelines in this article and stay as safe as you can.

Stay safe, Mama.

Our immune system is our body’s defense system. During and after pregnancy, it protects us from infections and autoimmune diseases by battling invading microorganisms and other harmful environmental agents. Interestingly, the role and function of each component of our body’s immune system are well controlled. For example, your immune system is able to differentiate between harmful foreign substances and your own natural body cells.

However, in some unique conditions like pregnancy, this may not go according to plan.

In immune deficiency diseases, the body defense loses its ability to fight off foreign intruders. When this happens, it loses control and begins to attack natural, healthy body cells. This is the mechanism behind autoimmune diseases.

In this article, you’d discover seven crucial facts about autoimmune diseases during pregnancy; what they are, common examples, and the unique features or symptoms.

What Are Autoimmune Diseases?

Autoimmune diseases are conditions that occur when the body’s immune system fights and kills natural and healthy body cells. It contains a spectrum of diseases characterized by over-activity of the body’s defense system.

In plain terms, you can picture it as the body’s army fighting against the body cells it ought to protect. This “self-attack” is because the defense system has lost its ability to differentiate between normal body cells and harmful foreign cells.

Common Examples of Autoimmune Diseases That May Occur During Pregnancy

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Psoriasis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Celiac disease
• Pernicious anemia

Seven Important Facts About Autoimmune Diseases

1. No One Knows The Actual Cause

Despite decades of medical research, experts are yet to identify the root cause of autoimmune diseases. However, the process and mechanism by which they occur are well explained. For instance, environmental factors and infections have been found to trigger the occurrence of autoimmune diseases in most people.

Furthermore, unique physiological changes like pregnancy can also predispose a person to various autoimmune diseases.

2. Most of these diseases are genetic

Researchers have identified some genes associated with autoimmune diseases. These genes are passed down from generation to generation along family trees. This makes family members more susceptible to having a disease that another family member has suffered from in the past.

In addition, some autoimmune diseases are common in certain ethnic groups. For example, lupus is prevalent amongst African-American, Asian and Hispanic people. On the other hand, Type 1 Diabetes is more common in Caucasians.

Sometimes, these gene-based autoimmune diseases may remain hidden until pregnancy starts.

3. Autoimmune Diseases Are More Common In Women

Autoimmune diseases are more common in women. At least, there is a 5-to-1 ratio of female to male prevalence of these diseases. Also, most cases of autoimmune disease have occurred in women of childbearing age. The reason for this is largely unknown.

However, research has suggested that it is because women have a stronger immune response to infections than men.

4. They Can Have Varied Effects on Pregnancy

Every pregnancy in women with any of the conditions mentioned above is high-risk.

The interaction between pregnancy and autoimmune disease can produce varied effects on the disease and the pregnancy itself. As for the effects on the disease, pregnancy can trigger an increase, reduction, or removal of the symptoms of an existing autoimmune disease.

In some cases, pregnancy has no effect on the disease. Furthermore, a pre-existing autoimmune disorder can also cause harm to the baby during pregnancy.

5. These Conditions Increase The Risk of Cancer

Autoimmune diseases like celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus can increase the risk of developing cancer. In addition, the use of drugs that suppress immune function to treat autoimmune diseases also increases the risk of cancer.

In contrast, cancer is involved in the development of autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and myositis. This shows a great correlation and association between cancer and autoimmune diseases.

6. The Symptoms May Be Similar

There are over eighty of these conditions. These diseases affect different areas of the body like:

• Blood vessels
• Underlying tissues
• Joints
• Muscles
• Red blood cells
• Kidney
• Skin

Nevertheless, the early signs and symptoms of these diseases are very similar. However, the severity and location may differ. Individual diseases have symptoms peculiar to them based on the body part they affect.

These early signs and symptoms include;

• Fatigue
• Low grade fever
• General feeling of unwell
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain
• Skin rashes

It is also important to note that these symptoms are not always present; they tend to come and go.

7. Treatment Only Controls The Symptoms

There is no definite cure for autoimmune diseases.

The current treatment of autoimmune diseases is to induce remission (absence of symptoms) in the patient and keep him/her in that state for as long as possible. To achieve this, drugs are used to suppress the malfunctioning overactive immune system. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, and immunosuppressive drugs such as steroids help to reduce inflammation and the immune response respectively.

Furthermore, Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) are used to decrease the damaging effects of the inflammatory response. However, other treatment methods are used to treat specific symptoms like pain, swelling, fatigue, and skin rashes.

