6 Things to Expect During Pregnancy

Pregnancy changes your body significantly, sometimes there are health problems that you experience during pregnancy such as morning sickness or vitamin deficiency.

 

No single pregnancy is the same and what you experience with your first child might not be what you experience with other pregnancies. Alternatively, what one woman experiences might be different to what other women experience.

 

Pregnancy is a beautiful time, however if you are nervous about being pregnant, here is a list of things you might expect during pregnancy.

 

Common Things to Expect During Pregnancy

Every year, UNICEF estimates that at least 130 million babies are born. These women all around the world who carry babies for 9 months experience a range of different things during their pregnancies.

 

Some common things you might expect are weight gain, mood swings, an increase in breast size, and morning sickness.

 

During your pregnancy, you will gain weight. A healthy amount during pregnancy is around 25 to 30 pounds if you have a healthy BMI. It is perfectly natural to gain weight after all you are looking after two humans and your body needs a lot of nutrients to care for your baby. Your doctor will be able to discuss weight gain with you if you are worried that you are gaining too much or not enough.

 

Another common thing you can expect when you are pregnant is mood swings. One moment you might be perfectly happy and the next you might be in tears. Due to hormonal changes within your body you can expect to experience these swings, particularly in your first trimester and towards the end of the third trimester.

 

Your breasts will get larger. In your first trimester you have much higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, which will enlarge your breast size. These hormones might also continue to grow your breasts throughout your pregnancy, so expect to go bra shopping a few times.

 

Many women also experience morning sickness. This is very common during the first trimester. You might also experience certain smells or flavors that make you feel nauseous or sick. Again, this is due to the increased hormones in your body.

 

Less Common Things to Expect During Pregnancy

“Remember, just because something is less common, or your friend hasn’t experienced these symptoms, it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you or your baby. If you are concerned about anything that you experience make sure you consult your doctor as soon as possible,” says health expert, Joanne Williams from THEGOODESTATE.

 

You might experience changes in your voice during your pregnancy. Some women find that, due to changes in their hormones, they are unable to hit high vocal notes. This happens because your vocal cords can swell due to changes in your lung capacity, and muscle control.

 

Another strange thing you might experience during your pregnancy is bloating everywhere. Your body might bloat and swell because of an increase in progesterone. This increase helps your muscles to relax and in the gastrointestinal tract it can slow down your digestion (which helps to give the right nutrients for your body). You might also burp more as a result of being bloated.