Pregnancy Aches and Pain Relief: Bengay Cream or Cold Therapy?

First and foremost, my very special thanks to LaForce + Stevens for sending me a free full tube of Bengay® Cold Therapy gel. Few hours after my recent post about Bengay Cream, I surprisingly got an email from the company and asked me if I would be interested to review the newer Bengay Cold Therapy. Who can't resist this offer? So, I grabbed this great opportunity and got my free tube on Saturday delivered through Fedex. A hand-written note came with the sample, which I thought is very sweet and personable. My husband was also surprised about personalized note too. He thought it's so nice of the company's representative, Capel, to spend time to hand-write a note.

The Test

I was so excited to try the newest addition to the Bengay products. I am already a fan and I couldn't wait to see if this one works better than the Bengay cream I am currently using. So, I immediately tried the Bengay Cold Therapy gel the night I got my free tube. Receiving the free item was a perfect timing because I was standing up and walking for hours at Goodwill that day and later felt the effects of my physical exertion. Well, combine pregnancy and age. That's what happens.

The moment I opened the tube, the first thing I noticed is the smell. It smells like cold medicine. The smell is a little bit strong for me, so I am not thrilled of it.  Even if there's that "mentholly" scent that I like, there is a distinctive smell that reminds me of a cold medicine. The gel has an aqua color that makes me think of the ocean—cool and refreshing. That's a plus.

I squirted a good amount of the gel on my palm and rubbed it on to my lower back and hip. These mentioned body parts felt achy and sore. Few seconds later, I felt that cooling effect on my back. The sensation was a little bit similar to the cream but different. This one gave me some kind of a "chilly" feel. It's like combining ice and menthol onto your skin.

I waited for few minutes for my aches and pains to go away. Because this product is newer, I expected it to be more effective than the one I have been using. Several minutes had passed and...

Test Result

Disappointment was what I felt after trying the Bengay Cold Therapy gel. It didn't give me the relief that I was expecting. After minutes of application, the relief effect on my pregnancy body aches and pains was very slight. Were my expectations too high for this product? Absolutely. It's the newest in the market and I therefore I anticipated it to give me more of what my body needs. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Sticking with the Old

I feel privileged to be able to try two kinds of product of the same purpose and of the same brand. I am very grateful that I got to try one for free. Thank you so much to LaForce + Stevens for giving me the opportunity to test and review the Bengay Cold Therapy. It's an honor.

The result of the test makes me decide to continue using the Bengay cream instead of the new one. The cream gave me the body aches and pain relief that I need. It is a great product and I am greatly satisfied with how it makes me feel better after getting battered with my pregnancy physical discomforts.

Cure Against Swollen Feet During Pregnancy

The last month of my pregnancy is getting tougher. More physical discomforts are sprouting. One of these is swollen/tightening feet.

Summertime here in Arizona. The temperature could go up to 115 degrees. It's not an easy thing to deal with specially with a pregnant woman like me. Extreme heat exposes pregnant women to more swollen feet and other parts of the body. So, walking outside during the day is not advisable.

Anyway, last Saturday, my husband took me to the mall. We had a cup of ice cream to share. Just a cup because I could not eat the whole cup of ice cream all by myself. The tendency is, it ends up in the garbage can. Most food servings here are just too much for a petite woman like me :)

I didn't feel like going home after our cup was empty. I wanted sometime with people. Good thing was, it was Saturday and the mall where we went into had a weekend mini-concert activity outside the vicinity. So, we sat down and listened to the 80's music. Oh well, kapanahunan. It's the 80's and my husband knows almost all of the songs that were played and even sang with the band.

It was around 8:30 in the evening, but since we live in the desert, the heat looms even if the sun was out of sight. The wind may be breezing, but, it's not the kind of breeze I get if I were in the Philippines. The breeze here is accompanied with heat and dryness. With an exposed feet, I noticed that it started to feel tight and heavy again, so we decided not to stay too long and immediately headed home.

As much as he can, my husband tries to soothe all my physical discomforts. He asked me to sit on the couch as he was busy filling a plastic basin with water. The water here even if you use the cold setting does not get colder as much as you desire it to be. The temperature is just too hot to make it so. Since the water was not cold as he wanted it to, he took ice cubes from the freezer and dumped almost all of what we have. LOL. When he was ready, he asked me to soak my feet in the basin. Woooohh, that was terribly cold. It took me a little while to fully dip my feet in a freezing water. Gladly, I was able to manage and tolerate it. Had it soaked for 20 minutes. Did we get a positive result? YES indeed! The tightness and swelling was lessened and they no longer feel heavy. The next morning when I woke up, I was surprise that my feet felt lighter. No swelling. No tightness.

I do not know if this remedy will work for other pregnant women. But anyone who wants can try. I do not know if it works for women living in colder places. Maybe instead of dipping your feet in ice cold water, you can use warm water instead :)

Maternity Belt and Pillows: Pregnant Woman's Best Friends!

Eve is growing each and everyday. That means, her weight is also increasing so as the growth of my uterus. These things affect my posture badly. Every morning I woke up with my back aching. Not only that. When I remained in one position (sitting, sleeping, standing) for a short period of time, I felt back and joint pains. It was not easy. I had to shift position every now and then, or when I remember to do so.

During my last appointment with the OB/GYN, I told her about how I suffered backaches everyday. She said that it was normal since the baby is growing. Thankfully, she recommended that I should get a maternity belt specially that my size is so small to carry a big baby.

So, when my husband and I went to Babies R Us to register for the baby shower, he spotted a maternity belt. Well, I must tell you that it helps a lot. It's lifting my belly and supporting my back. The elasticity of the belt can be adjusted to the tightness I am comfortable with.

Pillow, pillows, pillows. And yes, soft, comfy pillows. My husband went home from work one night and surprised me with two new soft pillows. I knew why he bought me even if I didn't request for it. One morning he caught me sleeping on his pillows with my whole body on it. He found it amusing. I told him that I felt comfortable having pillows underneath my body specially my entire back.

Right now, I am using the maternity belt and pillows everytime I go to bed. The painful mornings were replaced by a backache-free mornings. What a relief! However, this new comfort level I feel deprived me and my husband to cuddle the way we used to while asleep. But we are adjusting to it and try to touch and cuddle each other as much as we are comfortable with. It's not the same as the old times though. One night I broke into laughter when Ryan asked me if the pillows will stay as is even after I gave birth (LOL). "Of course not!" I blurted. It's only for the meantime until I have the baby born. My husband's arms are still the most secure and comfortable pillows I have and honestly, I missed it. I know that he missed it so much too.

I am quite thankful that maternity belts and soft pillows were invented. They are my best friends when I settled down to sleep. Well, with other preggies too, I'm sure.