Advancements in research have led to the development of newer drug therapy with fewer side effects, which are more effective.

These include:

• Use of Monoclonal antibodies to reduce inflammation.
• Antigen-specific immunotherapy that allows the defense system to target abnormal cells.
• Co-stimulatory blockade which helps to block the pathway that leads to the autoimmune response
• Regulatory T cell therapy that utilizes this special type of T cells to suppress the autoimmune response.

However, during pregnancy, the mode of treatment largely depends on the stage of pregnancy and the presence/absence of other associated conditions.

Conclusion

Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system attacks the body cells. Even though there are a lot of these diseases, most of them present with similar symptoms. Furthermore, these diseases can be triggered by infections and environmental agents, especially during pregnancy, but the root cause remains unknown.

In conclusion, if you think that you’re at risk of any of the autoimmune diseases mentioned in this article, please consult your doctor.

We are always here to help you.

The placenta is a really important organ in pregnancy. As your little one develops, the placenta supplies nutrients and oxygen while removing waste products from your baby’s blood. Sometimes a placental complication called circumvallate placenta can arise during pregnancy.

In this post, you’d learn about the risk factors, causes, and treatment of circumvallate placenta. Also, you’d find reliable info about the effects of circumvallate placenta on pregnancy and childbirth.

What Is Circumvallate Placenta?

Circumvallate placenta is a rare placenta complication that occurs when the covering layer of the placenta on the side of the fetus folds backward around its other edges. In most cases, this abnormal folding happens because the fetal part of the placenta is too small.

What Are the Risk Factors?

Although there’s no telltale sign of circumvallate placenta, certain medical conditions before and during pregnancy may increase the chances of having a circumvallate placenta.

These risk factors include:

• Maternal Infections (Uterine or Vaginal)
• Multiple Pregnancies
• Diabetes
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Birth defects due to genetic or chromosomal abnormalities

Thankfully, routine medical examinations and history taking during your antenatal clinics would help your doctor identify these risk factors and begin any of the treatment options mentioned later in this article.

Causes of Circumvallate Placenta

Here’s the fact: Circumvallate placenta is caused by a variation in placenta development.

However, medical experts haven’t identified the actual cause of circumvallate placenta. However, researchers agree that there’s almost no way of preventing this condition from occurring.

Furthermore, it is important to note that this condition is very rare as it only occurs in 1-2% of all pregnancies globally.

Symptoms of Circumvallate Placenta

Interestingly, the circumvallate placenta may not cause any symptoms in pregnancy and only be discovered after the placenta is delivered. In other cases, the condition can raise certain red flags that your doctor can identify during your regular antenatal clinics.

The common symptoms of circumvallate placenta include:

Fetal Growth Restriction

In some cases, fetal growth restriction may occur in women with circumvallate placenta. The placenta is a fetomaternal organ that supplies vital nutrients and gases for the fetus to grow. Therefore, anything that affects placental development can prevent the baby from growing well.

Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM)

This happens when the amniotic sac ruptures before the onset of labor. Although PROM is an important pregnancy condition, which has various causes and risk factors, it can also be a symptom of circumvallate placenta.

Vaginal Bleeding

This is the most common symptom of circumvallate placenta.

Women with a circumvallate placenta often experience persistent vaginal bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy. In fact, recent medical research shows that circumvallate placenta may cause vaginal bleeding in all three trimesters of pregnancy.

What Are the Effects of Circumvallate Placenta?

Due to its unique features and functions during pregnancy, placenta abnormalities like Placenta Previa can affect both the mother and child during pregnancy or delivery.

The major effects of circumvallate placenta include:

Preterm Delivery

When it happens, circumvallate placenta may cause the amniotic sac to rupture before the due date. This would lead to preterm delivery.

In this case, your doctor may decide to keep you in the hospital and administer IV fluids that relax the uterus and stop the process of labor. In addition, he/she would provide drugs that spur your little one’s lung development as you prepare for delivery.

Chronic Lung Diseases

As we mentioned earlier, circumvallate placenta can cause premature birth.

When a child is born before the due date, there’s a high chance that his/her lungs aren’t developed enough to handle gaseous exchange outside the womb. Therefore, researchers agree that circumvallate placenta can increase the occurrence of chronic lung disease in infants.

Placenta Abruption

This is an emergency medical condition that occurs when the placenta suddenly detaches from the uterus.

