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Week five

Your baby is only about the size of an apple seed but is having a major effect on how you feel. Hormone changes in your body as your baby begins to develop may cause side effects, such as sickness or tiredness. Fortunately, there’s lots you can do to keep yourself comfortable.

This week we look at

• Feeling sick
• Feeling tired
• Tender breasts
• Bleeding in early pregnancy
• Bending and lifting
• Avoiding alcohol and cutting down on caffeine
• Safe medicines
• Chicken pox
• Eating well

If you feel sick
This is a common symptom of pregnancy and will probably improve on its own within 16 to 20 weeks. It is not a sign that your pregnancy will become complicated. It may strike at any time of day and you may feel anything from mildly queasy, to not being able to eat because you feel so sick. Either way, it’s miserable. Try eating little and often rather than having big meals, having a dry snack such as crackers or ginger biscuits before you get out of bed in the morning, and sipping ginger or peppermint tea if you feel queasy. See week eight for more help.
If you are being sick a lot and can’t keep anything down, you may become dehydrated so see your doctor as soon as you can.

If you feel tired all the time
Pregnancy is exhausting. You may feel a fraud when you’ve got nothing to show for it, but your body is working hard, putting energy into nourishing your growing baby. Eat regularly to keep up your energy levels, get plenty of sleep, and rest whenever you can.

Tender breasts
This can be one of the miseries of pregnancy for some women as heavy, tender breasts can be painful and uncomfortable. It may help to wear a well-fitted, supportive bra with wide straps and no underwire during the day (have your bust measured at a maternity store as you may need a larger size bra already), and a soft but supportive jersey bra at night.

Bleeding in early pregnancy
Some slight bleeding is not unusual in the early weeks of pregnancy... but it can be frightening. You may see a slight staining of a pink or brown colour, and feel some cramps. This is sometimes caused by the embryo implanting in the womb. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period. If the bleeding is painless, that’s a good sign. If the bleeding is accompanied by cramps, that’s not so good. Call your doctor or midwife straight away, even if the bleeding stops. Usually light spotting or dark brown bleeding is not considered a major problem. You may need a check to rule out any complications and to make sure you and your baby are fine.

But if there’s bright red blood or fresh bleeding, especially if it’s accompanied by pain, call your midwife, as you will need immediate medical attention. It may be the sign of a miscarriage.

Bleeding and pain may also be signs of an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is when the new baby starts to develop outside the womb and it’s a very serious condition. The signs are severe pain, going into shock and heavy bleeding. You’ll need to be taken straight to your nearest accident and emergency unit.

Avoid bending and lifting
You should not do any heavy lifting while you are pregnant. The pregnancy hormone relaxin makes your ligaments more pliable, so they are more prone to strains. If you have to lift something, keep your back straight and bend your hips and knees. When you go shopping, divide what you buy into two equal loads and carry one bag in each hand.

Just a lemonade
It’s sometimes hard being the odd one out on a night out. If you don’t want to tell yet, but friends ask why you’re not drinking, try these ready-made excuses...

• Tell people you’re on antibiotics.
• Say you’re on a detox diet
• Groan and say you’re cutting back after a hangover!

Don’t let friends pressure you into drinking.

Cut down on caffeine
It’s important not to have more than 300 mg of caffeine a day as high levels can cause low birth weight or even miscarriage.

As a rough guide:

• Cup of instant coffee = 75 mg caffeine
• Cup of tea = 50 mg
• Can of cola = 40 mg
• 50g bar chocolate = 50 mg

Caffeine is also found in some cold and flu remedies, so always check with your healthcare professional or pharmacist before taking any.

Chickenpox alert
It’s important to be sure that you’re immune to chickenpox. If you can’t remember whether or not you had it as a child, speak to your midwife or GP.

Medicines to avoid
Avoid all drugs and medicines, including aspirin and ibuprofen, unless they are prescribed for you by a GP who knows that you’re pregnant. This includes medicines you can buy for headaches, colds, sore throats and hay fever. Even complementary therapies such as homeopathic or herbal remedies are not necessarily safe.

Why eating well is vital
Don’t try to lose weight while you’re pregnant as it could harm you and your baby – weight-loss diets can leave you low in energy and important vitamins and minerals. Remember, normal weight gain is one of the most positive signs of a healthy pregnancy, and eating a well-balanced diet means you are more likely to have a healthy baby. So as long as you’re eating healthily, relax: you’re supposed to be getting bigger!

If you’re on benefits, tell your local Jobcentre Plus or benefits office you’re pregnant; you may get free milk and vitamin supplements.

Try to eat the following every day

• Five servings of fruit and vegetables.
• Three or four servings of wholemeal bread, cereals or potatoes.
• Two servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs or pulses (lentils, chickpeas, etc).
• One pint of milk, some yogurt or hard cheese.

And, remember your good fats
Not all fats are ‘bad’ for you. There are some fats, called essential fatty acids, that the body needs and that help your growing baby’s brain, eyes and vision. Essential fatty acids are found in oils, nuts and seeds, and oily fish (such as mackerel, salmon, trout, herring, sardines and pilchards). Don’t take cod liver oil supplements though as they contain vitamin A which may be harmful to your baby. Avoid vitamin A supplements and multivitamins containing vitamin A for the same reason.

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