Effects of Pregnancy

     There are a number of effects of being pregnant.  You will find your body going through a number of changes that can be upsetting and worrysome if you don't know to expect them.  I would like to outline some of the changes and effects you may be feeling while you are pregnant so you have a better idea of what to expect.

Morning Sickness:
     Morning sickness occurs during the first trimester of a pregnancy and consists of nausea and vomiting.  It does not only occur in the morning as its name suggests, although it is most commonly felt by women in the morning.  Morning sickness typically begins around six weeks of pregnancy, but it can actually start as early as four weeks.  Your chances of developing morning sickness are high, as about 75% of women report feeling nausea and sometimes vomiting during their first trimester.  
No one knows for sure what the causes of morning sickness are (other than the obvious one of being pregnant).  There are, however, so many physical changes that are going on in your body at this time.  You have the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) which is rising rapidly during pregnancy.  Estrogen is another hormone that increases rapidly during pregnancy and can be to blame as well.  Women also have a heightened sense of smell.  Certain smells really can bother you and make you feel nauseous.  Strangely enough, for me, it was the smell of vanilla.  I had to put my vanilla candles away for a long time, even after the pregnancy because it brought back that reminder of feeling nauseous.  Doctors also think that having a vitamin B deficiency can lead to increased morning sickness.  Vitamin B6 has improved morning sickness for some women.  There are some risk factors involved with developing morning sickness, such as being pregnant with multiples, having nausea and vomiting in a previous pregnancy, having nausea or vomiting when taking birth control pills, having a history of motion sickness, having a genetic predisposition to morning sickness, having a history of migraine headaches, and carrying a girl. 

      There are a few things you can try to help you with your morning sickness.  First, try to avoid smells that trigger your feelings of nausea as well as foods that make you feel squeamish.  Every pregnant woman has her food aversions and irritating smells.  The more you can avoid them, the better.  Sticking to bland foods may also help.  Eating food at room temperature or cold may help too because then it has less aroma than when it is warm.  Crackers may become your best friend.  Keep them with you wherever you go.  It may help to keep them at your bed, and before getting up, eat a few crackers.  It is best to always keep some food in your stomach, so eating crackers throughout the day is a good idea.  Eat small meals and lots of protein.  Stay away from rich, spicy, acidic, and fried foods, which will not help your stomach.  Drink lots of fluids, but not too much at one time.  Drink lots of water and take sips throughout the day.  Try to drink a quart and a half of liquids per day.  If you have been vomiting a lot, it is helpful to drink sports drinks that include salt, glucose, and potassium to keep pace with missing electrolytes.  If possible, try to take it easy.  Take naps and lay down if at all possible.  Be sure to take your prenatal vitamins with food.  Ginger is said to be a remedy that can settle the stomach.  Before you take ginger supplements, be sure to speak to your doctor.  If none of these remedies work, speak to your doctor about further options.  There are medications that can be prescribed as well as the vitamin B6.  

Fatigue:

      During the first trimester of your pregnancy, you will probably feel more tired than you have ever felt in your life.  Many pregnant women find that they feel a need to crash during the afternoon hours.  If you are in a position to take a nap, please do so.  It will make you feel a lot better.  If you are at work and unable to take a nap, you may want to start adjusting your bed time so that you go to bed a little earlier.

Mood Swings:

      During pregnancy, you may find yourself feeling great joy and excitement to suddenly feeling overwhelming sadness or worry.  Many women experience premenstrual syndrome, and being pregnant is somewhat like having PMS all the time.  You may feel irrationally angry at one moment and happy at another moment.  You also may feel depression during your pregnancy.  This is the case for about 10% of pregnant women.  If you think you are suffering from depression, please talk to your doctor.  The other emotions are quite normal. You are not going crazy!  Most women experience a lot of mood swings during pregnancy.

Physical Changes:

     One of the first signs of pregnancy is increased breast size.  Breasts become swollen in the first trimester due to increased levels of estrogen and progesterone. 

      Skin also gets a glow during pregnancy.  Some women also get brownish or yellowish patches called cholasma on their faces.  Hormonal changes also cause the pregnant woman to produce more pigmentation, but not necessarily evenly, so there may be darkened patches of skin.  Acne can also be an issue during pregnancy due to the sebaceous glands of the skin increasing oil production.  Dry skin and itchiness is also common, particularly on the abdomen.

     Hair grows at a rapid pace during pregnancy.  It will also fall out less.  Beware that after you give birth, all this excess hair will begin to fall out.  It will likely seem that you are losing a lot of hair.  Some women also find that during pregnancy they have unwanted hair growth, such as on the face or belly or around the nipples.  Nails also grow faster and become stronger.  The changes in your nails are also not permanent.

     Many women also experience swelling when they are pregnant, particularly in the feet and ankles.  You may find that your shoes don't fit anymore.  Because of fluid retention, some women find that they go up one or two shoe sizes, and their feet actually stay a size larger after pregnancy.  This doesn't happen to everyone, and you may go right back to your original size. 

     Varicose veins are another unwanted side effect of pregnancy.  They are usually found in the legs and the genital area.  They occur when blood pools in veins that have been enlarged by pregnancy hormones.  Sometimes these varicose veins disappear after pregnancy, and sometimes they linger.  To lower your risk, you should vary standing and sitting throughout the day.  You should wear loose-fitting clothes.  You should elevate your feet when sitting, and wearing support hose may also help. 

