You may be aware of the changes your body is going to go through while you are pregnant, but you may think of these changes are temporary. Many of them are, but some things are going to change forever. There are also some medical issues that can arise due to and after pregnancy. Bringing a new life into the world is not an easy task, and though the female body was designed to give birth, it does not always come back to the way things were after the baby is born and the body has had time to heal from pregnancy changes.
Some of the pregnancy changes that women go through at strictly hormonal, but they do and can have a lasting effect on the body. For the most part, hormones are going to keep the baby safe and make sure the baby has all that it needs. They will cause pregnancy changes like breast enlargement and various aches and pains that will go away once the baby has been born. These will affect most women the most during the first trimester while the body gets use to them being there. They are easier to handle, for most, in the second and third trimester.
One type of hormone can be a problem long after it has left the body. The pregnancy changes that come with the hormone relaxin cause the joints in the body to soften up, leading to all types of discomfort. Some women feel this a lot and some barely notice. The joints relax so that the pelvis can spread during childbirth more easily. This effects all joints though, which may explain why some women are clumsy during pregnancy. It can cause hip and groin pain, sometimes severe, in some women as well. This is one of the pregnancy changes that can leave the pelvis a little wider after birth and it may not go back.
Pregnancy changes can be dangerous for some women. Those that are overweight or obese can develop gestational diabetes. For some, this resolves after the baby is born, but for others, they remain diabetic or will develop diabetes later in life as a result. Losing weight is always a way to help avoid this, but it is inevitable for some women. If you are obese when you get pregnant, talk with your doctor about an eating plan that can help you avoid or at least manage GD at the end of your pregnancy. Of all pregnancy changes, this one can be the most dangerous.
Some pregnancy changes happen long after the baby is born. Some women have medical problems that happen after they give birth. Chances are these were going to be problems later in life, but the stresses of pregnancy brought them out early. Some find they have thyroid issues, and others develop other medical conditions they did not have. This is rare, but pregnancy changes can mean a whole new health lookout for some women. If you feel different or have new problems after you have had a baby, be sure to see a doctor to find out what is going on.