Placenta abruption is considered an emergency condition because it can place the baby at serious risk due to deprived oxygen supply. When this happens, an emergency cesarean section is conducted to save the life of the baby and prevent possible organ damage.

In addition, placenta abruption can cause serious hemorrhage that also places the mother at risk.

Low Birth Weight

As we mentioned earlier, fetal growth restriction is a common symptom or feature of circumvallate placenta. Therefore, children of women with circumvallate placenta often have a low birth weight.

Oligohydramnios

In plain terms, oligohydramnios means insufficient amniotic fluid.

It occurs when there is less than 300 mL of amniotic fluid present by the time the baby gets to term. Oligohydramnios is a serious condition because your baby depends on amniotic fluid for his/her lung, muscle, and bone development. In addition to this, the amniotic fluid cushions the baby and provides essential nutrients during pregnancy.

Miscarriage & Stillbirth

Sadly, circumvallate placenta can lead to a miscarriage or stillbirth if any of the effects mentioned earlier is left untreated.

How to Diagnose Circumvallate Placenta?

As we mentioned earlier, there’s no telltale sign of circumvallate placenta during pregnancy. In fact, doctors often diagnose this condition when they observe the placenta after childbirth.

However, a combination of proper medical history (to identify the risk factors) and routine ultrasound scans during pregnancy may help a doctor diagnose circumvallate placenta.

Thankfully, a proper diagnosis before birth would help your doctor begin proper treatment to minimize the risk of low birth weight and placenta abruption.

Circumvallate Placenta Treatment

While treating circumvallate placenta, the goal is to reduce the risk of complications.

In all cases, one of the major effects of circumvallate placenta is low birth weight; your doctor would monitor this by recommending routine ultrasound scans. However, if the baby is still not growing as fast as it should, he/she would recommend early delivery.

Although a C-section is often preferred for early deliveries, it is also possible to have a vaginal birth.

In cases of placenta abruption due to circumvallate placenta, your doctor would recommend any or all of the following:

• Hospital bed rest
• Early delivery
• Emergency C-section

Conclusion

Finally, it is important to note that there’s almost nothing you can do to prevent circumvallate placenta. In fact, when it occurs, it is not your fault or due to something you did wrong.

Thankfully, it is very rare and can be managed with proper medical care to minimize the risk of complications.

Everything would work out fine.

Pregnancy comes with a long list of weird symptoms. From morning sickness to food cravings, the list is almost endless. Sometimes, pregnancy even comes with a symptom as unusual as dry mouth.

Although it is not one of the popular pregnancy symptoms, dry mouth is not a strange occurrence for women in this period.

In this article, you’d find all you need to know about dry mouth in pregnancy; the causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

What is Dry Mouth in Pregnancy?

Here’s the fact: Saliva is a really important feature in your mouth. It helps you digest food, moistens your mouth, and protects it by controlling its bacteria and fungi population.

During pregnancy, the hormone fluctuations that come with your growing baby can affect salivary secretion in your mouth. In addition, reduced salivary secretion during pregnancy may also be a sign of gestational diabetes.

Dry mouth pregnancy is a really important condition because it increases your risk of mouth infections (like thrush), tooth decay, and gum disease.

What Causes Dry Mouth During Pregnancy?

Like every other weird pregnancy symptom, many factors contribute to the development of dry mouth during pregnancy.

Some of them include:

1. Dehydration

This is what happens when your body loses more water than it gets. During pregnancy, vomiting ( during morning sickness) and diarrhea can cause dehydration. Therefore, it is advisable to drink lots of water during the entire period of your pregnancy.

In fact, we recommend an average of 8 cups daily.

In addition to causing dry mouth, dehydration during pregnancy can also lead to persistent headaches, dark yellow urine, dizziness, and extreme fatigue.

2. Side Effect of Certain Medications

Sometimes, certain prescribed medications during pregnancy can alter the amount of saliva in your mouth.  For example, drugs used to treat hypertension and anti-emetics (for nausea treatment) can cause dry mouth.

In addition, dry mouth may also be a side effect of sedatives and muscle relaxants.

3. Gestational Diabetes

As we mentioned earlier, gestational diabetes is a leading cause of dry mouth during pregnancy. This condition, which raises your blood sugar level, only occurs during pregnancy. In this post, we talked about the signs, symptoms, and management of gestational diabetes.

