Conceiving and giving birth is one of the joys of being a woman. There are multiple Changes You Can Expect During Pregnancy. These changes are divided into six main changes, namely:
- Circulatory Changes
- Sensory changes
- Hormonal changes
- Hair, nails and skin changes
- Metabolic and Respiratory Changes
- Breast and cervical changes
{ 1 } Circulatory Changes
During pregnancy, you will notice numerous circulatory changes. It can be either changes in blood pressure, getting dizzy after standing fast and puffing while climbing stairs. Well; this is normal. Your blood vessels will expand, thus stressing your lungs and heart. Let us understand a couple of things related to circulatory changes during pregnancy:
Heartbeat
The mother’s heart works harder because of the expanded bl0od vessel. The blood vessels start expanding from the second trimester until the last month of pregnancy. As we all know, blood must reach different parts of the body including the new blood vessels. Therefore, the heart should disperse more blood than before. It is estimated that your heartbeat increases by fifteen percent of a normal woman. This percentage while increase as time progresses until the last minute of your pregnancy. There are factors which influence your heartbeat rate. The size of your body is one of these factors. This is the reason you are encouraged to consume meals rich in folic acid and iron. These meals help the body reproduce red blood cells and plasma.
Blood Pressure and Working out
As earlier stated, blood pressure is one of the changes your body goes through when pregnant. This circulatory changes might affect how you workout. First, engaging in intense workout routines especially after the first three months of your pregnancy might affect your blood flow in the body. Blood will be directed from other parts of the body into your muscles. Consequently, your pregnancy hormones might also affect your blood pressure. Sudden drop of pregnancy hormones might result into dizziness or even getting unconscious. Therefore, avoid exercising in seclusion. You should also avoid some strenuous workout routines. Consult your fitness instructor or doctor on the routines to engage yourself in.
Dizziness and fainting
Dizziness is another circulatory change you might experience. This is common especially if you are four months plus pregnant. During this time, the unborn baby is developing and the things surrounding the baby. A lot of pregnant ladies prefer lying straight on the back. This habit slowly compresses blood vessel called vena cava. This automatically affects blood flow and results into drop of blood pressure. As a result, you might experience dizziness and consciousness.
You should avoid any exercises that entail lying straight on the back from the third trimester onwards. Develop a habit of sleeping with your sides. That is the right and left side.
{ 2 } Sensory Changes
Sensory changes are categorized into three main sections, namely taste, sight and smell. All expectant women should embrace these sensory changes at some point during their pregnancy.
Sight Changes
A large fraction of women encounter these sight changes mostly after the first trimester. There are instances where you might encounter blurred vision. Women with contact lenses might experience some sort of discomfort. Some expectant women experience short sightedness. All these sight changes will go away immediately you give birth. There are situations where pregnant women with some condition such as diabetes and preeclampsia might experience severe eye conditions. This ranges from total vision loss to retinal detachment.
Smell and Taste changes
Taste is one of the common changes women experience during their pregnancy. Some women prefer sweet meals, whereas others prefer saltier meals. Some women develop high taste senses, whereas others lose their taste senses. This taste changes will eventually go away once you give birth.
Sense of smell is another sensory change expectant women should expect. In most instances, their sense of smell increases. There is no particular smell, in which women are sensitive to. It all depends on a person. Usually, women react differently to different smells. Sensitivity to smell and taste will eventually fade away once you give birth to your loved one.
{ 3 } Hormonal Changes
Hormonal change during pregnancy brings out various physical changes. Generally, expectant women attain an increase in both progesterone and estrogen levels in the body. This statement also affects other hormones in their bodies. This is reason pregnant women experience:
- Unexplained mood swings
- A glowing look throughout their skin
- Different physical reactions when they exercise
- Progressive development of their unborn child
Here is an in depth understanding of the hormonal changes in the body.
Progesterone and Estrogen Changes
Both estrogen and progesterone are the two major hormones during pregnancy. This is the reason the body produces a lot of these two hormones when pregnant. Estrogen plays a crucial role in the well being of the unborn child. It is allows both the placenta and the uterus to transfer nutrients from the mother to the unborn child, enhances development of blood vessels and facilitate proper development of the unborn child. Estrogen ensures the fetus fully develops within the expected timeframe. That’s not all; it also helps in the formation of the milk duct. This is what enlarges the breasts of an expectant mother. This hormonal level in the body reaches its peak on the third and last trimester of the pregnancy.
Similarly, progesterone is required in high levels by expectant women. An increase in progesterone levels during pregnancy is linked to loosening of joints and ligaments all over the body. This makes it easy for different internal organs to increase in size. High level of progesterone in the body is responsible for increasing the size of internal structures. Additionally, it helps the uterus stretch enough and in developing strong muscles to be able to accommodate a fully grown child.
