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What Expectant Mothers Should Know About the Toll of Pregnancy on Their Bodies

When you first find out that you are pregnant, there is probably one thing on your mind: your baby. You are immediately swamped with thoughts of a sweet-smelling bundle of joy, baby clothes, and bonding time.  It is vital that mothers understand precisely how their body is changing and what transformations both internal and external that they may face. This is because many of these modifications may remain even once you have given birth. Thus, it helps to prepare yourself and your body for what lies ahead.

Sagging Breasts and Waists

This problem is especially noticeable with women who have been pregnant multiple times. This happens because your breasts and your stomach extend quite considerably during your pregnancy. More specifically, your skin stretches. While skin and even muscles do have a certain amount of elasticity, there is a limit to just how much they are able to bounce back. The excess skin around your waist and sagging breasts are atestament to this. This is something that is likely to remain even once you have reached your optimal weight. Due to the permanency of these fixtures, you will need to see a mommy makeover surgeon in Scottsdale to be able to get rid of this problem.

Weakened Pelvic Muscles

The pelvic floor muscles help in keeping your bladder closed until you need to relieve yourself. During pregnancy and quite extensively during labor, these muscles are weakened. This means that many mothers find themselves having bladder control problems for at least the first year after giving birth. Sometimes, this problem may continue for significantly longer. Fortunately, this is something that can be remedied in most instances. Your doctor will recommend doing kegel exercises. This will help to build up those weakened muscles and restore bladder control once more.

A Lower Level of Calcium in Bones

When in utero, your baby is going to require calcium. This need becomes quite great during the third trimester. If you aren’t consuming enough calcium during this period, the growing fetus will get it from your bones. This is why it is important to consume enough calcium while pregnant. You can also expect a reduction in bone density during breastfeeding. Your bones should be back to normal once you have weaned your baby off breast milk.

An Increase in the Size of Feet

Most women’s feet do swell while they are pregnant which is why they may find themselves going up a shoe size. In certain instances, these changes may be more permanent and you can have longer and wider feet than you did before. This is perfectly normal and is probably a result of hormones as well as carrying a greater amount of weight than before. You may also notice that your feet are flatter too.

Yes, pregnancy can take a toll on your body. However, most of these problems can be remedied and on the plus side, you have a beautiful new baby to be distracted by!