Pregnancy

How Your Body Supports Your Baby

There is no doubt that nature is wise, and pregnancy is only one of the many demonstrations that this is a true fact. Your body is programmed to support the needs of your baby once you have conceived, and you may take care of it, but the body makes the process by itself, adjusting to pregnancy, its functions and even its shape, accordingly.

All those physical changes that pregnant women experience are all part of the wonder of pregnancy. In fact, your body supports your baby since the very first moment of conception, generating the changes to welcome a development that will last nine months.

After conceiving and until delivery, your body will make its own arrangements supporting those needs, starting with stretching your abdomen to make room for the developing baby. On average, you body will require 25 to 35 pounds of weight gain to process the extra amount of nutrients needed for both the mother and the baby during this stage.

Hormonal changes will trigger your body, beginning the nourishment of your baby within the next 2 weeks after conception, even if you ignore that you are already pregnant or if the tests or physical exams have not revealed it, yet. Unusual fatigue may occur during those first weeks, due to your body being exhausted by the production of more blood to prepare its support for your baby.

As the body will need to make your uterus grow, you will start feeling the need to urinate more often. This is normal as part of the wisdom of your own body trying to make it easier for the development of your baby, although it may forget about you causing this and other discomforts.

Because pregnancy is considered a scientific marvel, you will not feel surprised to see how things that you were not able to do before pregnancy, now seems to be easier for you. This is because if these things benefit your baby, your body will contribute adequately whatever is needed to ensure the optimal fetal development conditions.

When the baby takes up more space, your uterus will expand up from the pelvic floor as much as is needed, pushing other organs out of the way. Besides of these and many other physical changes to support your baby, your body will also send you emotional signals as the labor and delivery is approaching and your abdominal muscles may ache periodically due to the stretching caused by the developing baby.