Written by: Lauren – Guest Blogger sharing her perspective as a VA employee and patient during her second pregnancy.
Hello again, and thank you for the great feedback from my first post. I had my first ultrasound this past Monday and it was absolutely amazing. Look at the little peanut!
The ultrasound confirmed that I am 10 weeks pregnant and due October 23. Of course I am still having a lot of common symptoms such as:
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Moodiness
- Back Pain
My boss and coworkers have been very understanding and supportive and luckily, there are ways to manage these symptoms. Healthy snacks, crackers and ginger ale can help with nausea, taking a nap every afternoon on my couch helps with fatigue, the moodiness you will just have to get used to, but the solution for back pain? You can see a licensed VA Chiropractor!
I have been seeing the Martinsburg VA Medical Center chiropractor, Dr. Shawn Neff for more than a year, and he has always been amazing at what he does. He is board-certified in chiropractic orthopedics and a Fellow of the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists and has been at the medical center since 2007.
At my appointment last week I told him I was pregnant, and explained some of the back pain I had during my first pregnancy and the pain I have now. He agreed that I should see him every month, and as my belly gets bigger and bigger he will use special techniques to keep me comfortable but also assure my spine is properly aligned. Sometimes having chiropractic care can help your hips, back, and pelvis be better prepared for labor.
Also it is a “standard operating procedure” that during pregnancy you should sleep on your left side, and sleeping in the same position for nine months can be a little hard on the back. So he suggested a body pillow or some sort of contouring pillow to put between my knees to help align my spine at night.
Thank you for the great advice, Dr. Neff!
Interested in learning about how you can provide care to Veterans of all shapes, sizes, ages, and backgrounds? Visit VAcareers.va.gov today!
About Lauren
Lauren is a Navy Veteran and current Public Affairs Specialist at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center in West Virginia. Throughout her second pregnancy, she will be sharing her thoughts and experiences as a patient at VA. We are all
excited to follow her on this healthcare journey!
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