Hemorrhoids can result from hard stools. Avoid hard stools by drinking 2½ liters a day. In addition, eat laxative foods such as kiwi, whole wheat bread, vegetables and ontbijtkoek. If you feel that you need to go to the toilet, go straight away. Do not hold the stool for a long time, because it becomes harder. Hemorrhoids may also occur during childbirth. If you suffer from hemorrhoids, please discuss this with our midwives. We may advise medication.

Round ligament pain feels like a stinging pain especially on the side of the lower abdomen near the groin. The pain is caused by stretching the ligaments carrying the uterus. This pain can occur during the entire pregnancy and also in the week after childbirth. Try to avoid sudden movements. Optionally, supportive underwear or a special strap around the belly can offer relief.

During pregnancy, the ligaments and muscles around the pelvis relax and soften the pelvic cartilage. This gives the pelvis extra space and allows the baby to be delivered more easily through the birth canal. During pregnancy, however, it may cause some discomfort and pain. Rest sufficiently and assume good posture. You can read more about pelvic pain in Cecile Röst’s book “Pelvic pain during and after pregnancy”.

You won’t easily notice a urinary tract infection (UTI) during pregnancy. A burning sensation during or after peeing is usually not present. Actually, a pain in the abdomen is usually the only signal that indicates a UTI. If you suspect a UTI, you can bring a sample of urine to the GP. They can test the urine and confirm whether you have a UTI. A UTI can be treated with antibiotics during pregnancy. Always ask your pharmacist if you can take medicines during pregnancy. Rest more for the duration of the treatment. This promotes healing. Also drink more water than you normally would and use extra vitamin C to acidify the urine. Have your urine tested again a few days after the end of the treatment to see if the UTI is completely healed.

The hormone progesterone causes your blood vessels to open wider when you’re pregnant. This causes your nose and gums to bleed more easily. Make sure your gums are not infected.

During pregnancy, breast tissue will grow. More milk glands and more blood vessels are formed. In some women, the breasts grow 1 to 2 cup sizes. In other women, the breasts only become heavier. This is both normal and indicates nothing about the quality of milk. From the third month, breasts can start to lactate. It is important to wear a properly fitted bra.

Under the influence of hormones, all muscles in the body are relaxed and cartilage becomes weaker. This also applies to the circular muscle between the esophagus and the stomach. The muscle does not close well, causing many women to suffer from stomach acid. First try to avoid the food causes the worst stomach acid. Sometimes it helps if you eat (lukewarm) dairy products such as vanilla yogurt, soft peppermint or raw oat flakes. You can always use Rennie or Antagel. If, despite the advice, you continue to suffer from burning stomach acid, please discuss with our midwives. Finally, some medicines for burning stomach acid are available, which can also be used during pregnancy.

During pregnancy you may suffer from dizziness. A cause of dizziness may be low blood pressure, sometimes combined with a natural drop in blood pressure. This is not harmful; it’s just uncomfortable. Dizziness can also be caused by changes in blood sugar levels. It is important to eat small portions of food more often during the day when you’re pregnant. This prevents fluctuations in blood sugar, and dizziness.

When you lie on your back, the uterus can block an important vein next to the spinal cord. This causes there to be less flow of blood back to the heart, causing you to become dizzy. Lying on your side instead of on your back can prevent dizziness.

It’s possible that you’ll get the flu when you’re pregnant. This is not dangerous to your unborn baby. Make sure you keep drinking a lot of fluids and take plenty of rest. If you have a fever you may take paracetamol. This causes your temperature to drop slightly. In case of continuous fever contact our practice or your GP.

Due to the influence of the progesterone hormone, hair grows quicker during pregnancy. Sometimes it also grows in places where it had not been observed before. These (extra) hairs disappear when pregnancy is over.

Vitamin deficiency may cause hair loss. Taking Vitamin B supplements can provide some improvement. After the delivery, all extra hair that you have gotten during the pregnancy will disappear.

The heart has to pump around more blood during pregnancy. The heartbeat is also higher and the heart is slightly enlarged. If you are pregnant, extra heartbeats occur more often.

Tip from our obstetricians: If you suffer from palpitations, do not panic. It is very normal. Sit down and keep calm, it will pass.

Urinary loss occurs regularly in pregnancy. The bladder’s constrictor muscle is relaxed due to the pregnancy hormones. Later in pregnancy, urinary loss is caused by the growing uterus and the child pushing on the bladder. It is important to keep the pelvic floor muscles well trained in order to reduce incontinence. You can learn pelvic floor exercises during childbirth courses.

Dropping or lightening usually occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy. Not every child’s head is stuck in the pelvis before delivery. When you are pregnant with your first child and the child does not drop, we would like to know what the possible cause is before delivery. An ultrasound is made around the 38th week. If we do not find any causes, we’ll calmly await the delivery.

