These are mostly things which I saved off the net - if it is mine, it will say so unless I happened to be one parent answering a question...
I will keep pulling what seem to be thorough articles off the net, and I will also take submissions on any general pregnancy topic if people will send them! Send me all that great stuff you saved because you thought it would make a good FAQ!
-Sabrina swnymph@fensende.com (ps. Those who took the time to compile answers to a question or type in info from a book will get credit unless they ask for their personal onfo to be deleted; answers to posted questions will have their personal info deleted unless they ask for it to be included... This is for brevity!)
Twins mailing list - To subscribe to the list, send e-mail to twins-request@cup.hp.com. In the body of the message, write
subscribe twins <yourname@address>
The list is also available in digest form. Among other net resources, there is a newsgroup called alt.parenting.twins-triplets. America Online users can participate in scheduled "live chats" for parents of multiples. For information on these, contact TWINMOM212@aol.com.
These are the books I have found most useful. Each of them includes an extensive list of resources available to parents of multiples (the lists in _Having Twins_ and _Mothering Twins_ even include a number of international organizations).
_Having Twins_ by Elizabeth Noble (some call it the "bible" of multiple pregnancy) _Mothering Twins_ by Linda Albi, et al. _Multiple Blessings_ by Betty Rothbart
If you have trouble finding any of these books, they can be ordered from a support organization called Twin Services, which offers many other publications, along with a counseling hotline and referrals.
Twin Services PO Box 10066 Berkeley, CA 94709 Twinline: 510/524-0863
Other good support organizations:
Triplet Connection PO Box 99571 Stockton, CA 95209 209/474-3073 or 474-0885
MOST (Mothers of Supertwins) PO Box 951 Brentwood, NY 11717-0627 516/434-MOST
National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs 12404 Princess Jeane NE Albuquerque, NM 87112-4640 505/275-0955
Try the Twins and Supertwins mailing list : (see above for address...)
Topics of Discussion:
Ftp Archive:
Bob has also added an archive of threads starting from April or May 1994. These may be found in D:\public\twins\threads. If you have a question you suspect has been discussed here a million times before, you may want to try there first. However, in Bob's words: "I do NOT intend to replace the folks on the list or squash new thoughts, just create a rough FAQ library to start discussions."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
>: Could someone please e-mail me the method for perineal massage? We are >: expecting in April and my wife had episiotomies with our first two. Can >: we please get some advise so she can perhaps avoid being cut this time?
Well, all these requests must mean nobody is sending anything, so I'll try... I have here an excellent 2-page pamphlet with pictures. If you really want to learn to do this, I suggest finding something similar so you can really SEE it! This one is from ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association) by Elise Fleming. Write for copies to: ICEA, PO BOX 20048, Minneapolis, MN 55420-0048, USA.
I also hate to be a pessimist, because perineal massage does help, as do Kegel exercises and squatting during pregnancy, but once you have had an episiotomy the scar tissue is more likely to tear than either intact skin or scar tissue from a previous tear.
Anyway, here are the basics from this pamphlet:
Cautions: Avoid the urinary opening to prevent UTI, and if you have active herpes lesions, wait until they heal to avoid spreading the virus.
General Hints: Use a mirror to find the vagina and perineum at first. If you feel tense, take a warm bath or use a warm compress 5-10 min on your perineum.
If you had an episiotomy before, concentrate part of the time on the scar area to help it stretch.
Remember that upright positions for delivery (sitting, standing, squatting), or side-lying reduce strain on the perineum. Lying on your back with feet in stirrups is most likely to get you an episiotomy.
After birth, do Kegel exercises to tone up the muscles which have stretched.
Directions: Wash your hands.
Sit or lean back in a comfortable position.
Put a lubricant such as KY jelly, cocoa butter, vitamin E oil, or vegetable oil on your thumbs and around your perineum. If your body produces enough natural lubricant, you can use that, too.
Place your thumbs 1-1 1/2 inches (3-4cm) inside your vagina (your fingers fall against your buttocks). Press downwards (towards your anus) and to the sides at the same time. Gently but firmly keep stretching until you feel a slight burning, tingling, or stinging sensation.
Hold the pressure steady at that point with your thumbs for about 2 minutes until the area becomes a little numb and you don't feel the tingling as much.
