Remedies for Pregnancy Discomforts

Heartburn, indigestion, aching legs, swollen ankles, sleepless nights . . . the list is endless. The good news is these discomforts are only temporary BUT they sure are unpleasant when you have them. Our viewers are sharing their best tried and true tips here.

Please remember that these tips are for interest only. They are not intended to substitute for appropriate medical care and do not claim to be the final or definitive word. Information offered here are not necessarily the views or opinions of the moderator and are offered to the viewer as just another source of information or opinion.

HEARTBURN, INDIGESTION and NAUSEA
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From Krow . . . For heartburn, a big glass of milk while and just after you finish eating . . . works with everything and every time

From Sharon . . . Believe it or not, chewing gum (any flavor) helped me with my heartburn.

From Lynn . . . For nausea, mix jello. Do not let it jell. Drink it warm!

From Cheryl . . . Wait at LEAST an hour after eating to lay down. And try drinking milk with meals, or with dessert. I've found that milk will cure what rolaids-tums-maalox can't.

From Stacy . . . The only thing that I have found to help the heartburn that I am sure won't hurt the baby is bubble gum! I swear this works and everyone laughed at me about it but just last week I read that the University of Alabama Medical School found evidence!! Who's laughing now?? (hehe)

From VEROINT . . . Peppermint tea for nausea and heartburn. It was suggested to me by an expert in natural home remedies and it worked!

From Elaine . . . TUMS . . . I LIVED on Tums with each pregnancy!

ACHY BACK, LEGS and FEET

From Eileen . . . For my aching feet, I found that rubbing lotion on them and then propping them up with pillows works terrific!

From Gihl. . . I found a swim to be a wonderful pain reliever for the ninth month achy back and legs. My OB/GYN actually recommended it because my legs were swelling. Since I live in a cold part of the country, my husband and I took the opportunity for a weekend getaway and went to a local hotel. I can't believe how much it helped. My leg swelling decrease dramatically with just a 20 minute dip in the pool, and my back never felt better. It also gave my husband and I some quality time together before the birth of our daughter. Next pregnancy, I will not wait until four days before delivery before I go swimming. Even if it means wearing one of those really ugly maternity swimsuits in public!!

From JAS. . .In my first pregnancy, I exercised regularly (walking mostly), but it helped me a lot in dealing with negative feelings about my body changing, and it made me feel like I was doing something good for the two of us. Mind you that I exercised before I got pregnant, so my body was used to it already. I also took an extra calcium supplement on top of taking my prenatal vitamin. (My doctor recommended this for me, so make sure you check with your doctor!) It helped me very much in controlling my leg cramps. I used to get terrible leg cramps in the middle of the night.

From Elaine . . . A warm heating pad helped with the lower back aches. ENERGY LEVEL

From Cheryl . . . Start early - Denise Austin has a great pre-natal workout that really boosted my energy levels during the first trimester, and now I feel really fantastic, and my doctor says my weight is perfect (considering I gained 50 lb. during my last pregnancy!!!). Her video is filled with other information and tips and is endorsed by the American Ob-Gyn Association. Stretching during the workout also helps prevent leg cramps!

SLEEP WOES

From Kimberly . . . My cure for having trouble sleeping . . . kick your husband out of bed (do so lovingly of course) and use the whole bed for yourself.

From Elaine . . . In order to get remotely comfortable enough to sleep, I would lay on my side with a couple of pillows under my head, then I would wedge a sort of flat one under my tummy to support it and keep the weight from tugging on my back, then I would put one or two pillows between my knees to keep my leg from rotating my hip forward, and finally I snuggled another pillow to support my arm and keep my shoulders in alignment . . . (or maybe just because I liked to snuggle?) So I advise any pregnant woman to buy LOTS of pillows!