What's Ailing You? Pain? Fever?

It is sometimes difficult to decide whether experiencing pain or fever is a warning of something more serious, or just a passing phase.

- Loren Stow

When it comes to pregnancy, you don’t want to take any chances and when it comes to your baby or toddler, your fears might be more pronounced because your little ones can’t always verbalise what they’re feeling.

PAIN AND FEVER IN PREGNANCY

In pregnancy, it is quite normal to experience some level of occasional discomfort in your stomach, back and legs. However, sometimes it could indicate an underlying problem of a more serious nature, and a persistent pain should never be ignored. Remember that it is always better to be safe than sorry. Always seek professional advice if you experience abdominal pain that is accompanied by bleeding, spotting, fever, a new and different vaginal discharge, dizziness, pain while passing urine, nausea and vomiting, or if the pain doesn’t subside, even after you’ve had a rest.

NOT ALL ABDOMINAL PAIN IS SERIOUS, FOR EXAMPLE:

• Gas and bloating are very common during pregnancy and can cause severe discomfort. Try to steer clear of gas-forming foods if you can.

• Another common issue in pregnancy is constipation, which is caused by your digestive process slowing down so that all the possible nutrients can be absorbed from your food into your body and passed on to your baby. Try to keep your diet full of fibre and drink as much water as you can.

• The pain sometimes felt in your lower abdomen and groin is called round ligament pain. This pain might be sharp and quick, or dull and long-lasting, and it is caused by your ligaments thickening and stretching to make space for your growing uterus. Remember to be gentle with yourself, because these ligaments are becoming more elastic and it is easier to injure yourself at this time.