Keep pressing with your thumbs. Slowly and gently massage back and forth over the lower half of your vagina, working lubricant into the tissues. Keep this up for 3-4 minutes.
As you massage, gently pull outwards on the lower part of the vagina with your thumbs hooked inside. This stretches the skin as the baby's head will during birth.
Do this every day after the 34th week, and after a week you should notice an increase in flexibility and stretchiness.
If you can't reach or are uncomfortable doing this, your partner can do it for you - using thumbs or index fingers, and being sensitive to your feelings as well as your directions for more or less pressure.
I couldn't find the instructions my midwife gave me for Perineal Massage. I did find instructions in the Birth Partner by Penny Simkin.
We did the massage about 5 weeks before my due date. I couldn't really do this myself so had to depend on my hubby. My friend said that they were able to use her thumb pushing down and doing a u pattern. These are only guidelines, once you start you will get a pattern that works for you. We tried to do this every day.
Either partner can do the massage. Be sure to start with short fingernails, and clean hands. Get in a semi-sitting position, with legs bent and relaxed.
Rub the enough oil into the perineum (area between vagina and anus) to allow your fingers to move easily over the tissue and lower vaginal wall.
Use your index fingers. Start with one and progress to two. Place your fingers well inside the expectant mother's vagina (up to the second knuckle);Rotate them in opposite directions upward along the sides and lower boarder while pulling outward gently. Do this for three minutes. This movement will stretch the vaginal tissue,the muscles surrounding the vagina, and the skin of the perineum.
Finish the massage by rubbing the skin of the perineum between the thumb and forefinger (thumb on outside,finger on inside) for about 1 minute. In the beginning, the tissue feels tight, but with time an repeated massages it relaxes and stretches. The massage takes four to five minutes.
Tell the expectant mother to concentrate on relaxing the perineum as she feels the pressure. As she becomes more comfortable with the massage, increase the pressure just enough to make the perineum begin to sting from the stretching. This same stinging sensation will occur as the baby's head is being born.
Ask your midwife or OB if they have instructions. They may have tips or
suggestions. If this is you second
This isn't something that you must do in order to avoid an episotomy but it
helps. Some people find that this massage isn't something they want to do.
My sister tried it but hated it, hopefully YMMV.
Here are sling related posts I saved from misc.kids long time ago.
Hope you find them useful. There were other posts in this thread,
but I didnt save them all. I have removed the names and addresses
of the posters (not sure what the proper nettiquite is).
These are instructions for making a "tube sling."
Use 36" wide material. Measure the diagonal distance from the point where
your left shoulder meets the arm, to the top of your right hip bone (on
the side of your body). Multiply this by two, and add a seam allowance (or
more if you like carrying your baby low) and sew it together.
Some people have tried tying a knot too, but that can be less comfortable.
If you're creative, you could also figure out how to use metal rings and
make it adjustable, like the store-bought kind. Remember also, this is a
YMMV thing. Try basting the seam first to see if it's the right fit before
sewing it together. Or use a folded bedsheet pinned together to determine
how much fabric you need before going out and buying it.
By the way, this idea comes from a booklet called "Outside Wombs" by
Christina Otterstrom-Cedar. She also has instructions for making other
wrap-around slings, and diagrams and photos for how to use the slings in a
wide variety of positions. You can order the booklet by sending $5.00 (US
or Cdn) to Box 82, Eagle Bay, BC, Canada, V0E 1T0. (I have no connection
to this person, nor do I stand to benefit from telling you about this. I
just bought the book when I saw someone wearing a home-made sling that
looked so comfortable and un-bulky, with such a happy baby inside :))
I bought a pattern for a baby sling, but haven't had time to sew it
yet. In the meantime, my husband and I have been using a piece a 45"
wide fabric tied with a square knot. That works reasonably well for us,
but we look forward to the shoulder padding of the "real" sling, and
being able to adjust it, too. (Not to mention getting rid of that knot
in the middle of our backs.)
I got the pattern through the mail from:
ASA inspirations
P.O. Box 11683
Champaign, IL 61826.
It cost $6.95 (p/h included).
I know how you feel because I was overdue with the newest boss of the
house just 8 short weeks ago. 12 LONG days overdue! I also posted a
plea for suggestions....
* Castor oil isn't generally a good idea, so avoid it if you can.
* Raspberry Leaf Tea tones the uterus & may help
* I took Black Cohosh capsules which were recommended in a book I found
at the local health food store.
