Changes In Your Body That Happens During Your First Trimester Pregnancy
For most women, the first 12 or so weeks of pregnancy are the most consuming because everything is all so new, so exciting, even overwhelming. However, it is also the most critical period because the most dramatic changes and development for your baby happen during this time. It is also during the first trimester that the fetus is the most prone to damage, which is why moms-to-be tend to be really cautious.
Because of this, chiropractic care is the last thing most people, especially pregnant women would consider at this point. However, what they do not realize is that chiropractic care offers a lot of health benefits for those who are pregnant. This especially true for pregnancy symptoms that most women tend to just endure during this critical period like back pain, vomiting, nausea, and more. The thing is, why endure the pain if there’s chiropractic care that can help lessen the intensity of these symptoms?
Here are the common changes you are likely to experience during the first trimester of your pregnancy wherein chiropractic adjustment may help in some areas to make the experience less difficult.
Morning Sickness
This is the most well-known pregnancy symptom, but despite its term, it doesn’t just happen in the morning. Because of the pregnancy hormones, a woman can experience this anytime of the day which may or may not be triggered by food or smell. If the nausea and vomiting are due in part to nerves pinched by out-of-place vertebrae, an adjustment will help remedy the problem.
Tender Breast
Women tend to experience this as well every month during their menstrual period. The difference is that when a woman is pregnant, she’ll have this symptom by week 6 and throughout the pregnancy.
Mood Swings
Remember pregnancy hormones, it also tends to affect a woman’s mood. There will be days where you’ll feel up or down. It’s important to know that this is a normal part of the pregnancy, but for those who have a history of mood disorder, it would be best to consult your doctor. Aside from that, chiropractic care, by ensuring that the body is correctly aligned, ensures that the hormone production is more or less regulated. This can help reduce mood swing so that you don’t feel so emotionally drained.
Fatigue
Not to confuse it with feeling tired after a long day. When you’re pregnant it would be as if your energy flew out of the window. You’ll feel more tired than usual, as a symptom that is common during the first trimester but tends to go away on the second and comes back in the third trimester. This is because your body is working hard trying to adjust to the changes brought by pregnancy. A chiropractor is trained to employ safe, gentle and effective techniques that ensure your pelvis, spine and nerve system function at an optimum level so that you feel less physically drained.
Headaches
Due to hormonal and postural changes, it’s very likely that you’ll experience episodes of headaches. Rest, proper nutrition and hydration, as well as massages here and there, should be able to help lessen it. But if it persists, a visit to the chiropractor may help you. Due to a pregnant woman’s protruding abdomen and increased curve in the back, they often suffer from back pain since their posture shift forward. With chiropractic adjustments, long term pain, headaches, and posture issues could be avoided early on.
Frequent Urination
The extra blood flow makes your kidneys produce up to 25% more urine soon after conception. This increased urine production peaks by about 9 to 16 weeks of the pregnancy, then settles down. Passing urine frequently can also be influenced by pressure on your bladder because of the growing uterus. But with a chiropractor ensuring your spine’s normal function especially mid back and low back regions, which experience significant postural stresses associated with a growing baby and belly, you’ll experience improvement with frequent urination.
Increased Vaginal Secretion
The lining of your vagina will become thicker and less sensitive. You may notice a thin, whitish discharge, which is normal during pregnancy. Mild vaginal bleeding (“spotting”) is also common and normal. However, you should call your doctor if you have any vaginal bleeding. If the bleeding is severe or painful, go to the emergency room. Chiropractic care, by ensuring your spine is healthy during this critical period, helps maintain proper function for every organ in your body which includes your uterus. This then lessens possible pain and severe bleeding.
Light-Headedness
Speaking of your body working hard to adjust to the pregnancy, this also means your body is trying to pump extra blood to support your growing baby. This results in feeling dizzy frequently.
Shortness Of Breath
During your first trimester your progesterone level increases, an adjustment in your body that lead to shortness of breath. This can also lead to your lungs and diaphragm suffers a space crunch as your uterus expands upwards. This is why you may find yourself having hard time breathing.
