Pregnancy

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Phone Nurse

A registered nurse is available during office hours for questions or to coordinate your care with your physician. For after hours emergencies call the nurse at 541-868-9700. Our answering service will promptly return your call.

Common Pregnancy Symptoms and Treatments

Heartburn During Pregnancy

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals
• Try not to lie down within two hours after eating
• Start taking Tums or Rolaids and increase as needed
• If the Tums or Rolaids otherwise aren’t working, start Pepcid AC
• Talk to your Women’s Care provider if these are not controlling your symptoms

Sore Throat During Pregnancy

• Chloraseptic spray or lozenges
• Tylenol (Regular or Extra Strength)
• Herbal tea with honey

Cold, Flu, and Nasal Congestion During Pregnancy

• Tylenol (Regular or Extra Strength)
• Tylenol-Cold, Tylenol Sinus, Dayquil / generic equivalents are fine
• Vaporizer
• Robitussin (plain or CF)

Gas During Pregnancy

• Phazyme or Gas X

Diarrhea During Pregnancy

• Increase clear fluids and avoid milk products
• BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast)
• Avoid spicy and greasy foods.
• Imodium

Cough During Pregnancy

• Robitussin (Dextromethorphan)
• Cough drops
• Tylenol cold & flu (generic equivelents)
• Honey

Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy

• Try eating small frequent meals; avoid an empty stomach
• Crackers, dry toast, hard candy, plain popcorn, or dry cereal
• Bland diet; avoid spicy and greasy foods
• Sea Bands (over the counter)
• Vitamin B6 25 mg three times a day
• 12.5mg of Doxylamine (Unisom) at night. These work synergistically to help nausea the next day.
• Dry toast or crackers before getting out of bed in the morning
• Avoid foods and odors that make you feel sick

Headache During Pregnancy

• Alternate warm and cold compresses
• Tylenol (Regular or Extra Strength)
• Rest, relaxation, and massage
• DO NOT USE Advil, Aleve, or Aspirin unless directed by your doctor
• Don’t skip meals

Constipation During Pregnancy

• Increase fiber – bran cereal or fiber supplement
• Increase fluid intake
• Exercise
• Metamucil, Citrucel, or Fiber Con (must be taken with 8 oz. of water)
• Stool softeners – Colace 50-100 mg twice a day
• Miralax, 1-2 capfuls in your water or juice

Yeast Infections During Pregnancy

Over the counter creams or inserts are fine – one, three, five, or seven day preparations are all acceptable.

Varicose Veins During Pregnancy

• Support hose are very helpful.
• Avoid standing for prolonged periods of time, and elevate your legs several times per day

Urinary Tract Infection During Pregnancy

If you feel you have a UTI, you should call the office.

UTI’s in pregnancy have different symptoms, usually cramping, burning with urination and/or feeling of pressure or urgency. You can help prevent UTI’s by drinking at least 64 oz. of water a day.

Spotting During Pregnancy

Spotting is common, especially early and late in pregnancy and after intercourse. If you have any heavier bleeding, more than spotting, please call our office. It is very common to have spotting after intercourse, but if anything ever gets heavy, please call our office.

Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy

Hemorrhoids are enlarged rectal varicose veins that are often itchy and painful. Constipation can worsen them. Please see the constipation section, on this page, to minimize symptoms.

• Try to avoid straining with bowel movements and constipation
• Warm sitz baths for 20 minutes twice a day may help
• Cream, suppositories, or Preparation H
• Tucks pads are particularly soothing when cold

Back Pain During Pregnancy

• Heat or ice (see which one is more effective for you)
• Tylenol (Regular or Extra Strength)
• Massages, physical therapy, and chiropractic adjustments are safe during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga is excellent. YouTube has many excellent 15-20 minute prenatal yoga programs that can help if done consistently.
• Soaking in a warm bath for 20-30 minutes at the end of the day may help.
• Be careful when lifting – bend your knees, squat close to the load, and lift with your thigh muscles.
• Wear low-heeled, comfortable shoes

Sciatic Nerve Pain During Pregnancy

• Pressure on your sciatic nerve may cause pain or numbness in your lower back and down one leg.
• Changing positions, massage, stretching, physical therapy, Tylenol, or using a heating pad may improve your symptoms.
• Prenatal yoga and back pain can be helpful.

Swelling During Pregnancy

Swelling in your legs is very common at the end of pregnancy.

• You may try elevating your legs
• Support hose
• Decrease sodium in your diet
• Avoid prolonged standing or sitting in the same position
• If you have sudden and severe ankle swelling and rapid weight gain or if you notice pain, warmth, or swelling in one leg, please notify your provider. Soaking in a warm bath for 20-30 minutes at the end of the day may help

Insomnia During Pregnancy

Warm baths; relax with soft music, and massages. Try sleeping on your side with a pillow to support your knees and hip joints. Benadryl (25mg) on occasion may help if you have difficulty falling asleep. You may sleep in any position that is comfortable for you. Some books state you may ONLY sleep on your side, these are incorrect. You may feel more comfortable sleeping on your back; just place a pillow under your side to tilt your uterus. Try keeping to a regular sleep schedule.

Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

Stretch marks occur in about 90% of women. They may occur on your abdomen, breast, and thighs. Nothing prevents these but keeping your skin soft with lotion may help.

Symptoms of possible trouble

If you experience any of the following symptoms during your pregnancy,  please call our office:

• Vaginal Bleeding
• Severe continuous headache
• Severe pain in the abdomen
• Persistent vomiting
• Sudden escape of water from the vagina