* Accupressure - on right foot between the inside ankle bone & achilles
tendon.
* Spicy food
I took the Black Cohosh capsules for 3 days before Austin was born. I
did the accupressure several times a day.
I also listened to classical music while talking to my belly - I told
the baby it was time to be born because we were ready for him while
rubbing my belly. (I know it sounds dumb, but I was pretty desperate!)
The evening I had him, I had Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner. With
the chicken I had fries that I dumped hot sauce on. I told my husband I
was going to make the kid so miserable in there, he'd want to leave.
I don't know what worked but I think actively trying to stimulate labor
also works psychologically. Because you are doing something
"constructive" rather than sitting around worrying about labor
starting, your mind thinks "hey, she's really serious! Maybe it's
time!" This is just a theory though :)
Please be careful with your efforts to induce labor. Nipple stim
produces oxytocin which is the natural form of pitocin used medically
to induce labor. Ideally you should be monitored to be sure you aren't
stressing your baby with too much oxytocin. Just be patient. Let you
baby decide when he (or she) is ready to join the world.
Sheryl, OB nurse and been there 5 times myself
The following information about pre-eclampsia (whose symptoms include
protein in the urine), is taken from information found in my ALACE
(formerly Informed Birth and Parenting) Childbirth Education manual.
Pre-eclampsia (also called toxemia and eclampsia and the newest
moniker, PIH, or pregnancy induced hypertension) can be a serious
complication of pregnancy, but often contradictory things are said
about it. Doctors still don't really know what causes this complication
of pregnancy characterized by extreme swelling of the limbs, protein in
the urine, and elevated blood pressure.
Dr. Tom Brewer, working very pragmatically with inner-city women in
Richmond, CA, found that by increasing their protein intake, he was able
to lower the toxemia rate from something like 17% to .5%. He then
tried to develop an explanation for why this was successful. His idea
is that metabolic toxemia of late pregnancy (MTLP) is the manifestation
of a liver malfunction caused by malnutrition. The increased blood
volume needed for a healthy pregnancy requires extra albumen, a protein
that also keeps water in circulation in the blood. Without an adequate
diet, the liver cannot make enough albumen and water leaks into the
tissues, the blood volume falls, and the placenta function decreases.
The woman appears puffy and has a sudden weight gain with this extra
fluid. Blood pressure rises to try to maintain adequate blood flow and
the woman may develop headaches, dizziness, or fainting. The kidneys
try to absorb fluid, and shut down completely if the blood volume is
critcally low. Protein appears in the urine because the tissues in
the body begin metabolizing themselves since the liver has been
overstressed in many of its functions, such as making protein. Some of
the protein that the tissues use when they break down to provide for
the woman'sprotein needs is excreted in the urine.
PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT, therefore, involves good nutrition counseling,
and insuring that pregnant women receive ADEQUATE PROTEIN (75-100
gms/day) and ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS FROM THEIR DIET. If
toxemia does develop, the pregnant mother should EAT A HIGH PROTEIN
DIET (120 gms a day), SALT HER FOOD TO TASTE, REMAIN ACTIVE, and take
antibiotics to reduce the load on her liver. In severe cases, she
should be given human serum albumen in the hospital.
Many of the symptoms of MTLP are also associated with other problems
in pregnancy and health, so a careful diagnosis should be done to
determine if a woman with these symptoms actually does have toxemia.
For more information, read "What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know:
The Truth About Diet and Drugs in Pregnancy" by Gail Brewer and Tom
Brewer, MD (NY: Random House).
I'm not sure if Brewer's work is being recognized by the medical
establishment, or not. Perhaps suggesting this book to your OB/midwife
would be helpful if You find the information in this book useful. Some
midwives have taken up the practical aspects of his work, and not only
prevent toxemia, but have seen beginning symptoms turn around
dramatically when they are caught early enough.
I can also e-mail to anyone who's interested a specific set of
recommendations for anyone noting one or more of the warning signs
of PIH. The regimen was developed by a midwife, who's seen
dramatic results with women who have followed it, often within
three days.
1. Listen to your body. If something feels uncomfortable or painful,
don't do it.
2. Avoid any exercise while lying on the back after the first
trimester. This position can cause the growing uterus to restrict
blood return through the vena cava which lies directly behind the
abdomen.
3. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. You need
to stay well-hydrated to regulate both your body temperature and your
growing baby's.
4. Exercise in a well-ventilated area and wear loose-fitting,
breathable clothing to prevent over-heating.
5. Be aware of your changing center of gravity. Avoid any activity
that involves sudden directional changes or that risks even mild
abdominal trauma such as downhill skiing, rollerblading, horseback
riding, etc.
6. Exercise regularly, preferably 20-30 minutes a day at least 3 times
per week. Regular exercise will reduce the chance of injury and will
help keep you in shape for "Labor Day."
7. Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to exercise the
Kegel or pelvic floor muscle daily to prevent urinary incontinence and
uterine prolapse, and to enhance sexual pleasure. Practice this
exercise by stopping and starting the flow of urine. Once you have the
hang of it, do not continue to perform the Kegel exercise while
urinating, but rather perform the exercise while driving in the car or
talking on the phone. Try to do at least 100 every day.
8. Pelvic Rocking is very good for the back and belly muscles - make
sure to do these in a slow and controlled manner to avoid injury, and
they can be valuable! Carefully let your belly sag towards the floor
by tilting your pelvis forward - do not do this very far down, just
a small tilt, then back to neutral, pulling the abdominal muscles in
as you pull your back up. Do 20-40 at a session 4 times a day, and
work up to 80 at bedtime. These exercises help keep baby from being
in a posterior position and improve circulation to the lower body.
The circulation benefit will be enhanced by lying down for at least 10
minutes after exercising. (this paragraph added by Sabrina after
consulting with Lisa!)
This is a common question because we have all heard that it is best
to sleep on our left sides. The reason is that the vena cava, a
large vein which returns blood from the legs to the uterus, runs
along the right side of the spine. Blood flow may be improved by
staying off the back or lying on the left side.
Low blood pressure symptoms, such as dizziness and nausea may result
from lying on your back after the first trimester. If they don't, you
are probably fine! Back pain may also result from sleeping on your
back, because of the weight of your uterus.
Here are some suggestions from the net:
I sleep on my back and both sides as well. I haven't gained that much
weight and am at 21 weeks, so I figure the back-sleeping position is
still OK, and I would feel something bad if it wasn't. I have heard
that the left side is "best," so I try to use that as much as possible
- with a pillow between my knees. However, now I've been getting a
cramp in my left leg which makes it uncomfortable to sleep on that
side!
I say, doing whatever is most comfortable for you is probably best.
Hi! I was a back & side-sleeper before getting pregnant. I now try to
limit myself to largely sleeping on my left side, as suggested as being
the good thing to do for my baby & my body. I do miss sleeping on my
back but have found that sleeping on my left side with the aid of a
body pillow has really helped me to sleep comfortably.
I'd recommend that you try a body pillow. I bought mind from a
bed/bath speciality shop. They carried both down-filled and
polyester-filled pillows. I thought I'd prefer the down but the poly
pillow was actually softer and squishier so I opted for it. BTW, it
was around $20 and came with a pillow case.
One easy one for the shoulder thing, try putting your regular pillow on
between your shoulder and your head; it makes the shoulder less
noticable. I have seen, but have not ordered, a pillow in the Speigel
catalog called the prega-puff that is really two pillows (fairly small)
velcroed (so theyr'e adjustable together, you sleep between the two and
they support you from both sides.
The book I grabbed "Your Pregnancy Week-by-Week -- by Glade B. Curtis"
-- had this to say about:
Many women experience an occasional excruciating pain in their buttocks
and down the back or side of their legs as pregnancy progresses. This
is called sciatic-nerve pain because the sciatic nerve runs behind the
uterus in the pelvis to the legs. Pain is believed to be caused by
pressure on the nerve from the growing and expanding uterus.
The best treatment for the pain is to lie on your opposite side. This
helps relieve the pressure on the nerve.
From Antacids to Tranquilizers, and everything in between, here's
what does and doesn't mix with pregnancy.
When you're pregnant, you worry about everything, from the foods you
eat to the medications you take. When it comes to using drugs --
prescription or over-the-counter medications, even alcohol and
cigarettes -- doctors urge pregnant women to use extreme caution. With
good reason.
