Physical Changes During Pregnancy

Many normal physical changes occur during pregnancy. Learning about these changes may help relieve concerns you might have should you experience minor discomforts.

Fatigue is common in early pregnancy. The need to nap or even to sleep away the evening is not unusual. Often you may feel that you will never have the energy to accomplish even the simplest of tasks. Medical science is unable to explain why fatigue accompanies early pregnancy, but we do know that near the beginning of the second trimester, around 14 weeks gestation, the fatigue usually fades and you again have the energy to enjoy a full day.

The need to empty your bladder more frequently is evident early in pregnancy. The bladder gives up room within the bony pelvis to allow the uterus to grow. Consequently, your bladder cannot hold as much urine and you make more trips to the bathroom. As long as this symptom is not accompanied by a feeling of burning or pain, it is considered normal. The frequent need to urinate will decrease between the 16th and 18th week of pregnancy, only to return again during the last three months of pregnancy when the baby has grown big enough to rest heavily on your bladder.

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Another change you may notice is an increase in vaginal discharge. This is normal and not a cause for alarm. However, if you notice a local irritation, pain, burning about the labia and vagina, or a foul odor, inform the office so that evaluation and treatment can be provided.

During pregnancy, you breasts will undergo changes whether you plan to breast feed or not. During the first three months, due to the effect of hormones, there is an increase in the number and size of milk-producing glands. This growth increases the weight of the breast by one to one and a half pounds each, accounting for the breast soreness you may experience. The nipples and areola darken and become more pronounced. This is thought to make it easier for the infant to find the nipple. Early in pregnancy, small bumps known as Montgomery Glands, appear on the nipple. By the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy, your breasts may begin to leak. Whether or not your breasts will produce milk depends on whether the nipple is stimulated by the infant's sucking. This stimulation will set off the chain of events in the breast that produces and excretes milk.

Headaches occur in early pregnancy due to a number of possible causes. Emotional stress, low blood sugar, and fluctuating hormones may be contributing factors. A headache which is not relieved by the standard dose of Tylenol^® should be reported to the office.

Note: This information applies only to Lansing OB/GYN Associates.