4. Lifestyle Choices

Certain lifestyle choices can also affect the amount of saliva in your mouth during pregnancy. These include:

• Smoking
• Caffeine Intake
• Tobacco Consumption
• Irregular sleep patterns

All of the factors listed above also contribute to the development of dry mouth during pregnancy.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth during Pregnancy

In addition to the obvious dryness and absence of saliva in your mouth, other common symptoms of dry mouth pregnancy include:

• Difficulty in chewing, tasting, and swallowing
• Sore throat
• Burning sensation in the mouth
• Oral sores
• Bad breath
• Red, raw tongue
• Frequent Thirst

What to Do When Your Mouth Is Dry During Pregnancy

The first step is to identify the cause.

You can do this by speaking to your doctor to identify and eliminate the cause. If your dry mouth is a side effect of medication, he/she may adjust the dose or stop the drug entirely.

Furthermore, causes like dehydration can be sorted by drinking 8 glasses of water daily. In addition, lifestyle modifications like limiting caffeine intake, quitting smoking, and tobacco use are recommended.

You can also manage dry mouth during pregnancy by:

• Using fluoride toothpaste
• Chewing sugar-free gum
• Moisturizing the air in your living area with a humidifier
• Reducing salt intake
• Taking more liquid-based food
• Drinking more water
• Using a mouthwash
• Sucking on ice chips
• Breathing through your nose
• Avoiding alcohol
• Using a lip moisturizer
• Reducing caffeine consumption
• Rinsing your mouth before and after meals

Oral Hygiene In Pregnancy

While expecting, your oral health is more important than ever.

In addition to dry mouth, there are other important oral health conditions to consider. These include:

• Gingivitis
• Bad breath
• Thrush
• Tooth Decay

You can avoid these conditions by brushing twice daily, rinsing your mouth before and after meals, as well as using dental floss to clean the spaces between your teeth every day.

In addition to this, your diet is also super important. A healthy pregnancy diet that includes the right quantity and quality of veggies, vitamins, and milk will go a long way in improving and maintaining your oral health.

You can also take fruits like Oranges and Bananas which contain the right amount of calcium, vitamin C, and Vitamin A.

Although dry mouth during pregnancy increases the risk of the oral conditions mentioned above, you can easily avoid them by staying hydrated and following the tips listed in this article.

 Conclusion

Finally, it is important to remember that dry mouth pregnancy is not strange. In fact, many other moms and moms-to-be have experienced this.

It is usually just a function of the hormone changes that come with a growing baby.

You can relieve the symptoms of dry mouth in pregnancy by drinking more water and making the necessary lifestyle modifications. If the home remedies listed in this article don’t help, please contact your doctor for more assistance.

We are always here to help you, Mama.

Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes; to your emotions, activities, and even your body. Sometimes, these changes aren’t always friendly. A typical example of this is the occurrence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in pregnancy.

When it happens, carpal tunnel syndrome limits your ability to hold objects for a long period of time. Interestingly, this syndrome is common in pregnancy.

Although it occurs in only 4 percent of the population, carpal tunnel syndrome affects about 5 in every 10 pregnant women. In this article, you’d find answers to every question about carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy; the meaning, symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is a narrow path which links your wrist to your palm. Internally, it is surrounded by bones and ligaments. As the name implies, this is where the carpal tunnel syndrome occurs.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of the median nerve, which supplies the palm, as it crosses from the wrist into the hand. The median nerve provides sensation to your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of your ring finger.

Furthermore, carpal tunnel syndrome often occurs in one hand. However, it can also occur in both hands. Due to increased fluid production during pregnancy, carpal tunnel syndrome affects a large number of pregnant women.

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome start gradually and increase with time.

For most women, the symptoms include:

1. Numbness/Tingling Sensation In The Fingers

Remember that the median nerve supplies three and half of the fingers in your hand?

As a result of this arrangement, these are the regions affected in carpal tunnel syndrome. Most times, these fingers would feel numb or tingly. Sometimes, this sensation may even go as far up as your wrist.

In most pregnant women, this symptom is observed while driving, or holding an object like a phone or book. It may even occur as a person wakes up from sleep.

Thankfully, the little finger is not affected since it is not supplied at all by the median nerve.

2. Muscle Weakness

While suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, your hands may feel weaker than usual. This is due to the numbness in your hand or the inability of your thumb to perform its grasping function easily.

All these symptoms result from nerve compression.

3. Swollen Fingers

In addition to the tingling sensation and numbness in the hands, pregnant women with carpal tunnel syndrome also have to deal with swollen fingers. This symptom is often linked with the increased fluid retention that comes with pregnancy. To find out more about fluid retention in pregnancy, click here.  

