Active Duty Military Pregnant Mother - Essay Example

Active Duty Military Pregnant Mother Pregnancies come with different challenges varying from one person to another. Theу vary fromcommon minor changes like uterine cramping early in the pregnancy to serious health problems that may result into miscarriages later in the pregnancy. In a normal pregnancy changes taking place in the woman’s body may include simple ramping of the uterus, nausea, vomiting, bowel habit changes, abdominal girth increase, growing urination frequency, higher heartbeat rates, ankle swellings and palpitations among other simple but inconvenient changes.

Fatigue is normal thing early in the pregnancy. Given that the pregnancy is developing and many changes taking place, many women experience increased fatigue and the need to sleep increase. Many factors including hormonal changes, changes in metabolism, low blood sugar levels, physiological anaemia and low blood pressure among others contribute to fatigue throughout the pregnancy. Caregivers in prenatal clinics can help women to determine the appropriate workout programmes, vitamins and mineral supplements that can help keep fatigue away.

From a health viewpoint, there are serious challenges that come with pregnancy, which can make it hard for expectant women to be actively involved in normal work activities. Diabetes in pregnancy, otherwise referred to as gestation pregnancy is a common occurrence that requires specialized advice. Having guided training exercises is one of the ways through which pregnant mothers can maintain a blood sugar insulin balance. This is a great challenge for a military woman taking up night shifts since it requires regular and close monitoring.

Numbness of different parts of the body including the wrists, hands, feet, and thighs is another common problem in pregnant women. It is particularly common when performing strenuous activities and may worsen in case of prolonged physical exercises, which make nerves alternate their activity. Leg cramping, especially at night, is a common irritant among many pregnant women. This requires that a woman exercises before going to bed, as well as taking up more calcium and potassium foods. Soft drinks are also useful in curbing their occurrence and severity.

Swollen breasts are a common thing early in the pregnancy and may cause a lot of discomfort in doing normal activities. Varicose veins and swollen legs are more likely to cause challenges in carrying out normal duties for a pregnant woman. They cause more pain and tightness in thighs and lower legs, especially when one stands for a long period of time. Poor sleep in the first and last trimester are common for all pregnant women due to abdominal and breast discomforts, baby movements, frequent urination, bowel movements, and cramping among other changes.

The potential for stress, exhaustion, and emotional mood changes is of great concern for women working in the military and taking up night lessons. Further, this means that taking frequent naps will be necessary to cover for lost bedtime. For this reason women require less demanding activities, especially in the latter days of the pregnancy. For athletic women, many of whom do military jobs, back and pelvic pains are a significant area of concern. This is because pregnant women experience these pains at some point in their pregnancy.

Although for the physically active woman these pains are significantly less serious, they are still a cause of discomfort. Posture changes due to the growing abdomen cause major hindrances in discharging duties, especially those that involve long periods of physical activity. Active duty in the military while taking night school is a very challenging task. It is hard to balance time between both obligations adequately. Time management challenges that include stress, anxiety, and frequently being overwhelmed by the tight schedules frustrate many people who take up multiple tasks.

To start with, the military emphasizes on precision and timely delivery of goals and assignments. It sometimes becomes demanding to the extent that officers have to work past their shifts in order to meet deadlines. On the other hand, schoolwork is involving especially if getting good grades and completing your course on time is a priority. Doing assignments and research papers with strict deadlines is perhaps the most involving activity of them all. Further, attending classes and revising for examinations will also require commitment.

In view of the challenges posed by active military involvement and night school on one hand and pregnancy on the other hand, it is extremely challenging to take up the two tasks at the same time. It is, therefore, the considered view of the researcher that balancing between working for the military and taking night school for a pregnant woman is very challenging venture and may result in poor delivery of assigned tasks. References Ann, D. (2011). The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: An All-Canadian Guide to Conception, Birth and Everything In Between.

New York: John Wiley & Sons. Murphy, T. and Richard, P. (2010). Management of Common Problems in Obstetrics and Gynecology. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Patrick, F. (2010). Successful Time Management: Learn to Priortise; Minimise Paperwork; Maximise Performance. London: Kogan Page Publisher.