Swelling During Pregnancy

This affects your eyes too! The fact that your eyes, more specifically the cornea, might thicken, could lead to discomfort for people wearing contact lenses. The reason why your eyes can swell is the same as the reason why your feet and hands might swell too. Hormonal spikes can cause fluctuations in blood and body fluid pressures. You cannot actually predict whether this will happen or not, but usually falls with in the range of normal pregnancy symptoms. However, if you regularly wear contact lenses, you may experience dry and itchy eyes, blurry vision, or slight discomfort when wearing your contacts, to the point where they are so ill-fitting that they may even fall out.

It is recommended that you visit an eye doctor at least two or three times during your pregnancy as he or she can run vision tests to see if the shape of your eyes have changed, and, if so, by how much. After the examination you will get a prescription for new contact lenses that will be of the right optical strength and size.

After you have given birth, your eyes will most likely go back to their original shape, meaning that your old prescription and contact lenses are applicable again.

Here’s what you can do if your eyes have changed shape during your pregnancy.

Get a New Prescription

Simply get a new prescription for contact lenses that you can wear while you are pregnant. Book an appointment at a local eye clinic where they can determine how much your vision has changed and prescribe you lenses that will be custom-fitted. Because it will take some time after pregnancy before your eyes return to normal, you can wear these lenses for quite some time.

Switch to Glasses

The second alternative that you will have is switching to regular glasses. It is important that you visit an eye clinic as the glasses need to have the correct optical power, which, due to the thickening of the cornea, has probably changed as well. If you wish, you could always go back to wearing lenses again after you have given birth as the swelling will most likely go down.

Sources:
Chris O. Imafidon. (1992). Contact Lenses in Pregnancy. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 99, 865¬-868
Park SB et al. (1992). The Effect of Pregnancy on Corneal Curvature, The CLAO Journal, Oct; 18(4), 256-259

The average baby cuts their first tooth anywhere between five and six months old. There are some however that will cut a tooth as early as two months, or as late as a year. Occasionally, some babies will only have two-four teeth until several months after their first birthday. There is not any rule as to when your baby should sprout teeth. Just like most other milestones, it is different in all babies.

There are many signs of teething in a baby. Your baby might become incredibly fussy and cry more all of a sudden. When it is teething related then the normal things that work on your baby like feeding, changing, bathing, and playing with him, will not work.

The excess production of drool is a telltale sign of teething. When you are getting soaked just holding your baby because they are slobbering so much, it is a good sign that teeth are coming in the next few months. It isn’t necessarily a sign that they are coming soon though. A baby could start drooling during their second month of life, but not actually have any teeth pop up till they are nine months old. When your baby starts drooling, be sure to keep a rag or towel near-by to dry you both off with.

Another sign that your baby is teething could be them pulling on their ears. Since the “ear, nose and throat” are all connected, teething can cause ear aches in babies, which can lead to crying and fussiness. Other signs of teething include:

• Swelling around the gums where tooth is about to break through
• Redness in creases around neck from the excess drool getting stuck
• Irritability
• Restlessness/Sleeplessness
• Sucking thumb/fingers
• Fussy feedings

There are things that can be done to help your baby feel a little more comfort however. Baby companies market heavily to parents when it comes to teething time. There are all sorts of toys that have chewable rubber pieces on them designs to let the baby gnaw at will. Some of the bigger toys like walkers and exersaucers also have attached toys with rubber ends for chewing.

There are teething rings that are either filled with water, or can be filled with water and stuck in the freezer for you to take out as needed. These are great to chew on for baby because they are cold and get soft as they thaw out. If you don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on chew toys, you can wet a wash cloth and stick it in the freezer. It is a soft, reusable and inexpensive way to help your baby with his teething pain.

There are also medications you should speak to your pediatrician about. There are gels that are created that are supposed to help numb the gums. There are specific formulas of these for both day and nighttime. Some pediatricians will also recommend giving your baby over the counter pain medicines.

Remember, teething is just another stage that your baby goes through. Hopefully you will be lucky and your baby will be one of the ones that isn’t bothered by it too much, but if not, keep in mind that it won’t last forever and that soon your happy baby will be back in your home.