Pregnancy Hormones and Workout
Pregnancy hormones are important for proper growth and development of the fetus. However; they make it both challenging and difficult for expectant women to exercise their bodies. This is because their ligaments loosen to enable different organs to expand in size. Loose ligaments increase the possibility of developing various injuries ranging from strains to sprains. Enlargement of breasts, abdominal change and back curvature further hinders workout.
Hormonal Changes and Weight Gain
A lot of pregnant women increase in weight. This slows down the body fluids and blood circulation in the body. As a result, they might end up swelling different parts of the body. Weight gain and swelling can be noticed after three months of your pregnancy journey. Increase in weight is linked to increased levels of both estrogen and progesterone. Avoid caffeine and take enough rest to ease swelling while pregnant.
{ 4 } Hair, Nails and Skin Changes
Are you expectant? If yes, embrace yourself for skin, hair and nail changes. Some changes are temporary, whereas others can stay put for a long period. Here are some of these changes:
Nail and Hair Growth
Hormonal changes in the body might increase the rate in which both your nail and hair grows. Nail tends to grow faster on pregnant women when compared to others. This is linked to fact that expectant women should consume healthy diets for proper growth and development of the fetus. Some women also notice nail breakage, brittleness or even grooves. Proper diet can help control some nail problems.
Crossing over, hormonal changes in expectant women can affect the growth of their hair. Some women experience excessive hair loss. Some women experience intense hair growth, even in some unexpected regions. It can be on the back, legs and back, among others. These changes might go away once you give birth to your baby. These changes affect expectant women differently.
Skin Changes
Embrace yourself for some changes in your skin while pregnant. First, some body parts will darken when compared to others. This ranges from Linea Alba, genitals and areolas. Darkening complexion affects women of all skin tone, be it light or dark. Long terms sun exposure without using sunscreen oil can also darken your skin. Stretch marks are also some skin changes you should expect during your pregnancy. These marks are caused by changes of hormones in your skin and the stretching of your skin. Stretch marks should be visible on your body during the third and the last stage of your pregnancy. This skin change is mostly visible on the abdomen and the region around the breast. There are instances where stretch marks itch. In such situations, urge a cream to relieve thus itchiness.
Some women develop dark patches on their skin. Others develop skin rushes or some red bumps on their back, arms and legs.
{ 5 } Metabolic and Respiratory Changes
The demand for oxygen by pregnant women increases. Oxygen should be supplied to both the unborn baby and the expectant mother. This requirement increases the metabolic rate throughout the pregnancy.
Blood Oxygen Levels
As stated above, an expectant woman requires more oxygen. The amount of oxygen intake by the lungs increases by roughly thirty percent. This rate of oxygen consumption by the body increases especially when an expectant mother takes some rest. Some women encounter shortage of breathe. This is normal and is linked with the enlargement of the uterus.
Metabolic rate
Metabolic rate is the energy expectant mothers release while resting. This helps determine the energy intake levels needed to maintain their current weight or even add some weight. The metabolic rates of women increase as time progresses. This helps the body cope up with different body changes.
Body Temperature
The body temperature tends to change during pregnancy. In fact, it is one of the first indicators of pregnancy. This is the reason a lot of women take in a large of water. Increase in body temperature can result into dehydration or hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is where the body produces a lot of heat stress because of exercise. Expectant mothers should watch out for the amount of heat stress of their body. There are a couple of tips you can use to control this condition. It can be exercising in the pool, staying in a well ventilated place or wearing loose clothes.
Dehydration among pregnant women is common. This is the reason you should drink plenty of water and fluids.
{ 6 } Breast and cervical changes
Hormonal changes during pregnancy commence during the first month of pregnancy. These hormonal changes prepare the expectant mother for breast feeding and birth. Breast is one of the unavoidable changes you will experience during your pregnancy. The breast should be ready to feed milk to the baby once he is delivered. Breasts will swiftly grow until you give birth. A lot of women find their breasts sensitive and tender when they increase in size. That’s not all; you will notice veins around the breasts have changed in color to dark. Some women will develop stretch marks around the breast. Similarly, both the areola and nipples will increase in size.
A large fraction of women will notice some yellow discharge from their breasts. This mostly occurs at some point on the second trimester of their pregnancy. Lastly, you might notice small lumps on both breasts. This is normal. Simply massage your breast with some warm water.
Cervical changes
Lastly, we have cervical changes. This is an inevitable stage every expectant woman should go through. The cervix should change in preparation of giving birth. As a result, the cervix walls should become thick, glandular and thick. This enables the cervix to comfortably accommodate the fetus as it grows on the womb. The cervix will dilate and soften, making it easy for the baby to pass during birth.
Some of these changes are normal and straightforward, whereas others are complicated than you think. Ensure you eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. These changes are necessary for the welfare of the fetus and yours at large. Always reach out to your doctor whenever you experience anything weird. Moving on, some changes are temporary whereas others are permanent. Just embrace yourself for these changes.
Also read Best Diet for Pregnant Women