Your body will change in many ways during pregnancy. Naturally, your belly will grow and you will gain weight. In addition, your breasts may become larger and possibly more sensitive.
Your skin may appear brighter. Your hair may become thicker, and your nails may grow at a faster rate.
On your abdomen, you may notice stretch marks and a dark line that appears from your belly button down to your pubic bone. Most of these changes will fade after pregnancy.
The volume of blood in your body will increase significantly during pregnancy. You will urinate more frequently due to the increased blood flow and the pressure on your bladder as the baby grows.
You may feel exhausted during pregnancy, especially at the beginning and again toward the end. You may experience a variety of aches, pains, and other symptoms throughout pregnancy — from headaches to heartburn, back pain, leg cramps, nausea, swelling in your hands and feet, bleeding gums, and many more.
Many women feel much better during the second trimester. Some lucky moms-to-be feel quite well throughout the entire pregnancy.
About 3 in 4 pregnant women experience morning sickness during the first trimester. Although it is called “morning sickness,” nausea or vomiting can occur at any time of the day.
You may develop strong cravings or aversions to certain foods during pregnancy, along with changes in your appetite.
You will begin to feel your baby’s movements sometime in the second trimester, most likely between 19 and 22 weeks. Later in pregnancy, you will probably find it difficult to bend over to tie your shoes or shave your legs, and your belly may bump into things as you adjust to your new size.