In the 1950s. the drug thalidomide, used widely as a sedative, was
found to cause serious limb deformities in thousands of babies --
approximately one-third of the babies exposed to it during early
pregnancy. As a result of this tragedy, Congress in 1962 passed new
laws requiring all drugs to be proven safe for anyone -- including
pregnant women.
Despite the thalidomide lesson, however, many pregnant women still
exhibit a certain casualness about taking medications during
pregnancy. Many feel that because a drug is readily available, either
through prescription or over the counter, it must be safe for them to
use. But using any drug while you're pregnant requires careful
consideration -- and discussion with your doctor. Many drugs can be
subtle in their effects, causing minor anomalies instead of a major
defect. Other drugs' effects may be long-term, causing problems in an
child that don't develop until adolescence or even later. The truth is
that most birth defects have no single identifiable cause, but instead
are linked to a combination of genetic or environmental factors. But
the use -- or misuse -- of drugs in pregnancy is one contributing
factor that can be easily be avoided.
In earlier days, doctors believed that the placenta acted as a
"barrier" to dangerous agents, protecting the fetus from anything its
mother was exposed to. Now we know that most drugs easily cross the
placenta and reach the fetus.
Drugs or other agents that pass through the placenta to affect the
fetal environment are called environmental factors. And environmental
factors that have been lined definitively to birth defects are called
teratogens. Besides drugs, other known teratogens are heavy metals
(like lead) and certain chemicals to which a pregnant woman may
inadvertently expose herself ad her unborn baby.
Most fetal organ formation occurs during the first three months of
pregnancy, thus making the first trimester the most dangerous time for
exposing an unborn baby to teratogens. The teratogenic period -- the
time when birth defects caused by environmental factors are most likely
to occur -- is the period from two to eight weeks of fetal development.
(If an embryo is exposed to a teratogen in the first two weeks of the
first trimester, it usually causes an "all or none" effect -- meaning
the pregnancy will end in miscarriage or the fetus will be unaffected.)
But fetal development continues beyond the first trimester, and the
developing baby remains vulnerable. The female genital system, for
instance, does not completely form until well into the fifth month, and
the brain continues its development throughout pregnancy. Therefore,
damage tot he fetus's biochemistry and physiology may occur in the
second half of pregnancy. For example, the antibiotic tetracycline may
impair bone development when exposure occurs after the 20th week of
pregnancy. And the drug Coumadin, which acts as a blood thinner in the
adult, may cause internal bleeding in the fetus in the last half of
pregnancy -- and can linger to cause this in the baby after birth.
Likewise, tranquilizers and other drugs affecting the central nervous
system may cause lethargy or decreased sucking in a newborn, or may
have a more delayed impact in the form of subtle behavioral changes
that appear later on in childhood.
The risk to a fetus from exposure to drugs is especially high during
the period between conception and the time a woman realizes she's
pregnant. During those weeks, a woman may take over-the-counter and
even recreational drugs without knowing she's putting her baby in
danger.
Many pregnant women may think of over-the-counter drugs as harmless
because these medications are available with a prescription. Even
after pregnancy is diagnosed, most western countries tend to support
the concept of using these medications to alleviate pregnancy
discomforts and symptoms as a relatively harmless practice. However,
some over-the-counter drugs can cause problems for an unborn baby.
(For a list of over--the-counter drugs that are generally considered
safe for pregnant women, see attachment at the end of article.)
How do you decide which drugs -- if any -- are safe to use while you're
pregnant? We know a limited amount about the effects of drugs on
unborn babies, so it only makes sense to take the most cautious
approach. The following points may help you make an informed decision
about using prescription and non prescription drugs, both before and
during pregnancy:
Substance abuse is never healthy for you, and when you're pregnant, it
can have devastating effects on your baby. During pregnancy, dangerous
drugs can include things that, while not exactly healthy, might be
considered acceptable in many circles: cigarettes, alcoholic beverages
or even illegal drugs. Most of these agents can be harmful to the
woman who uses them -- and they also readily cross the placenta and
reach the fetus, where they can cause serious problems. For example,
alcohol consumption while pregnant can produce fetal alcohol syndrome,
perhaps the most well-known syndrome of birth defects associated with
drug abuse (see The Dangers of Drinking below). In other cases, many
of these substances cause nutritional deficiencies and fetal growth
problems, rather than outright birth defects.