Some women suffer from itching in pregnancy. The pregnancy hormones cause a slight stiffness in the liver. The liver therefore works less well with the result that bile gets into the blood, causing itching. Occasionally, talcum powder brings some relief or a cream with aloe vera. The itching disappears immediately after the baby is born.

As pregnancy progresses, the ligaments and muscles of the stomach continue to stretch. Also, due to the hormones, the ligaments lose firmness, causing them to be less supporting to the stomach. The muscles of your back now have to carry a lot more weight: the back can become overtaxed, resulting in lower back pain. Good posture is important. Optionally, a physical therapist can provide guidelines to alleviate the complaints.

Early in pregnancy you may suffer from nausea. This is because of the HCG hormone that promotes a good development of the pregnancy. The nausea can last for about 16 weeks. After that, the work of the HCG hormone is taken over by other hormones and in most women the nausea disappears. Small light meals spread throughout the day and consuming ginger (tea, cake) can reduce nausea.

The same HCG hormone that causes nausea causes you to be more tired during the first three months of pregnancy. So, it’s not strange that you might want to sleep more than before pregnancy. Usually, the fatigue disappears simultaneously with nausea. Tip from our obstetricians: be careful with the sun, because the increased pigmentation of the skin may cause your skin to spot. So, try to find out if this happens in your skin too by sitting in the sun for a short while, if your skin tans as normal, you can continue sunbathing without worrying about spots.

Due to the pregnancy hormones, you get more pigment in the skin. The most famous is the dark line of the pubic bone to the navel. The pregnancy mask (the  butterfly-shaped brown discoloration over the forehead, nose and cheeks) is also caused by increased pigmentation.

Many pregnant women suffer from tingling hands and sometimes pain in the hand or forearm. These complaints occur mostly at night, but there are also pregnant women who suffer during the day. The complaints are caused by moisture accumulation in a tunnel in the forearm, where all the nerves of the hand and fingers pass through. Even if you do not retain water visibly, you always retain extra water in your body during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, you may suffer from varicose veins due to water retention. In addition, the circulatory system may become obstructed by the ever-growing uterus. Varicose veins usually occur on the legs or on the outer labias. If you have a predisposition, the occurrence of varicose veins can be difficult to prevent. In any case, do not wear any pinching stockings or clothes.

Make sure you are not standing or sitting for too long. Slightly elevate the foot of the bed (up to 10 centimeters) or put a pillow under the mattress. Wearing a 60-denier pantyhose can provide a supporting effect. Sometimes wearing compression stockings is required. In addition, massage therapies are available that help with varicose veins. During consultation hours, you can ask our obstetricians for more information.

During pregnancy you may suffer from muscle cramps or restless legs. This is usually due to the size of the uterus, which impedes the blood flow to the legs. When this complaint occurs at the end of the night, this is often due to the cooling of the legs. Make sure you keep your legs warm during the night (do not wear socks that impede blood circulation). Take contrast baths and let your partner massage your legs with oil before going to sleep. In case of cramps, move the leg or foot in the opposite direction.

Variations in your mood are part and parcel to pregnancy. Talking about it can be a relief and will help those around you understand.

Because the acidity levels of the vagina change during pregnancy, you are more susceptible to vaginal fungal infection. Do not wash the vagina with soap and wear cotton underwear without pads or sanitary napkins. With itching and redness, it is advisable to consult your GP; A fungal infection can be treated during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, it is normal for you to pee more often than you are used to, and often in small quantities. In the beginning of pregnancy hormones are often the cause and by the end of pregnancy, it is the growing uterus and your baby that pushes on the bladder.

Hard stools occur regularly in pregnancy. Try to avoid this by drinking plenty of water (2½ liters a day), eating lots of fiber and getting enough exercise.

In pregnancy, it is normal for you to retain water. However, some women retain so much water that not only hands and feet but the entire body is swelling. Retaining too much water can cause blood pressure to rise. If this is the case, consult with our midwives. We will check the blood pressure and give advice. If the blood pressure is not too high, then there is nothing else that we can do except wait for the delivery.

Some good tips and advice: drink a lot of water (nettle tea), eat raw chicory or celery, elevate the foot of your bed and do not stand still for too long. Massage therapy is available. However, you will notice that the water only goes away when you have delivered the baby.

During pregnancy you may suffer from stretch marks. These are also called striae. Striae is caused by the skin stretching too fast. The subcutaneous connective tissue does not stretch sufficiently and ruptures. Marks appear on the stomach, buttocks, hips and / or breasts. Striae can be very itchy. Take care of the skin with a vitamin E-containing lotion during pregnancy. Prevention does not work, getting striae is hereditary. After pregnancy, the striae does not disappear, but becomes lighter in color.