By Alicia • 2 Comments
There are many ways your body changes during pregnancy besides the obvious bump. When you first find out you are pregnant, a growing tummy was probably all that you thought about. But as it turns out, there are many ways your body changes during pregnancy. Some of them are nice little advantages and some of them are not as pleasant.
One of the nice ways your body changes during pregnancy is that your hair becomes thicker and looks very healthy when you are pregnant. This is especially nice for those that have always had hair with a fine texture. You can thank your prenatal vitamins for the boost in hair beauty. The downside is that you lose a lot of that extra volume after baby is born. But you can certainly enjoy it for now.
Along with a growing belly, your breasts will be growing as well. They have a job to do, too. They are preparing for breastfeeding, whether or not you choose to go that route. This gives you a nice boost in cleavage. It can help you to feel a little sexier during your pregnancy.
Don’t be surprised if you notice a vertical line going down your tummy as it grows. It is called the linea nigra and is perfectly normal. It is caused by your surging pregnancy hormones. It can feel a little odd to discover it the first time but it is a temporary thing. Along with the linea nigra you may notice some patches of skin that are a bit darker on your face, too.
You probably know about this one. It is a side of pregnancy that no one appreciates. Carrying a baby around for 40 weeks can cause you to have stretch marks. Your skin is just stretching so fast that this can occur. While there is no way to totally prevent them from occurring, keeping your skin moisturized with lotion or a cream specifically for stretch marks can help. And while you will never grow to love them, you will not mind them as much as you think since they come along with an adorable new baby.
This is a nice physical change in your body during pregnancy. You have a glow. It is something that is very difficult to explain other than to say that your skin has a loveliness that others will notice and call a glow. It is something no makeup can give you. It is very complimentary and you can thank mother nature for it.
Toward the end of your pregnancy, your hands and feet may swell. This happens most often in the third trimester. You will usually notice it most at the end of the day. There are some things that you can do to help with this. Cutting down on your sodium intake and increasing the amount of water you drink can help. Putting your feet up when you can helps, too.
You may have expected to only gain weight in your tummy, only to be sadly disappointed. For most pregnant women, weight shows up other places as well. You can gain a little weight all over when you are pregnant. It isn’t unusual to pick up some extra weight in your face, breasts and hips for sure. Try not to worry when this happens. The weight will come off after your little one gets here if you follow some basic diet and exercise guidelines.
There are a lot of body changes in pregnancy besides the obvious bump. What other changes have you experienced? Share your story with us!