Changing Body Shape in Pregnancy

By Negut Andreea last modified 08/12/2005
Pregnancy is a physiological state when the woman’s body adapts to new situations to realize a functional balance between the mother and the baby.

All the body modifications start right after conceiving and they manifest in different ways for each woman. In the first three months of pregnancy the body suffers many internal changes which are reflected as: morning sickness, back pain, mood swings, etc.

A pregnant woman is supposed to observe her body changes as they are the best way to know if the pregnancy is developing normally.

In the second and third trimester of pregnancy visible effects of the pregnancy appear: The abdomen gets bigger, stretch marks appear, heart burns and you will feel the child kicking and moving inside. Most women suffer skin changes due to the hormones and the most common are: spots, stretch marks, darker freckles. Women will notice that when exposed to sun their skin will become darker faster than it usual did.

When the woman gains weight her skin stretches, if the weight gain is fast, stretch marks appear, but don’t worry because almost 90% of women have stretch marks during their pregnancy. Stretch marks are also hereditary: if your mother had them it’s more likely you have them too.

After giving birth skin regains its normal aspect but stretch marks cannot be treated. Swelling is another common problem for future mothers.

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