What Changes Will Occur To My Body During My Pregnancy?
|
|
During your pregnancy, your body will go through a great many changes. This is normal an natural, and to be expected; after all, you are growing an entire new person inside of your body!
During the first few weeks of pregnancy, you will probably notice many signs and symptoms that indicate that you are pregnant. These may include:
- A missed period. This is often the first sign for a woman that she is pregnant.
- Many women who are pregnant experience fatigue, especially during their first trimester. The hormonal changes taking place in your body can make you feel lethargic, or worn out after just a little bit of physical activity.
- These hormonal changes can also affect your mood. Some women will feel pronounced mood swings as little as a couple of weeks after becoming pregnant.
- Implantation bleeding is another sign of pregnancy. When the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus, some women will have a very light bleeding. This will typically be from pinkish to reddish-brown in color, and typically lasts for 1-2 days.
- Frequent urination can also indicate pregnancy. The old saying goes that the most dangerous place in the world is between a pregnant woman and a bathroom. While this is especially true later in pregnancy when your baby is pushing on your internal organs, many women experience a more frequent need to urinate throughout their pregnancy.
- You might experience pregnancy-induced nausea, sometimes called “morning sickness,” is a fairly common symptom of pregnancy. Around 70% of all new moms-to-be will experience morning sickness. Morning sickness can occur at any time of the day, not just during the morning. This nausea may be constant, as it is for some women; or, it may just occur occasionally. The degree to which you feel sick can also vary; you might just feel a little woozy, or you might experience full fledged vomiting.
- Breast tenderness is one of the very earliest signs of pregnancy. Increased hormones cause breasts to be sensitive and sore, and often to swell.
During the second and third months of your pregnancy, you may begin to show a bit. You might see a little extra weight around the hips, and your breasts may become firmer. You might even have a little bump in your tummy. By the end of month 2, your progesterone and estrogen levels will increase to about 4 times their normal levels.
During the second trimester and beyond, your body might change in the following ways:
- You will definitely begin to show. The size and shape of your belly can depend on the location of the placenta, and many believe that boys and girls create different shapes.
- You may begin to feel much better than you did during your first trimester.
- Your joints may begin to ache.
- You might experience increased acne.
- Your tummy muscles might start to ache as they stretch and work to hold your baby in place.
- The volume of blood is increasing dramatically during this second trimester, so light-headedness spells can arrive often.
- At the end of the second trimester, your internal organs will move upward as your baby takes up more and more space.
- Your areolas may begin to darken.
At any point in your pregnancy, you may have:
- gingivitis or bleeding gums.
- heartburn.
- constipation.
- thrush or a yeast infection.
- incontinence.
- varicose veins.
- hemorrhoids.
- Backache
- Swollen ankles, face, fingers, or hands.
Related Articles:
if you have any questions or comments!