What Are The Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Generally, Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve. This pressure may result from swelling in the carpal tunnel. In fact, whatever irritates or squeezes the median nerve in the carpal tunnel may cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

The major cause of carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy is fluid retention. As your body produces and retains more fluids to support your baby, the median nerve faces a higher risk of compression in the carpal tunnel.

In addition, carpal tunnel syndrome can also result from other underlying medical conditions like:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Edema
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Wrist Fractures

What Are The Risk Factors For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

1. Sex

Women are more predisposed to carpal tunnel syndrome than men are. This may be because women have narrower carpal tunnel compared to men.

2. Pregnancy

As we mentioned earlier, your body retains more fluids during pregnancy. This places you at a higher risk for carpal tunnel syndrome because there is more pressure in the carpal tunnel. Thankfully, if this is the case, the excess fluid would reduce after delivery, and carpal tunnel syndrome would be a thing of the past.

3. Nerve Damaging Conditions.

Certain conditions such as diabetes increase the risk of damaging a nerve, including the median nerve.

4. Anatomic Factors

Certain anatomic features can predispose a person to carpal tunnel syndrome. A small carpal tunnel area may most likely result in carpal tunnel syndrome. A wrist fracture or dislocation can also alter the tunnel area, putting pressure on the median nerve.

5. Lifestyle Choices

Some lifestyle factors can increase a woman’s chances of having carpal tunnel syndrome while pregnant. They include excessive salt intake, sedentary lifestyle, high body mass index (BMI).

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7. Inflammatory Conditions.

Conditions that have inflammatory components such as rheumatoid arthritis can affect the lining around the wrist tendons, resulting in pressure on the median nerve.

Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

In most cases, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is diagnosed based on your description of the symptoms to your physician. Furthermore, your doctor may choose to conduct a physical examination to confirm the diagnosis.

In addition to this, your medical history is also important.

Your doctor would also ask important questions about your medical history to confirm or eliminate the presence of any one of the underlying medical conditions mentioned earlier in this article. Finding a relationship between the past and present is really important in medical therapy.

To aid the diagnosis, your doctor may conduct a physical test to identify the extent of nerve damage. To do this, he/she would gently tap the skin above your wrist to check for any tingling sensation,

Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

In most cases, carpal tunnel syndrome is treated by:

• Pain Medication: One of the major symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome is pain. This pain can be treated with Corticosteroids or NSAIDs like Advil.
• Ice Therapy: You can also relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy by placing an ice pack directly on your wrist. If you do this for about 10 minutes daily, it can help reduce the swelling
• Rest: As usual, rest helps. While expecting your little one, remember to rest whenever you feel pain or discomfort in your wrist.

Prevention of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Sadly, there’s no ultimate way of preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. However, you can reduce the stress on your wrists and hands by modifying your lifestyle choices and following these guidelines:

• Keep your fingers relaxed; As much as you can, avoid bending your fingers for long periods
• Maintain a good posture; Bad postures can affect your wrists, fingers, and hands. If this is left unchecked, nerve compression can occur.
• Take a break! Short, frequent breaks help to relax your wrists. It will be of great help in reducing pressure on your hand.
• Stay warm. Sadly, living or working in very cold environments increase the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Please, try to keep your hands as warm as possible. You can even try wearing a fingerless glove.
• Avoid smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.
• Treat underlying medical conditions to reduce your risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Conclusion

Carpal tunnel syndrome isn’t strange during pregnancy. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed above; don’t worry, you are not alone. Thankfully, the symptoms often resolve a few months after delivery. Furthermore, early diagnosis and treatment and prevent lifelong damage to the median nerve.

Finally, if you observe any of the symptoms mentioned earlier in this article, please consult your doctor immediately.

Frequent urination is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Sometimes, you may even observe different colors and consistencies of urine that were not present before you became pregnant. A typical example of this is the occurrence of cloudy urine in pregnancy.

In this article, we’d talk about the features of normal urine, different colors of urine, causes of cloudy urine during pregnancy, and how to reduce the symptoms.

What Are The Features of Normal Urine?

Normal urine is a clear, sterile, and pale-yellow fluid. It has a characteristic chemical-like smell that may be slightly offensive. Sometimes, your urine can appear to be colorless, especially if you’ve just taken large amounts of water.

How Common Is Cloudy Urine During Pregnancy?

