So carrying the extra weight makes you tired
and the whole experience can leave you walking
awkwardly for a bit, but being pregnant also has
some amazingly positive effects on your health.
Some of them could even help keep you in good
shape for the rest of your life.
Here’s how...
1.You clean up your lifestyle
You have been meaning to give up cigarettes,
cut down on alcohol and eat more sensibly for
years - and now you’ve got the ultimate
motivation to do so. When what you put in your
body not only affects you but also your unborn
baby, being overly health-conscious is just not
an option any more.
2. You feel more calm and positive
Being pregnant forces you to slow down. Your
body can’t handle a frantic pace and you don’t
need to rush around like crazy. Pregnancy and
breastfeeding also releases feel-good hormones
to de-stress you.
3. You build stronger bones
At last, there’s a plus side to gaining weight!
Researchers believe the extra weight you carry
in pregnancy increases bone strength,
particularly in your pelvis, and may even
strengthen hip muscles, too. This reduces your
risk of hip fractures in later life by 44 per cent -
plus a further nine per cent for every additional
child you have.
4. Your hair, skin and nails look fabulous
Your pregnancy-boosted metabolism is
nourishing for growing cells, resulting in much
thicker, shinier hair, stronger nails and a
complexion that positively glows with health.
5. You have great sex
might not feel like it so often, but when you
do - wow! Increased blood circulation means
you’re ultra-sensitive, making arousal quicker
and orgasm even more pleasurable.
6. You can get fitter
Even if you don’t exercise in pregnancy, you’re
actually in better shape than a non-pregnant
woman who does! In pregnancy, your aerobic
capacity increases by up to 30 per cent and
your heart gets a third bigger, pumping twice
the usual amount of blood. These effects last
for some months after birth so if you’re fit
before you get pregnant and continue exercising
in pregnancy, you can emerge fitter and stronger
than ever.
7. You could live longer
Pregnant women ‘steal’ some of their baby’s
new cells to replace their ageing ones.
Researchers have found male stem cells in the
bone marrow of the mums of boys. This may
explain why women live longer than men, and
why pregnancy protects against breast cancer.
8. You can pre-empt future illness
Pregnancy can be a crystal ball for your future
health. For instance, if you develop gestational
diabetes, you’re more likely to get type-2
diabetes later on; if you get pre-eclampsia
you’re up to 10 times more likely to develop
heart disease. This may not sound like good
news, but it’s a window of opportunity. Doctors
can pick up on potential health problems much
earlier in a woman’s life, and then intervene to
reduce her risk of serious illness in the future.
9. You reduce your risk of cancer
Pregnancy hormones reduce your risk of
endometrial, breast and cancer. You also boost
your protection against breast cancer by over
four per cent for each year you breastfeed.
10. You may get a break from illness
If you have a chronic health condition, such as
asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, or even multiple
sclerosis, you may find your symptoms are less
severe, or even disappear, in pregnancy. Experts
aren’t sure why this happens, but it’s thought to
be the big changes happening to your hormones
and your immune system. Sadly, once those
hormones settle down after the birth, conditions
tend to re-appear. But at least you get a break!
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