5 Ways Your Body Changes When You're Expecting

When you're expecting, a lot changes. It's not just how your brain works, how people treat you, or how you need to have so many doctor visits…but with your body. Of course you'll experience a few changes with your own body when you have a whole other body growing inside of you! Still, it can be scary, whether or not you're expecting it. 

This is a problem for every first-time mummy out there. What can you expect when you're…well, expecting?
 
1.      Toilet runs
 

 
At the very start of your pregnancy, you may start to notice – and your partner will probably notice too! – that you need to go to ladies a bit more frequently. Yes, you'll be feeling like you need to head off to the toilet more often than before, and sometimes…it really is just a feeling. Now, this is due to the baby increasing pressure on the kidneys as well as the additional weight of that darling on your bladder.

If you see this as a huge problem, you might want to skip out on your coffee, tea or sodas a bit to help deal with it. You'll also want to make sure to empty your bladder as much as you can during every bathroom trip. Most importantly though, don't hold it in. There's a reason your body doesn't want it anymore! 

2.      Your Breasts

During the first trimester of your pregnancy, you'll start to have a few changes in the chest area in about three ways. First, they will grow in size. How you feel about this may differ from individual to individual – it may be great, or simply a nuisance. Secondly, they'll become tender, where any pressure applied may hurt. The soreness is due to increased blood flow in your body during pregnancy. Lastly, they may leak an early form of milk called colostrum. This happens as your breasts are preparing for breastfeeding. 

 As a way to deal with this, you may want to invest in a new bra. This is also up to you to decide if this is great or not! Try to find one made out of cotton, without underwire.   

3.      Aches and Pains
 

 
This next change usually takes place during your second trimester. You'll be experiencing all sorts of aches and pains. This could be leg cramps, an aching back, aching pelvis, aching hips, and also abdominal pain. This is all due to the pressure of the growing baby in you!

But buck up, dear! Try these ways to help soothe your pains! You can practice some relaxation exercises – there are plenty of classes for pregnant women and their partners can usually tag along too – and drink lots of water. A nice, warm bath would also help! Set out some aromatic candles and nice music and just relax. You'll feel better in no time.

4.      Heartburn

 

For your third trimester, you may experience heartburn. This is a feeling of burning in the chest that usually occurs after eating. It could last a few minutes or a few hours. It occurs during pregnancy due to the relaxation of the valve between the stomach and the esophagus. 

There's quite a few things you can do about this. You can elevate your pillow at night and also try to neutralize your stomach acid using baking soda. Mix about one and a half teaspoons of baking soda with a glass of water to drink. However, if you're having regular heartburn, avoid this method and just refer to your doctor. In any case, it's best to start with the doctor when seeking any form of medical help.

5.      The Glow

 

Pregnancy is not just doom and gloom – a bright side would be when you develop the glow. No one quite knows when it starts. It's different for everyone. Your skin starts to change, becoming clearer and you develop the most radiant of glows. Some people seem to believe that this so called 'pregnancy glow' is nothing but a myth, but it isn't so and many people have experienced it. It happens due to an influx of hormones which causes your gland to produce more oil, resulting in yourself appearing shinier. It is also due to increased blood flow, which causes your face to appear brighter and fuller.

What can you do about it you ask? Well, rejoice, of course! Pregnancy comes with all sorts of challenges as you've read above, but it is all worthwhile in the end. This glow is simply a bonus. Warning though, you may miss the glow once it's gone!
 
With all these changes, you'll want to make sure that your baby is happy and healthy and taken care of before and after birth, just like any other mother. But how can you ensure this? Maternity 360 is a single premium plan designed to provide comprehensive coverage for you and your baby over 3 years. Maternity 360 provides hospital care benefits for both mother and child. Besides hospital care benefits for both mother and child, Maternity 360 also covers outpatient phototherapy treatment for newborn due to severe neonatal jaundice which can be costly. Expenses for these outpatient phototherapy machines can be costly. With Maternity 360’s outpatient phototherapy benefit, Income will pay 1% of sum assured for each day the phototherapy machine is rented, up to a maximum of 10 days. For more coverage information on the plan, click here.

With this plan, you can feel safe and secure at what may be an otherwise frightening time, full of complicated decisions to make and many fees to pay. Keep your mind at ease and apply now!

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