by Stephanie Espiritu

Created on: October 02, 2010

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting stages of a woman's life. There is so much to do, so much to prepare for, and so many changes that the body goes through when a woman is expecting.

Although many women enjoy being pregnant there are those that have symptoms that truly make them wish that they were not.

Here is a list of some challenging symptoms that are common in pregnancy and what a woman can do to adjust during this trying time.

Sore Breasts-Like everything else, a woman's breasts change during pregnancy and it isn't unusual for a woman to grow a couple of cup sizes while she's expecting. However, with growth comes tenderness but mothers can obtain relief through wearing a well fitted bra during the day and a pregnancy sleep bra at night.

A reputable department store will have someone on staff that can assist mommies-to-be in finding just the right bra to purchase. They will have experience in taking measurements and can put the mother into a bra that will give her the needed support which will help alleviate the soreness.

Back Pain- During pregnancy at least 50 % of women have admitted their struggle with back pain during the latter part of pregnancy.

Although there are many contributing factors including hormone levels, additional weight gain, a woman's posture, and added stress, expectant mothers can lessen and possibly prevent this level of discomfort by doing some simple things during their pregnancy.

On a routine visit, mothers can talk with their doctor and find out what types of exercise they can perform in order to strengthen and support the lower back, instead of bending over to retrieve something on the floor, mothers should squat, only wear shoes that offer support and avoid wearing high heels, and when sitting elevating the feet should decrease the back pain that often comes with pregnancy.

To treat this type of pain mothers find relief by using ice or heat to alleviate the symptoms, sleeping on the left side with supportive pillows, and getting a massage from a licensed therapist may lessen the symptoms. In extreme cases of pain doctors may find it necessary to prescribe certain medications with a higher dosage such as Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other pain medications.

Round Ligament Pain-Due to normal changes that take place in a woman's body during pregnancy, many experience round ligament pain. These ligaments are attached to the uterus and because the uterus has to expand in size and weight, the ligaments will have to stretch becoming

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