Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful things that a woman can experience. Your body can grow a human being from scratch, and when you’re pregnant for the first time, the one thing that everyone tells you is that it’s magical. After all, what’s more beautiful than a baby being born? But there can be health effects of pregnancy too that aren’t all positive and those details need to be just as much of the conversations as the good points.
Here are 5 health consequences no one tells you about – but should!
A slice of reality for mom-to-be
Well, the excitement is there, and the baby books are stacking up, but what you need as a mother-to-be is real life opinions from your friends and family who have been there and done that. There is a whole host of things that you’ll learn as a pregnant woman: from the fact that people will touch your belly without asking to the fact that you pee a billion times a day (at least it feels like that often).
There are also things that you’ll learn that you can prepare yourself for that aren’t common knowledge. While pregnancy ends with a beautiful baby in your arms, it does come with consequences.
We’re not talking breasts that lose their firmness or a tummy crisscrossed with stretchmarks, although that happens. Instead, there are lesser known effects that relate to your well-being. Below is a look at the complicated implications that can come with giving birth.
Health effects of pregnancy you might not know about, yet:
It’s all in the eyes
Before you became a mother, there is every chance that your vision was 20-20. You could see everything as you needed to, as clear as glass.
And then you got pregnant, and everything became a little fuzzy around the edges. To be clear (no pun intended), not every pregnant woman experiences vision issues.
However, the fluid retention that you experience can change the shape of the cornea and make it swell up. The hormonal shifts that you experience in pregnancy can also increase dry eyes for expectant mom.
Usually, this goes away before the baby is a year old, but if it hasn’t gone away for you, speak to your optician for help with the problem.
Sweet like diabetes?
Well, not the Type 1 or 2 diabetes you’re probably used to hearing about. Just under 20% of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes in pregnancy.
It’s serious, of course, but it is treatable. When your body doesn’t produce the right level of insulin to regulate blood sugar, it spikes, and you may need to manage it with diet or with insulin shots.
Doctors will monitor you far more closely, and they may keep an eye on the baby for their weight and size throughout with extra scans as you move along the months. It’s not something to be ignored, but it usually goes away after the baby is born.
Health effects of pregnancy on your mouth
Did you know that the hormones in pregnancy can affect your gums and loosen your teeth? Some pregnant women have a hormone surge, which affects the way the body responds to plaque, thereby causing gum disease and other dental health issues.
There is the worry that your teeth can loosen and move during pregnancy, leading to extra dental appointments and the possibility of dental implants if teeth fall out.
So, the best thing that you can do to combat this issue is to meet regularly with your dentist throughout the pregnancy. And beyond delivery day too.
Clotting: It’s a problem
Did you know that pregnant women are 5 times more likely to develop blood clots than those who are not expecting a child? With hormones causing slower blood flow, high estrogen levels, and possible damage to the veins as the baby grows, clots can occur.
They’re a problem when they break off and go for a wander around the body. For example, clots can break off and end up in the lungs or other areas of the bloodstream.
Some pregnant women are put on blood thinners to ensure the clots that do form can break down again. Keeping moving throughout pregnancy can also prevent the formation of clots.
Read: Is exercise during pregnancy safe?
Health effects of pregnancy: There’s good news too
It’s not all doom and gloom! There have been proven links between having kids and lower long-term risk of breast cancer. Why?
Well, pregnancy reduces the risk of hormone exposure to those that are linked to breast cancer. This point is especially true if the mother continues on with breastfeeding after birth, too.
Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, so don’t be put off by the above-mentioned health impacts. Everything comes with side effects, and you must remember that you are altering your body for life.
Thus, the best thing that you can do is embrace prevention and get a great dentist to keep checking your oral health. Then, get an optician to continue to check your eyes.
Pregnancy is a transitional, exceptional time of life. All you need to do is get ready as best you can before your life changes.
I had the opposite of diabetes during pregnancy, hypoglycemia or chronic low blood sugar. I would get dizzy or feel faint if I went too long without eating.
You’ve forgotten those awful haemorrhoids, lol. All that pushing during delivery …ouch!
The above is sound advice on how pregnancy can effect your health. Although the statement is true that the risk of breast cancer is reduced if you have your first child earlier in your reproductive years, the risk of breast cancer increases if you have your first child later in your forties.