Since so much of the health news for pregnant women consists of warnings, I like to spread the good news when I hear reliable information that something or other may not be so bad for them after all. Something else that doesn’t get enough publicity is that some aches and pains lose a lot of their bite or even go away when you’re pregnant. So, on to some recent good news stories, plus some long established facts that you may not have known.
Metoclopramide, an anti-nausea drug which you may know as Reglan, was “not associated with any increased risk of major congenital malformations, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, or fetal growth restriction†according to the latest, largest study. So that’s one less drug to avoid, which is good news especially if you have morning sickness. (Of course, check with your doctor before taking any meds.)
Pregnant women are often told to avoid aspirin, but it seems low doses of it in pregnancy may prevent preeclampsia, a condition where the mother’s blood pressure gets dangerously high. Aspirin also slightly reduces the risk of premature birth and other bad outcomes for the baby. Again, ask your doctor.
As I noted a while ago, if you have asthma, it might actually get better during pregnancy. That’s not the only condition that does that. According to womenshealth.gov, “for most women migraines improve or stop from about the third month of the pregnancy.†And if yours don’t, it might be okay to take some aspirin. Menstrual cramps (remember them?) are something else that lessen greatly for many women once they’ve had a baby.
Discomfort is part of pregnancy — but at times, pregnancy may actually make you feel better. And when you’re not feeling so good, there are safe ways to deal with it.