Here is a list of some of the more common illicit drugs -- and their
effects on an unborn baby:
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a distinct pattern of physical and
mental abnormalities that shows up in infants born to women who drank
during their pregnancies. Its symptoms include some or all of the
following: low birth weight, poor coordination, facial deformities,
heart defects, hyperactivity and mental retardation. The complete
syndrome occurs in roughly one or two out of every 1,000 births.
FAS ranks with Down syndrome and spina bifida as a major cause of
mental retardation. Because a fetus can't metabolize alcohol as
quickly as an adult can, alcohol remains in a unborn baby's system
longer than it does in the mother's. Doctors don't know how much
alcohol it takes to cause any of the FAS symptoms, so we recommend that
women abstain from alcohol throughout pregnancy. In addition, women
trying to conceive are advised to avoid drinking alcohol. Mothers who
breastfeed also should avoid alcohol, as a woman's body passes along
the same level of alcohol in her milk as she has in her own system.
While it may not generally be considered a drug, cigarette smoke
contains several chemicals, as well as the drug nicotine. Smoking has
been described as the most common "known harmful exposure" in
pregnancy, and it imposes serious risks to both mother and baby. Fetal
and infant mortality rates are increased by over 50 percent in
first-time mothers who smoke more than one pack per day during
pregnancy. Cigarette smoking can slow fetal growth and increase the
risk of low birth weight, stillbirth and a host of maternal
complications.
Smoking reduces a fetus's oxygen supply by as much as 50 percent,
because the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke displaces oxygen in the
mother's bloodstream. Babies born to smoking mothers also have highest
rates of SIDS and pneumonia. But cigarettes can be dangerous for a
fetus even if the mother is not a smoker -- some studies have found
evidence of nicotine in babies born to women who were exposed to
passive cigarette smoke while they were pregnant. The relationship
between smoking and birth defects is unclear. Some studies show an
increased risk of neural tube defects (like spina bifida), cleft palate
and heart defects.
While you're pregnant, your blood carries nutrients -- as well as any
other substances to which you've been exposed -- to the developing
fetus. Taking the cautious approach about any over-the-counter or
prescription medications, and avoid during drugs like nicotine and
alcohol, will help you protect your baby from the immediate danger of
birth defects and from the legacy of health problems that exposure to
these substances can bring.
These drugs have been linked to birth defects and should not be taken
by pregnant women:
***This list is not intended to replace a doctor's advice. If you're
pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking any medications, and be
sure to alert any health care professional who might prescribe drugs
for you that your are pregnant. ****
Bruce Shephard, M.D., is an obstetrician and gynecologist in Tampa,
Fla., and a member of Baby Talk's advisory board. This article was
adapted from one the appeared in The 1995 Medical and Health Annual.
Sling Patterns
Natural Ways to Bring On Labor
Pre-Eclampsia/Toxemia
Exercise in Pregnancy (including Kegels)
Help! How do I Sleep Comfortably?
> I almost always sleep on my back. My doctor said not to worry about
> it because if I were compressing an artery, there would be symptoms
> (like legs getting numb) that would warn me to roll over. I do,
> however, sleep propped up on pillows because I usually read myself to
> sleep in a semi-sitting position, so I'm not really flat on my back.
>Are there any other back sleepers out there?
>I have always preferred to sleep on my back, and I can't
>seem to get comfortable on my side. I have beend sleeping
>with a pillow between my legs, and it helps somewhat, but
>my shoulder always feels like it's in the way.
The answer is pillows! Prop her up. I sleep with one leg hooked over a
pillow, a pillow cushioning my belly and a pillow behind my back,
supporting it. also, a pillow under my head. It all gets a little
annoying when you have to get up four times in the night to go to the
bathroom, but it's worth it, and I've slept pretty comfortably. These
are big, firm King-sized pillows bought especially for this purpose.
Good luck!
Sciatica - Nerve Pain in Back or Down Legs
Drugs and Pregnancy (includes smoking/alcohol)
***This list is not intended to replace a doctor's advice. If you're
pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking any medications, and be
sure to alert any health care professional who might prescribe drugs
for you that your are pregnant. ****
Symptom
Drug
Pain (such as a headache)
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Diarrhea
Kaolin and Pectin (Kaopectate)
Constipation
Mild laxatives (like Milk of Magnesia)
Heartburn
Antacids
Itching
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Allergies, sinus congestion
Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton)