It takes quite a while for the fact to sink in. Your body is busy making a whole other person. A completely new human being will soon enter the world through you. Pregnancy on the whole is a fascinating experience that is layered over and over. You can never truly comprehend everything that you experience during pregnancy but some particular things seem to stand out just because they are that absurd. There are so many things that happen to your body during pregnancy that you never imagined possible but here we are.
#1 Your bones become looser
From the time that you get pregnant, your body is busy preparing itself for the big day. There is a hormone that is released during pregnancy called relaxin. Continued secretion of this hormone results in the separation of the pubic bone. The uterine muscles relax and all the ligaments loosen up as well. This makes delivery easier but it is also the reason why women experience back pain during pregnancy. You have to carry a heavy load along with joints that were not as strong as they used to be. However, this is reversible and once the pregnancy is over, your bones become as strong as ever.
#2 Your voice changes
During pregnancy, hormones treat your body like a playground. You experience extremely high levels of both estrogen as well as progesterone. Due to this, several things happen in the body at the same time. Your lung capacity reduces and your muscle control is decreased. There is a significant increase in the level of fluids in the body. Due to this, you feel generally swollen and your vocal cords get swollen too. Because of this, you lose the ability to touch high notes like before. However, you find that you are comfortable with lower notes than usual. Do not strain or scream much because you are much more likely to rupture blood vessels if you stress your vocal cord out during pregnancy.
#3 You Sweat a Lot
Again, this is something that you can thank your hormones for. While every experience of pregnancy is unique in its terms, high levels of sweating are one of the most commonly reported symptoms of pregnancy. Your blood circulation is much higher than normal during pregnancy. You also experienced higher levels of metabolism because your body needs the energy to grow the little person inside you. Because of these two factors, you experience a lot more sweating than normal. You don’t even need to be physically active to be sweating during pregnancy. Wear light clothes and keep yourself hydrated.
#4 Itchy, Runny Nose
Mu cus buildup in the nose is very common during pregnancy and is a result of higher levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. It is very common to experience a blocked nose during pregnancy. Almost as many as one in five women report having symptoms of a blocked nose when they are pregnant. It does not end with just the blocking of the nose. Women also experience itchy sensations in the nose. Crying is not the only reason why you will be having a runny nose so keep those tissues nearby at all times.
#5 Your Breath Smells Bad
This is not something that you will love about pregnancy. It is best not to get too conscious about it because it is temporary. Bad breath happens because the bacteria that are normally present in your oral cavity and doing their own thing get inflamed as a result of the high hormonal levels your body is experiencing. This causes symptoms such as bad breath and bleeding gums to occur. Dental care is very important during pregnancy and not something that you must ignore. Do not use mouthwash is that has alcohol in them. Instead, just brush your teeth regularly and floss properly every day.
#6 It’s a hairy situation
There are pros and cons to this phenomenon that happens due to an increase in hormones. You will notice that the hair on your head is glossier and thicker than ever. Your hair has never looked this wonderful and probably will not once the pregnancy is over. The downside to this is that you experience hair growth all over your body as well including your arms, legs, abdomen, and everywhere else that you can think of. It is best to just wait it out and admire the hair on your head meanwhile. Do not use any products that could harm the baby. It is best to focus on grooming after pregnancy to get rid of the excessive hair from your body.
#7 Baby Brain
This is quite a controversial phenomenon that happens during pregnancy, the controversy being no one is sure whether it exists. It is reported that pregnant women experience loss of memory during pregnancy and are not able to comprehend things like they used to previously. There are many reasons why this could happen. One of the most interesting reasons is that your brain tends to focus on what is important and at this point, it is the pregnancy. There is no space in the brain for anything else during this period. Some people attribute a baby brain to changes in hormone levels. Either way, this is a great excuse for skipping out on appointments.
#8 Swelling all over your body
You experience swelling and pain all over your body. During pregnancy, because of all the hormones dancing around your body, there is a lot of fluid retention that happens. You cannot do anything to avoid it. And when fluid gets retained in your body, it causes bloating. You will notice that you have bloating in your abdomen. But it does not stop there. You experience swelling on your feet and arms. You feel bloated and gassy throughout the day.
#9 Skin Issues
Pregnancy glow is a myth. That’s right. You do not have clean, glowing skin throughout Nancy. Instead you XO
Almost every organ in your body experiences some change during pregnancy. It is just your body trying to adjust to the new situation and working towards producing a new human being successfully. Pregnancy is a challenging yet fascinating period. You can use every opportunity that you get to connect with your baby and bond with them during pregnancy as well. You must remember that all of these changes are temporary and you will be back to normal as soon as the pregnancy is terminated. It is best not to worry about every single stretch mark or new hair that shows up on your face. It will be worth it when your baby comes out and everything seems so much better.