Pregnancy Concerns: Swelling in Pregnant Women and How to Improve It - In-Home Maternity Treatments
It has been a long time since we started hearing about the declining birthrate and aging population...
When walking around town, I see pregnant women and mothers with small children quite often.
Since the summer heat has been getting more severe year after year, I quietly cheer for pregnant women in my heart, especially during this season.
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Swelling in Pregnant Women
Up until now, I have treated many pregnant women as a therapist, and the most common concern is 'swelling'.
Other common issues include 'discomfort around the lower back and hips,' 'difficulty falling asleep/lack of sleep,' 'stiff shoulders,' and 'lethargy'.
During pregnancy,
・Changes in hormonal balance (increase in a hormone called progesterone)
・Increase in blood volume (= increase in water volume)
・Compression of blood flow by the uterus
and so on,
In addition to the usual causes of swelling, causes specific to pregnancy are added, so it can be said that it is natural for swelling to occur.
There are cases where it is caused by illnesses such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, so if you feel any physical abnormalities other than swelling, you need to be careful, such as by consulting your family doctor.
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Causes of Swelling That Can Be Addressed
I have written about the causes of swelling in this article as well, but there are the following:
✅ Staying in the same position for a long time
✅ Lack/decrease of muscle mass
✅ Lack of exercise
✅ Tight clothing, underwear, or shoes
✅ Changes in hormonal balance (menstruation/pregnancy/menopause)
✅ Coldness, poor blood circulation
✅ Stress
✅ Lack of sleep
✅ Disturbance of the autonomic nervous system
✅ Alcohol consumption
✅ Excessive caffeine intake
✅ Excessive salt intake
✅ Excessive water intake
✅ Dehydration
✅ Lack of nutrients
✅ Disturbance of the intestinal environment
✅ Anemia
✅ Constitution
✅ Disease
Basically, there is no major difference in swelling countermeasures between those who are pregnant and those who are not.
While you cannot stop the occurrence of swelling due to the physical changes of pregnancy, it is important to reduce other causes of swelling and try to adopt lifestyle habits that improve or alleviate swelling.
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Lifestyle Habits to Alleviate Swelling
Whether you are pregnant or not, the definition of swelling is the same, and the key is to 'improve the flow of veins and lymphatic vessels'.
Specifically,
Move your body within a reasonable range
Avoid clothing, underwear, and shoes that are too tight
Avoid consuming only cold drinks and foods (do not let your body get cold)
Get plenty of sleep
Be careful not to consume too much salt and eat foods containing potassium
Be mindful of consuming too much or too little water
Pay attention to nutritional balance, such as getting enough iron
and so on.
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Maternity massage at home
...Having said that,
With morning sickness, a heavy body, and a physical and mental state that is different from usual, I think there are many people who feel,I can't worry about all those things while pregnant!as well.
If your appetite increases and you eat more than usual, your salt intake will naturally increase as well,
your body temperature will rise and you will likely want to drink cold beverages,
there may be times when you cannot sleep even though you want to due to the pressure on your stomach, body aches, or the need to urinate,
and if you can only eat certain things due to morning sickness, there may be times when you cannot pay attention to nutritional balance.
In such cases, it is recommended to receive a maternity massage.
To live with your pregnant body for about 10 months, I think it is important to relax a little and accept help from others.
Besides, I would like to support pregnant women.
The maternity massage I perform is a treatment that:
・Focuses mainly on the "side-lying" position
・Adds a "supine" position within a comfortable range
so,you can receive the treatment in a comfortable position without putting pressure on your stomach.
I will also perform the treatment after counseling and hearing about areas you do not want pressed or touched,
If you have a floor mattress, futon, or yoga mat (some beds may also be suitable), you can receive treatment in the comfort of your own home.
Even if you have other children besides your baby, you can feel at ease at home.
Please feel free to contact us.
🍊For reservations and inquiries, please use LINE below↓
That concludes our look at pregnancy concerns, swelling in pregnant women, and how to improve it through maternity treatment.
Thank you for reading until the end.
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(Note) This article discusses research and relief effects regarding physiological swelling, but there are cases where swelling is caused by illness or requires medical treatment.
If you do not usually experience swelling and it appears suddenly without any apparent cause,
if the swelling does not improve after a few days,
or if there is a significant difference in swelling between your left and right hands or legs,
it may be a good idea to visit a medical institution.
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(Note) Regarding the term "massage":
In this text, this term is not limited to its original meaning of "treatment performed by a nationally certified massage therapist," but is used in the broad sense commonly used in Japanese, including by non-specialists.
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Mobile Massage LaLa Natsuko Hitomi
https://www.salon-lala.jp/