Pregnancy is an extraordinary process in which the woman suffers profound physiological and psychological changes since the development of a new life is a very demanding task. In addition, a new identity emerges in women: that of being a mother.
Certain hormones are responsible for changes in women during pregnancy and then we will explain step by step what these changes are and what hormones lead them.
Changes in women during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a complex process orchestrated by hormones that direct all changes in women during pregnancy that have to do with the creation of a new life and the feelings associated with the new condition of motherhood. Below we detail them in stages.
Changes in the first quarter
- The first and obvious change that a woman who becomes pregnant undergoes is the absence of menstruation. This is due to the chorionic gonadotropin hormone, known as the “pregnancy hormone”. This hormone suppresses menstruation, stopping the menstrual cycle so that another pregnancy does not occur once the egg is fertilized and is the one detected in urine pregnancy tests. The rest of the changes associated with pregnancy are due to the increase in hormones estrogen y progesterone.
- Women commonly experience morning nausea and vomiting, although it is possible that this does not happen, this being rare.
- will appear great fatigue, drowsiness and the famous "cravings" or desire for certain foods.
- The breasts increase in size and sensitivity. The nipples become protruding and the areolas are broader and darker. Whitish growths appear around the nipple (Montgomery tubers) that produce a secretion to protect it.
- Increased vaginal discharge.
- Increase in the size of the uterus: its walls become stronger and blood flow increases to ensure the correct supply of oxygen and nutrients to the embryo.
- Increased frequency of urination: due to the growth of the uterus that presses on the bladder and the increased activity of the kidneys. It is common at bedtime and at the end of pregnancy.
- Increased heart rate: the development of the embryo and the placenta suppose greater blood demand for the mother, so her heart rate increases. Consequently, the respiratory rate and metabolism increase.
- increased appetite and increased body weight.
- Olfactory and taste alterations.
- Inconvenience: constipation, hemorrhoids, reflux, varicose veins, irritability.
- Changes in the skin: due to increased activity of melanocytes (epithelial cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin), which causes the appearance of a dark line between the navel and the pubis (“linea alba”) and the darkening of the nipples and areolas. Spots, stretch marks, itching and acne may also appear.
Changes in the second quarter
- Breast enlargement and metabolic activity: continues to increase breast size, body weight and kidney activity. The heart works even more intensely.
- The immune system is depressed to a certain extent to avoid possible rejection reactions towards the baby.
- Intestinal transit slows down due to the increase in estrogen, which is associated with slower and heavier digestions, heartburn, flatulence and constipation.
- The gums can become inflamed and bleed.
- Many of the discomforts associated with the first trimester of pregnancy, such as nausea and fatigue, subside at this stage and women tend to feel fuller and with more energy.
Changes in the third quarter
- Continues to increase uterus and abdomen.
- The mother's body weight continues to increase, mainly due to the growth of the baby.
- Intermittent tiredness.
- Swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet may occur from fluid retention.
- Stretching of body ligaments, especially hips and pelvis to facilitate childbirth.
- colostrum production for the breasts
- Increased frequency of urination.
- Back pain, heartburn.
Psychological changes
Said the French psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Serge Lebovici which "When the baby is born, the mother is also born." We are talking about the development of a new identity in women: that of being a mother. And this process is known as transition to motherhood o parentification and comprises three stages in the "I" of the woman:
- "I'm pregnant": concerns only the pregnant woman and the changes in her body as something that only occurs in her.
- "I'm expecting a baby": implies a second person, the child she is expecting.
- “I am expecting a baby from such a person”: a third person appears, the one from whom she expects a child: the father. arises the paternity.