     Hemorrhoids, which are varicose veins in the rectum occur often in pregnancy too.  This is because you have increasing pressure on your pelvis, which may cause the veins in your rectum to enlarge into grape-like clusters.  These can be very painful, and may sting, itch, or even bleed, especially during a bowel movement.

     Constipation is another side effect of pregnancy.  Hormones caused by pregnancy slow the rate of the food that passes through your gastrointestinal tract.  Also, during the last part of your pregnancy, your uterus may push against your large intestine, which results in difficulty eliminating waste.  It is especially important during pregnancy to eat a diet filled with fiber and drinking lots of fluids. 

The Nesting Instinct:

     During pregnancy, many women feel the nesting instinct, which is a powerful urge to clean and decorate the home.  This may involve projects that you haven't had time to do.  This may be especially true in the ninth month shortly before the baby is due.  Don't overdo it!

Inability to Focus:

     During your pregnancy, you may feel all out of sorts.  Your body is changing, your hormones are all out of whack, you feel tired, and you may be suffering from morning sickness.  It is no wonder that you may be feeling a little fuzzy and a little discombobulated.  This is normal.  You have a lot on your mind.  Having difficulty concentrating and experiencing forgetfulness is normal.

Food Aversions and Cravings:

      Food aversions and cravings are perfectly normal during pregnancy.  Since you have an intense sense of smell during your pregnancy, some smells and consequently some foods will likely make you feel sick to your stomach.  You also may find yourself craving interesting combinations of food.  Doctors believe that a lot of times the cravings you are having are actually your body's way of telling you that you need a certain vitamin or mineral.  For example, if you are craving salty foods, your body may be in the stage of doubling the volume of blood present in your uterus to support the needs of your baby.  This process lowers your system's normal amount of salt. 

Pregnancy Weight Gain:
     Yes, a part of being pregnant is gaining the weight.  It is inevitable.  However, just because you are pregnant and "eating for two" does not mean that you need to double your food intake.  Eating too much will cause you to gain a lot of weight, which can lead to a variety of problems, such as discomfort in pregnancy, swollen ankles, feet, and hands, high blood pressure,and gestational diabetes.  It will also be very difficult for you to lose the weight once you give birth.  Depending on how big you are in the first place will determine how much weight gain you should have.  If you are of normal weight, a healthy weight gain is of 25 to 35 pounds.  If you are underweight, your weight gain should be between 28 and 40 pounds.  If you are overweight, your weight gain should be about 15 to 25 pounds, and if you are obese, your weight gain should be about 11 to 20 pounds. Even if you are overweight or obese, you should not be trying to lose weight during pregnancy.  You should keep an eye on the scale.  Your doctor will check your weight at each prenatal visit.  Here is where you can expect the pregnancy weight to go.

• Baby:  Around 7 to 8 pounds
• Increased Breast Size:  1 to 3 pounds
• Bigger Uterus:  2 pounds
• Placenta:  1 1/2 pounds
• Amniotic Fluid:  2 pounds
• Increased Blood Volume:  3 to 4 pounds
• Increased Fluids:  3 to 4 pounds
• Fat stores:  6 to 8 pounds

     During your first trimester, your weight gain should be minimal.  You can add about 150 to 200 extra calories per day.  In the second and third trimesters, gaining 3 to 4 pounds a month is a good target.  This requires you to add an extra 300 calories a day.  Here are a few suggestions for improving your diet.  Eat fresh fruit instead of desserts, drink juice and water instead of colas, trade white bread and pasta for whole grains, eat a salad instead of a burger and fries.  Eat grilled chicken instead of fried chicken.

Stretch Marks:

     Most women develop stretch marks due to pregnancy by the end of the third trimester of their pregnancy.  Stretch marks may appear pink, red, white, or purple in color.  They commonly appear on the stomach and lower abdomen as well as the breasts, and sometimes the thighs.  This is due to the stretching of the skin due to rapid weight gain.  So what can you do about this?  There are several options after your pregnancy is over. 

1. Tretinoin Cream:  This cream may improve the look of fresh stretch marks that are less than six weeks old and are still pink or red in color.  It is used to rebuild the collagen, which makes the stretch marks look more like your normal skin.  Tretinoin Cream should never be used during pregnancy and is ineffective with older stretch marks.
2. Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy:  This treatment remodels the underlying skin by stimulating the growth of elastin and collagen.  This treatment is usually most effective with new stretch marks, but may be effective with old ones too.
3. Fractional Photothermolysis:  This treatment also uses wavelengths of light to stimulate new growth of elastin and collagen, but it causes partial damage to the tiny areas within a targeted area.
4. Microdermabrasion:  This treatment is done with a hand-held device that blows crystals onto the skin.  These crystals abrade the skin and then a vacuum removes the crystals as well as the skin cells.  The skin's topmost layer is removed, which may cause newer skin to be more elastic.  This is one possible option for older stretch marks.
5. Excimer Laser:  This laser's purpose is to cause repigmentation of the skin by causing melanin to be produced.  If this works, the older and lighter skin will become closer in color to the other skin.  This may be a viable option for older stretch marks.

Jealousy of Siblings:

    Another effect of pregnancy can be that your other children become jealous.  They see your preoccupation with the new baby, all the new things the new baby is getting, and they see changes that they may not like.  Be aware that during this time, your other children need attention too, and need to understand that another addition to the family does not make them less important or valued.