Unusual food cravings, a “bright” complexion, or morning sickness…When you’re pregnant, you expect to experience a number of changes. But some can be confusing. Recently, behind the hashtag
It is due to the significant increase, during pregnancy, in hormone levels, especially estrogen. These cause dilation of blood vessels throughout the body. The result: more blood enters the tissues of the nose, which expands and changes shape, appearing larger and more swollen.
It is difficult to determine the frequency of this phenomenon, because the levels of hormones vary from one person to another, and each reacts differently to the changes that take place. The change may be more noticeable in some women than others. These hormonal changes can also cause a runny and stuffy nose (rhinitis of pregnant women) as well as nosebleeds, which affect one in five women during pregnancy.
But the enlargement of your nose isn’t the only change your body can experience when you’re expecting a child. Here are a few more.
The heart also undergoes a number of changes during pregnancy, in order to adapt to the growth of the baby. Just as the abdominal organs are squeezed and moved to make room for the growing fetus, the heart is also pushed higher in the chest.
It also changes in size during pregnancy, becoming thicker. The heart has to work much harder at this time, because the volume of blood it has to pump through the body of the pregnant woman and the baby is much greater than usual: in some cases , the amount of blood circulating in a woman’s body doubles during her pregnancy.
This increased heart rate helps ensure the baby gets enough oxygen for development.
We’ve all heard of the “glowing complexion” that comes with pregnancy. Some women’s skin is said to have a brighter glow when they are pregnant. But others, on the contrary, suffer from a condition known as melasma, which causes darkening of the skin around the eyes, nose, chin and upper lip. This hyperpigmentation is most often due to an overproduction of melanin.
The exact cause of the occurrence of melasma during pregnancy is unknown, but it is thought that the increase in estrogen and progesterone levels are to blame.
The skin around the nipple (called the areola) can also darken during pregnancy. Again, it’s not clear exactly why this happens, but it could help newborns better identify the nipple when breastfeeding.
Indeed, not only do newborns have a restricted vision distance (they cannot clearly distinguish what is more than thirty centimeters from their face), but they are also not able to fully distinguish colors – they only perceive very saturated and red things. They distinguish the difference between light and dark much better, so the contrast of the dark areola against the lighter skin around it can help them. In most women, the areola may remain permanently a little darker after pregnancy.
Many pregnant women’s hair grows longer and looks healthier during pregnancy. Their hair follicles do indeed remain in “growth” mode, due to the increased level of estrogen.
Unfortunately, these hormonal changes affect all hair follicles, not just those on the scalp. This means that during pregnancy, unwanted hair can also grow on the upper lip, upper thighs, abdomen or back… They will however disappear after delivery.
Conversely, some pregnant women find that they tend to lose their hair during pregnancy. This situation is usually the result of the “shock” that pregnancy produces on their body: in reaction, the hair enters a “resting” phase, then falls out. Normally, this phenomenon subsides as the pregnancy progresses.
Hair loss can also occur after childbirth, when hormone levels return to normal, due to declining estrogen. It usually peaks around four months after delivery. In most cases, the hair then regrows.
Pregnancy can lead to various changes in oral health.
Due to the increase in estrogen and progesterone, the gums in particular can become more susceptible to bleeding, infections and lesions. About 70% of pregnant women suffer from gingivitis. The risk of cavities and dental damage is also increased during pregnancy, especially in women with morning sickness, as stomach acid can dissolve the protective coating on the teeth.
Some women also feel like their teeth are moving during pregnancy. This is due to both estrogen levels and an increase in a hormone called relaxin. The latter indeed softens all the ligaments of the body, which facilitates childbirth. But while the usefulness of relaxin is clear in certain parts of the body such as the pelvis, this hormone also affects the ligament that holds each tooth in place, which gives the impression that the teeth are loosening…
In rare cases, tooth loss can actually occur. While the number of women affected is difficult to assess, we do know that women who have been pregnant several times are more affected, as are women from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. In general, such loss of teeth during pregnancy is not only related to this particular period, but rather the consequence of several years of poor oral health.
Ultimately, while some of the changes experienced during pregnancy are less than ideal, they are all aimed at ensuring the baby’s proper development in the womb. Fortunately, most of them are only temporary, and disappear shortly after birth.
*Adam Taylor, professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, Lancaster University
