5 Weird Changes in the Mother’s Body During Pregnancy

It’s a very special time for all mothers. Welcoming a new person in life and the feeling of fulfillment is what mothers feel as the little one grows bit by bit inside her body. But the journey of motherhood is not all roses.

The news brings a glowing look to some mothers but the body transforms and mothers often have a plenty of questions for their doctors. The pregnancy brings some changes in the body during this time and it’s very natural for first-time mothers to remain worried about the changes. Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, the OB-GYN of Los Angeles said, "The immune system regulation is different at this stage, your hormone levels are obviously very different, even your oxygen consumption is different. All of those changes make a lot of weird things possible."

 

The hair hue

Those locks will get lovelier and that is something that you will cherish in this time. The hormones are at its highest level of activeness. As hormones start changing you will see some definite changes in the hair growth. But the bizarre part is hair growth in unwanted areas. In many cases, it has been found out that hair grows in areas where it was not present ever before. Some women have reported changes in the pubic hair which has made them freak out. Some women also face the unnatural growth of hair on their lips, cheek, and chin.

The usual places like the hand, legs, back, and belly has a tendency to grow more hair than regular times. The doctors say that these changes of body hair will return back to normal after few weeks of delivery or in some cases after the mother has stopped breastfeeding. Post pregnancy the hormonal levels come back to the regular state and any unusual signs disappear. Though there are no scientific explanations, some women have reported permanent changes in their hair after pregnancy. There are reports of women claiming that their straight hair has become curly or vice versa.

 

The rashes on the skin

Researchers say that skin rash during pregnancy occurs in 1 out of 200 women. But if you are unlucky enough to be that one then it’s definitely going to make your pregnancy days filled with itching. The clinical name for these rashes is pruritic urticarial papules and plaques, also termed as PUPPS. In the pregnancy period, such kinds of rashes usually appear in the third semester and often continues till six weeks post-delivery. The rashes look like small bumps and are usually seen over the trunk or the breast.  By the end of the pregnancy, the rashes spread forming bigger in shape. The appearance of such rash can also be seen on upper arms and thighs. For relief, skin experts at this stage suggest having a soda bath or using Aloe Vera gel on the area right after bathing. Cold compresses on the area soothe the itching sensation. In case, you are not able to resist itching altogether use cotton gloves. In this case, if you starch there will be lesser chances of getting scratched or the rashes getting infected. Usually, if the appearance of such rashes is found in the first pregnancy, the subsequent pregnancies tend to be rash free.  

 

 

The feet and teeth transformations

During pregnancy, your feet swell and that is nothing unusual but doctors are saying that your feet can even grow up to 10 millimeters. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz explains, "During this time, the body makes hormones that allow your joints to become lax during pregnancy to help the pelvis accommodate the baby and allow you to deliver,... But also at this stage the arches of your feet fall and the foot length increases between 2 and 10 millimeters." Due to the same reason, the teeth setting might change and you will find your teeth and gums more sensitive than ever before. Reports are there where pregnant ladies have reported bleeding or swelling of gums which makes them face difficulty while brushing. Gingivitis is common which decays your gum and causes bad breath.  

 

The vagina turns bluish

Due to increased blood flow in the vaginal area, it turns bluish. Usually, these signs of the blue vagina are seen in some sixth or eighth week of pregnancy. Sometimes, the patients get worried about the color change but the doctors are saying that this is same as varicose veins in the legs. The same veins are present in the vagina that turns blue due to the weight. As the baby grows bigger, the swelling of the area is visible with the color turning blue. The way you have hemorrhoid in legs, the same happens in the vagina during pregnancy. Doctors say it is painful sometimes and if the patient suffers from constipation the situation becomes worse.

Flatulence and vaginal discharge

Doctors say if you are having a sudden and unalarmed wind breaking it is not you who is to be blamed. Progesterone and Relaxin help the uterus from not contracting and relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter inside the stomach which is important in pregnancy. The uterus not contracting makes the gas pass easy and you can’t control it. Bloating and ingestion are common during this time that results in frequent burps and bloating of the stomach. Vaginal discharge is also a common problem as reported by experts, but the doctor’s intervention is required if you find that the discharge is yellow or green and has some odd odor. This might be due to some infection and there’s where a checkup is needed.

Doctors say that the rate of various added problems during the pregnancy period is high. Pregnant mothers are reluctant to visit the doctors for skin problems especially, as studies found out that they think that these symptoms are just pregnancy signs and will disappear after childbirth. The happiness of being a mother is so much that sometimes some real infections are just avoided. As per reports, the patient turns up only after childbirth and sometimes the infections get worse.

Source:

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/01/health/Pregnancy-body-changes/index.html