1. constipation and flatulence
Constipation and bloating go hand in hand and are the classic in early pregnancy. “The fact that many women complain of constipation, especially at the very beginning, indicates that the change in hormone balance has something to do with it. Bloating is also often diet-related.” explains Dr. Müller-Hartburg, a gynecologist in Vienna. “I used to recommend magnesium, which has a mild laxative effect. Today, I prefer to give my patients a simple and filling recipe for a breakfast of fruit, curd cheese (Quark) and yogurt with a little linseed oil. This helps very well with all of them, even against flatulence.”
Important with flaxseed, which many know as a home remedy for purging: “Flaxseed needs a lot of liquid to swell. If you drink too little, you risk making constipation worse. Very few people manage to drink the necessary amounts,” warns Dr. Müller-Hartburg. “The linseed oil breakfast works better, and the slightly bitter taste of the oil goes down in it. The men eat that, too!”
Recipe: linseed oil breakfast against constipation and flatulence in pregnancy (for 2 servings)
- Mash 1-2 bananas with a fork or mash them in a blender
- 1 cup of yogurt (150 g)
- 1 teaspoon grated nuts
- 1 teaspoon linseed oil
- Mix everything well.
Home remedies have their limits. If the symptoms persist for a long time, do not improve or even get worse, you should always consult a doctor.
2. fatigue
Many women are unusually tired at the beginning. This is also typical, especially for the 6th to 11th week of pregnancy. “It helps the parents to know why this is. I show you the growing baby on ultrasound and explain that the body needs a lot of energy now,” Müller-Hartburg says. “There’s nothing we can do about the fatigue. It’s completely normal and will soon go away, too.” The pregnancy hormone progesterone is often cited as the cause: “There are so many changes in the whole body now. I can’t imagine that it’s really that alone,” the gynecologist relativizes.
3. heartburn
4. nausea
Nausea is common in early pregnancy, around the first to third month, but varies in severity for each woman: from latent to daily vomiting. “Nausea is quite common, but in most cases it is still mild and it does stop with time. I recommend eating less, but more frequently. It often helps to offer your stomach something in between meals, such as rusks or crispbread. Ginger tea also works well for some women, others respond better to acupuncture or acupressure. You have to try it out individually with a little patience,” advises Dr. Gundakar Wenzl, a gynecologist in Munich.
5. ravenous appetite
6. water in the legs
Rather toward the end of pregnancy, many women store water, especially in the legs, and sometimes also in the arms and hands. “Up to 3 kilos is quite normal during pregnancy,” explains Wenzl. In the past, people treated water retention with rice days and other dehydrating agents. “This is actually harmful because it dehydrates the body,” the doctor warns. On the contrary, “The pregnant woman should drink a lot, move a lot and put her legs up as often as possible,” is his recommendation. “Class 2 support stockings also relieve the strain, and for the hands you can have an old tennis ball with you that you knead every now and then. That stimulates circulation.”
7. back pain
Author & source information
This text corresponds to the specifications of the medical literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been reviewed by medical experts.