Cloudy urine is one of the many changes that come with pregnancy. In fact, it is even more common than you may think. While expecting your little one, there’d be changes to your hormones, medication, and diet. These changes, as well as other important factors, can make your urine look cloudy.

As a result, cloudy urine is a common occurrence in pregnancy

What Causes Cloudy Urine In pregnancy?

The common causes of cloudy urine in pregnancy are:

1. Hormonal changes.

This is the primary cause of cloudy urine during pregnancy.

While expecting, your body undergoes diverse hormonal changes to support your growing baby. For example, there is an increase in the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the first trimester, which is passed out through urine. Sometimes, the increased presence of hCG can make your urine cloudy.

2. Dehydration.

Most times, pregnancy comes with nausea and vomiting. When this happens, the consistent fluid loss via vomitting can cause dehydration.

Dehydration during pregnancy will lead to dark and concentrated urine, that also appears cloudy.

3. Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Sadly, UTIs are common during pregnancy. When this happens, it can also result in cloudy urine.

During pregnancy, if you notice a marked increase in the frequency of urination, as well as a foul-smell, please consult your doctor immediately.

4. Excess Protein In Urine.

This condition is called proteinuria. Excess protein content in your urine can also make it look cloudy or foamy. This usually occurs in the second or third trimester.

If this excessive amount of protein in urine is accompanied by high blood pressure, it may be a sign of preeclampsia.

5. Dietary modifications.

No doubt, your diet and food cravings would change during pregnancy. You may even begin to crave meals you didn’t like before pregnancy. In some instances, these sudden and abrupt changes may cause your urine to appear cloudy.

This usually occurs if your new diet contains high amounts of phosphorous or Vitamin D. When this happens, you can just remove the foods you weren’t eating before pregnancy and watch out to see if that’s the actual cause.

6. Vaginal discharge.

Vaginal discharge is not strange during pregnancy. However, excess discharge can also cause cloudy urine.

If you experience this symptom, please consult your doctor.

7. Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus causes an abnormal increase in blood sugar level. When this sugar moves into the urine, it can also cause it (your urine) to appear cloudy. In addition, diabetes mellitus may also cause urine to have a sweet or fruity smell.

Different Colors of Urine

As we mentioned earlier, normal urine should be clear, sterile, and pale-yellow. However, several factors can alter the color of your urine.

In this section, we’ve compiled some common urine colors and the possible causes:

• Red or pink colored urine: This is usually due to the presence of blood in the urine and can be a symptom for a serious health condition. In other instances, red-colored urine may result from dietary modifications, like increased consumption of beets or blackberries.
• Brown or dark orange urine. This is not a good sign at all. Brown or dark orange urine indicates that there is excessive secretion of bile, which could be a symptom of a serious liver problem.
• Blue or green urine: Using certain drugs can make your urine appear bluish-green. However, if you are not on any medication and your urine looks this way, you should see a doctor.

How To Manage Cloudy Urine In Pregnancy

Treatment options for cloudy urine during pregnancy depend on the underlying cause. Some home therapies may help you alleviate some symptoms. In other cases, you may need to see your doctor.

Here are some simple home therapies to relieve cloudy urine in pregnancy:

1. Drink Water

Water is really important in pregnancy. In addition to keeping you refreshed always, water also flushes out toxins and makes your urine look less cloudy.

Furthermore, studies show that pregnant women need to drink about 10 cups of water daily to prevent dehydration.

2. Take Some Cranberry Juice

This juice contains a lot of phytonutrients which are helpful in relieving the symptoms of UTI, kidney stones, and other underlying conditions that may cause cloudy urine.

3. Don’t self-medicate

Self-medication may be the cause of cloudy urine during pregnancy.

Here’s the fact: It is wrong to self-medicate during pregnancy. In fact, it is advisable to receive prescriptions from only your attending physician in this period.

4. Use hot/warm compresses.

Sometimes, cloudy urine comes with abdominal pain. When this happens, you can relieve the pain by applying hot or warm compresses.

5. Reduce your salt and sugar intake

Meals with high sugar content may increase your risk for developing diabetes and, by extension, cloudy urine. Also, salty meals predispose you to kidney problems. Therefore, reducing your salt and sugar intake would reduce the symptoms of cloudy urine.

Conclusion

It is always good to consult your doctor if you notice any change in your body function during pregnancy. Although cloudy urine is not strange, you should keep an eye out for any drastic changes and report it to your doctor immediately.