You fall pregnant and it seriously feels like your world as you know it has been invaded by some invisible force - taking ove your body and the way you feel - literally OVERNIGHT.
And of course, your partner, friends and colleagues will only listen to your claims that your behaviour is all due to hormones for so long, before they become impatient.
HORMONES - the real villan in the story.
Hormones are responsible for just about everything that can and will go wrong during pregnancy, from a moods and comfort perspective.
I looked into this a bit, and discovered some very interesting information I can now share with you - for your reading pleasure though, I have included the link to the site above, if you want more details - in detail!
First of all, although I made extensive notes on the article to share with you, somehow I got stuck on one thing: the anus. Of all the parts of ones body that come under attack during pregnancy, I seriously think the butthole suffers the worst. Pregnancy is literally a pain in the ass for this poor body part. More about this in a moment.
First things first: If you find yourself with an overwhelming need to spring clean - even though it's the middle of winter - know that this is normal - it's called 'Nesting Syndrome' and is basically your motherly instincts taking over to provide a space for the newborn. If you're like me and have boxes of junk and cupboards overflowing with STUFF, then this is probably a good thing. Just don't overdo it.
You find yourself wondering when the hell you invited these people over for dinner that just arrived at your house on a Friday evening. They are expecting your signature dish. These kind of things have happened a few times now, and you're wondering if you're going mad. Relax. It's HORMONES. Unfortunately although I researched a bit on this, there is no specific Hormone that this is blamed on. There is the lack of sleep factor too though, that apparently interfers with one's ability to remember. Also the simple fact that a pregnant woman has alot on her mind, many changes to deal with, and much more to deal with on a day to day basis and therefore there is more scope to forget the more minor details - ESPECIALLY when multi-tasking. Ladies, I plead with you - DO NOT flat iron your hair while baking something in the oven and running the bath water all at the same time, because somewhere disaster will strike! Do not allow the men in your life and even your friends and colleagues to make you feel inferior if you do forget things - it's been reported and proven many times over that this is a normal part of pregnancy. Do yourself a favour though - if it's imporant, write it down, if it isn't, FORGET IT!
BOOBS - yes, it had to come up! Boobelicious subject this, the ever present and totally 'unignorable' part of a woman's body. If you're like me and you suddenly realise your boobs are fuller and more curvy than usual (especially if like me, they are not the best of your many, many good features), hold off buying the wonderbra and low cut tops and buy a pregnancy test kit instead, as this is one of the first signs of pregnancy. Again, you can thank HORMONES for it - as the increased level of Estrogen and Porgesterone in your body cause your boobs to swell right from the start. And for many women it doesn't stop during pregnancy, so skip the Wonderbra, and add cheaper bras to your monthly budget! Also allow for the fact that your rib cage will expand, so your bra size will change too. This is due to an increased lung capacity so that there is enough oxygen for you and the baby.
SKIN - Ouch! It's good, it's bad, it's up, it's down. Some woman have all the luck and 'glow' during pregnancy (this is also HORMONAL, by the way), and other women end up blotchy and pimply. Either way, increased blood flow to the uterus and other organs cause the changes to your pigmentation. Unfortunately it's not an even spread, which is what causes the blothes. Freckles and moles can get bigger during this time too. The increase in blood flow also increases oil gland secretion, which can be a cause of pimples. The dark patches you may get on your face is called "choloasma" and there is unfortunately no prevention of this: just remember your sunblock and to avoid UV light in order to minimise the effects.
Some women may also have noticed a dark line down the abdomen - called 'linea nigra' - it's not permanent.
You may also find a darking of the pigmentation around nipples, external genitalia and....yikes....the anus!!! Yup, your poor butthole becomes darker. I'd love to meet the person who discovered this interesting fact!
Beware those of you expecting in summer, pregnant women are prone to heat rahes too, due to heat and perspiration. Great, it just gets better and better. Someone should post this article up in high school cafeterias, it's a good incentive for the young and the thoughtless to use protection or just plain abstain.
Moving on:-
ITCHY SKIN - oh yes, the beloved itch. Blame it all on the stretching of the skin during pregnancy. Apply creams or oils and if all else fails, scratch like hell.
HAIR AND NAILS grow stronger and faster during pregnancy, but apparently doesn't last, hair can fall out again after pregnancy. So enjoy your crowning glory while it lasts and add a cap to the bras in your budget for afterwards.
UNWANTED hair can apparently sprout forth from various parts of your body during pregnancy, such as around your nipples, on your face and belly. It just gets better and better, doesn't it? I wonder if the anyone took the time to see if extra hair grew around the anus when they were checking there for darker pigmentation???
JOINTS - interestingly, your body produces yet another HORMONE called Relaxin, which apparently prepares the pubic area and cervix for birth. It loosens the ligaments of your body. This makes your body less stable and more prone to injury. You can therefore easily strain the joints in your lower back and knees if you are overdoing it. Please do not try to look at your own anus to see if there is darker pigmentation, grape sized hemorroids, or tufts of unwanted hair, as this may also cause strain on your lower back.
Yes, HEMORRHOIDS, another joy of pregnancy and another pain in the butt for the anus!
Caused by the extra pressure on the pelvis, the veins in the rectum may enlarge into 'grape-like clusters'. Charming! At least HORMONES aren't taking the blame for these!
Anyway, these are some facts I found quite interesting. Now if anyone tries to tell you that pregnancy is wonderful, that you should be rejoicing in the new life you are carrying, tell them to take a hike. If the man in your life knew what was good for him, he'd be spoiling and pampering you and certainly not antagonising you or making fun of your forgetfulness. Because an added pain in the butt could push one hormonal pregnant lady over her limit!
The whole Hormone thing has me quite interested and this I will focus on more deeply in coming posts, as well as Sex During Pregnancy, yet another much debated subject.
For now, thanks for reading.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment