By Alexis Scott

DISCOMFORT DURING PREGNANCY

When you’re expecting, each stage of the pregnancy will bring about new changes to the body. One of the changes women may experience throughout their pregnancy is discomfort while sleeping. Previous sleeping positions that had always been comfortable, may not be anymore.

During the first trimester, women can begin to experience fatigue and exhaustion alongside the rise of progesterone. The obvious answer is to sleep, and during pregnancy, there is no such thing as too much sleep. But, with the physical changes happening in the body, changing sleep positions might be necessary. For example, if you were a previous stomach sleeper, there may be discomfort because the breasts become tender during pregnancy. Switching to side sleeping is the easiest way to combat this problem.

The second trimester, sometimes referred to as the ‘honeymoon phase’ of pregnancy, although hormones begin stabilizing but sleeping does not become easier. During these weeks, women experience snoring, sleep apnea, leg pain, heartburn, and indigestion. At this point during the baby’s development, the baby will begin moving around more in the womb, especially at night, which can cause more discomfort.

EXPLAINING HORMONAL CHANGES DURING PREGNANCY

During pregnancy, the body goes through huge changes, both externally and internally. Women will experience a wide variety of hormonal changes throughout the different stages of pregnancy all in preparation for the birth. It is instrumental to understand what is happening with the body, so the woman can understand why she feels the way that she does.

Most people know the common symptoms of pregnancy like exhaustion and morning sickness, but do they know the role that hormones play during each stage of pregnancy?

• Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)- produced by what becomes the placenta
  • HCG notifies the ovaries to shut down projection of maturing an egg each month
  • Circulates throughout the body and is eliminated in urine
    • Over the counter pregnancy tests detect the higher levels of HCG
  • Level Fluctuations-
    • HCG levels rise 8 days after ovulation
    • Peak at 60-90 days then lower slightly and level out for the rest of the pregnancy
    • Typically, during first 10 weeks, levels double every 2 days
  • Related Symptoms- Doctors believe rising levels of HCG cause morning sickness and nausea. Typically, nausea is seen primarily towards early stages of pregnancy and as the pregnancy progresses, nausea usually subsides. This coincides with the HCG plateau.
• Progesterone- initially produced by the corpus luteum and then taken over by the placenta after about 10 weeks
  • Progesterone relaxes all smooth muscles, specifically the uterine wall or the womb
  • Inevitably relaxes blood vessels throughout the whole body
  • Related Symptoms- As the blood vessels relax throughout the body, blood pressure can lower below normal numbers, increase the chances of dizziness and cause gastrointestinal problems like heartburn and acid reflux.
• Estrogen- secreted by the corpus luteum until the placenta takes over
  • Estrogen plays a key role in fetal development as it triggers the growth of several organs and bodily functions in the fetus.
  • Estrogen also stimulates the hormone production in the fetus’ adrenal gland.
    • This in turn allows the mother to respond to oxytocin later in the pregnancy.
  • The milk ducts are also enlarged because of estrogen preparing the mother for milk production.
  • Level Fluctuations-
    • High levels circulating by the end of the first trimester
    • By the end of the first trimester, these levels will plateau
  • Related Symptoms- High levels can prompt spider veins, nausea, increased appetite and skin changes and is also responsible for the “pregnancy glow”.
• Relaxin- produced by the ovary until the placenta takes over
  • Relaxin is responsible for loosening the ligaments that hold the pelvic bones together and relax the uterine muscles in preparation for labor.
  • Relaxin will relax the arteries so they can handle the increased blood volume without over-elevating blood pressure.
  • Level Fluctuations-
    • 10 times the normal amount when pregnant
  • Related Symptoms- With the loosening of ligaments, women can experience pain, aches, inflammation, and even clumsiness in the knees, hips, shoulders, and ankles.
• Oxytocin- released by the pituitary gland and travels through the bloodstream
  • Oxytocin stretches the cervix and stimulates the nipples to produce milk.
  • Level Fluctuations-
    • Levels do not rise as labor begins
    • The uterus becomes very sensitive and responsive to oxytocin as you progress to the end of pregnancy
  • Related Symptoms- Women may experience mild euphoria and nesting behaviors in the days and weeks leading up to delivery. Once the baby is born, oxytocin is responsible for “baby lust”. “Baby lust” is a chemical reaction that occurs when a baby’s pheromones stimulate more oxytocin production and creates a mother-baby bond.
• Prolactin- released by the pituitary gland
  • Prolactin is known as the milk-producing hormone.
  • Prepares the breast tissue for lactation and the release of milk
  • Level Fluctuations-
    • Levels increase 10-20 times during pregnancy

PRODUCTS TO ASSIST IN DISCOMFORT

Contour offers a variety of products that can help to alleviate many of the discomforts that come along with sleeping during pregnancy. Some of these include the Kabooti Ice, L-Pillow, Twist Pillow, 2-1 Back, and Leg Relief Wedges.

• Kabooti Ice: The Kabooti Ice is an innovative seat cushion with an insertable cooling gel pack. The cooling gel pack provides soothing relief and is removable, thus allowing the cushion to act as an ordinary seat cushion if needed. The cushion has pressure-mapped technology and stability lobes that allows your weight to be evenly distributed in comparison to the ordinary donut seat cushion. This would alleviate pressure in highly sensitive areas such as the tailbone and coccyx areas. Furthermore, with the alleviated stress, the cushion provides more support for the lower back which is a common sore point for pregnant women. In addition to the obvious comfort benefits, the cushion is designed with an ergonomic wedge design, a generous coccyx cutout, and a sculpted surface to fit your body type specifically.
• L-Pillow: One of the most common sleep positions is side sleeping. Side sleeping for pregnant women is extremely common especially if the woman had previously been a stomach sleeper; this comes with two different problems. The first, being that switching sleep positions is quite difficult and secondly, side sleeping can cause its own type of discomforts. For example, side sleeping can cause shoulder pain and for a pregnant woman, the last thing she needs is more avoidable pain. The L-Pillow is uniquely designed to main a perfect side sleeping position where the arm is wrapped around one side of the pillow allowing the head to rest on the other; this allows the neck, shoulders, and upper body to remain aligned. Furthermore, this product is a better alternative to the traditional heavy and bulky body pillow which does not allow for as much movement during the night. The pillow is suggested for pregnant women to allow a restful night of sleep that is full of support and comfort.
• Twist Pillow: This uniquely designed pillow provides a wide variety of uses including, sleeping, sitting, traveling, and usable for young children. The Twist Pillow can hold any position and is best for supporting the neck, head, and leg or lumbar. With special linkage technology inside the pillow, the Twist can hold its shape and stay in position. The pillow can function as a neck pillow, leg pillow during the night and can be placed in a chair for more lumbar support. Additionally, the pillow has maternal functionality. Firstly, the obvious is that it provides lumbar support which is stressed during pregnancy. Secondly, the pillow can be bent to cradle babies in a secure position.
• 2-1 Back and Leg Relief Wedges: Contour provides a large line of dual-powered back and leg relief wedges that are designed for the gentle elevation of the body to relieve sore backs, hips, legs, knees, and feet. The 2-1 back and leg relief wedges provide orthopedic level support that allow for extreme muscle relief. As mentioned, pregnant women experience a wide variety of symptoms throughout each trimester and these wedges allow for sleep elevation that would lessen the majority of those symptoms.