Pregnancy, when it happens at the right time, can be one of the best moments in a woman's life...the expectation of motherhood can be so exhilarating and satisfying for the woman that she becomes intoxicated with joy. For some women, it is a time when they have unrestrained freedom to demand anything of their liking from their husbands without being denied them.

However, even with all the thrills and joys that come with pregnancy, if you are experiencing it for the first time, it can prove a very weird, surprising and even dreaded experience, as your body often undergoes dramatic changes just so that the pregnancy reaches term successfully. When you at least know what to expect, the element of surprise is taken off and you can better adapt to the changes that come with it.
Below are 8 common body changes associated with pregnancy and its progression to term;


#1. Food craving: also known as pica, this is one spectacle you witness that humbles you greatly. And yes, it is true that for some women the craving is so strong, twisted and weird to the point of them munching down nails, phones, stones or other strange articles of food. At other times, they can wake their husbands up at 3:15am to go and buy suya for them or else there would be war! And by the time the poor man returns with the suya, she doesn't want it again, she wants boli (roast plantain) instead. What is actually the cause of this craving, you may ask? Well, there is no consensus, in the medical at least , as to what the actual cause is, but then, a common theory out there that tries to explain it is this one: that pregnant women have this craving due to a deficiency or lack of certain minerals or nutrients in their system. For example, it is believed that the craving of spicy foods may be indicative of sodium defficiency while ice cream may suggest calcium defficiency. Even with this and other theories that exist, pica still remains a mysterious phenomenon.

NB: in some women, it is the opposite, food aversion, that occurs. It is so dramatic that their pre-pregancy (before pregnancy) favorite food or meal can suddenly become utterly repulsive such that they can puke just by thinking about it or perceiving the odour.

#2. Increase in body weight: there is usually a 15kg increase in body weight during pregnancy. This is in addition to the weight of the growing fetus. Of course, because of the increased physiological demand during pregnancy, there is a compensatory increase in weight to meet up with the demand. This increase is perfectly normal and is usually reversible, with conscious efforts though, after pregnancy.


#3. Mood swings: well, the explanation for this is not far-fetched as well: a surge in hormone levels. With pregnancy comes a rise in pregnancy hormones. This surge is often associated with mood swings. For some women, they can become mildly depressed, while others just experience a persistent, 247-round-the-clock spike in crankiness! And if you are a man experiencing this sudden weird behaviour from your wife, have no fear. She is still very much sane. Just the hormones messing up her mojo. In any case, it is a very normal occurence in pregnancy and not a cause for worry or reasom enough to invite the psychiatrist over.


#4. Full, heavy or painful breasts: the breasts become fuller and, occasionally, tender. This is because, while preparing for birth and lactation, the breast tissues undergo massive proliferation and become engorged with lots of milk, enough to last the baby for months (well, that's if the baby's father doesn't share the milk with him/her).


#5. Increased frequency of urination: this one can weird you out if you are not expecting it. Imagine rushing to the toilet every now and then just because you don't want to pee on yourself. Some women, even before they grudgingly rise from their beds, leak out urine. What causes it? It's the growing fetus. Because the womb rests on the bladder, the weight of the enlarged womb (with the fetus inside) bears down on it and the resultant pressure causes you to urinate quickly. Also, because the body retains a lot of fluid, increased urination is the body's compensatory mechanism to tackle it.


#6. Morning sickness: this is one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. Suddenly, you realize that you are so powerfully nauseous and are unable to hold back the urge to puke, coupled with some mild malaise. At times, you wake up from the bed and dash straight to the bath or toilet to puke. For a majority of women though, it is hyper-salivation (sialorrhoea) that occurrs: they can fill up a tank with saliva in minutes! This is more pronounced in the first trimester (first 3 months of pregnancy) and they are all very normal and expected occurences during pregnancy.


NB: some women experience what is known as hyperemesis gravidarum, that is, excessive vomiting during pregnancy. This group of women are to be promptly and properly looked after by a doctor, as several complications can arise from it.


#7. Fluid retention: this often presents as swollen legs and or hands. And it is due to the retention of fluids in body because of increased physiological demand. Again, the growing fetus exerts pressure on the veins (the inferior vena cava) which in turn impairs return of blood back to the heart. When this happens, the veins of the lower limbs become distended and filled with blood that is not or only going very slowly back to the heart. You can actually relieve this by not standing upright for long and lying down on your left. When you sit, you can elevate your legs on a stool as well. All these help to reduce the swelling.


#8. Skin changes: also included to the list of body changes seen during pregnancy are skin changes, and they include,

-Stretch marks: seen especially on the abdomen and on thee sides of the breasts. About 90% of all pregnant women experience stretch marks during pregnancy.

-Pregnancy glow: for some women, they experience this shine or glow during pregnancy. This is due of increased blood circulation through the veins.

-Pimples (acne): some women experience an amazing and terryfing sprout of pimples!

-Varicose veins: these are visibly engorged veins seen in the legs because the veins become stretched and distended with too much blood.

-Melasma: also known as the "mask of pregnancy", these occur as dark small spots or patches on the face during pregnancy. Occasionally, the nipples and areolar become darker and more pigmented as well.


The above changes are generally considered as normal physiological occurences that often resolve after birth. Now, except in a few cases like hyperemesis gravidarum where the woman and her baby may be harmed in the process, these are changes with little or no harmful effects, and as such, they shouldn't cause anyone to panic.


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Thanks for reading!



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