Pregnancy and changes in the mother's body
We often talk about how a woman's body transforms during pregnancy. The breasts, the abdomen... but there are also unexpected changes, which if you've never been a mother can give rise to more than legitimate anxieties. We try to summarize them here, but don't worry: everything will go back to the way it was before.
Each pregnancy is also different in the way the body reacts to hormonal and physical changes. In general, however, some main physiological modifications can be identified.
SKIN HYPERPIGMENTATION
Skin hyperpigmentation is a very frequent skin variation during pregnancy; it manifests itself in areas that already have a more intense color (the areolas of the breasts, the genital region, the periumbilical region and the armpits) but also on the face, especially in brown or brunette women. This is why expectant mothers are advised not to expose themselves to direct sunlight or at least to use a very high protection factor: the brown spots that form near the forehead, upper lip and cheeks are accentuated if exposed to the sun and are often not reversible. Scars, freckles and moles may also darken during pregnancy; however, it seems that this is not responsible for an increased risk of melanoma.
STRETCH MARKS
I am one of the 'nightmares' of pregnant women. Stretch marks, which are scars caused by the breaking of the elastic fibers of the skin, are usually located on the breasts, hips and abdomen. They generally become more pronounced after the sixth month, both because some hormonal factors affect the
decrease in skin elasticity, and because the increase in abdominal circumference and weight facilitate these lacerations. Initially they appear with a purplish-red color, and then lighten and become white while still remaining evident on the skin. There are many anti-stretch mark creams on the market. Almond oil may be a cheaper attempt to limit the blemishes.
VASCULAR SYSTEM
Changes in the vascular system due to increased blood pressure can lead to:
■ formation of stellar angiomas on the skin, with a bright red central nucleus and radial ramifications. They appear at the end of the first trimester and then disappear after delivery;
■ palmar erythema, with redness at the level of the fingertips;
■ varicose veins in the lower limbs (very common, they appear in 40% of pregnancies). They rarely lead to thrombosis and tend to regress after delivery;
■ vasomotor instability with alternating redness and pallor on the face;
■ increase or decrease in blood in the gums which become darker (particularly noticeable in the third trimester).
HAIR
During pregnancy, hair is usually thicker and more beautiful, it grows faster and hair loss slows down. This is thanks to the endocrine modifications that characterize our body. After the birth, however, all this seems to have never existed! In fact, due to the sudden fall of estrogen, the hair can suffer a thinning up to cause a real alopecia. The formation of totally unsightly weak hair, like fuzz around the perimeter of the face, is also very common.
For some more unfortunate women, not even pregnancy seems to give particular benefits, on the contrary: the hair becomes greasier (it is advisable not to rub the scalp while washing, in order to avoid stimulating the sebaceous glands, and to use natural preparations) or totally dry and brittle (useful to use
specific balms and masks). In all cases, new mothers can take heart: about 6-7 months after giving birth, everything will go back to normal.
NAILS
Even for the nails the speech is subjective: very often they become very strong, other times they show growth problems and weakness, with the presence of transverse furrows up to subungual hyperkeratosis, with the thickening of the skin under the nail. An always valid advice is to make a weekly compress based on rice oil and lemon juice. Nail polish is not to be avoided, if you can stand the smell, but those without formaldehyde would be preferable.
VARICOSE VEINS: WHAT TO DO?
During pregnancy they tend to increase for four reasons
main:
■ the fetus in the belly increases the pressure in the veins;
■ growing uterus blocks the flow of veins in the groin;
■ our body demands an increase in blood pumping, which will obviously pass through the venous channels;
■ the progesterone hormone loosens the connective tissue making childbirth easier, but also causing the veins to become thinner.
Normally they are easily identified: nocturnal cramps in the calves, enlarged malleolus, tired, heavy and swollen legs that tingle or itch. Prevention is important, avoiding standing for too long, wearing compression stockings, doing massages and swimming.
