1) Changes in the kidneys and urinary tract
The increase in blood volume during pregnancy causes increased blood circulation in the kidneys. As a result of this situation, pregnant mothers feel the need to go to the toilet very often because more urine is produced.
If the baby is pressing on the bladder, the mother's need to go to the toilet will increase even more. Due to the increase in urine levels, the sugar level in the urine also increases. The kidneys can only filter a certain amount of sugar. In such a situation, pregnancy diabetes should not be ignored and attention should be paid. The increased sugar level in the urine creates an environment suitable for the growth of bacteria. This situation explains why pregnant women have so many urinary tract infections.
2) Changes in the skin
The most common skin change is the skin color change that occurs after the 7th month. Generally, in dark-skinned women, a slight darkening of the skin color can be seen in the nipples, genital area and belly area.
During pregnancy, small spots may appear on the areas of the face exposed to the sun. These spots, especially during pregnancy, are temporary and disappear after birth.
During the last stages of pregnancy and the postpartum period, hair loss may occur frequently. This situation will return to normal after a month or two.
As a result of increased tension in the skin, cracks can occur mostly in the chest, abdomen and hip areas. The color of the cracks is bluish purple at first, but after birth, they turn white. The increase in cortisone produced with the help of the adrenal glands affects the elastic fibers in the skin and causes changes. In other words, cortisone starts to thin the skin. The rate and appearance of cracks vary from person to person. This situation is related to the structure of the connective tissue. There is currently no effective treatment method for this issue.
However, it is known that massage with creams is beneficial with regular and appropriate products. Due to the changes in hormones, there are serious differences in the hormonal system between the mother's brain, ovaries and placenta during pregnancy. Other hormones in the body are also affected by this situation.
There is an increase in the number of growth hormones. However, the thyroid hormones remain the same. However, the thyroid gland grows for nine months. The thyroid accumulates more iodine than normal. There is no increase in its function. The acceleration in metabolism has nothing to do with the thyroid gland hormones. The only reason for this situation is the greater oxygen requirement by the placenta.
The adrenal glands become heavier and larger during pregnancy. In particular, there is an increase in cortisone production. Cortisone, which is in higher amounts than it should be, binds to blood proteins and has no effect. Protein concentration is also related to estrogen.
3) Physiological changes in the cardiovascular system
Blood volume increases steadily until the 36th week of pregnancy. While there is a 35% increase in the water that makes up the blood, this increase is 25% in red blood cells. This situation also refers to low hemoglobin or hematocrit (percentage of red blood cells in the total blood volume) values, which are very common in pregnant women. This situation is also known as natural pregnancy anemia. This situation has various benefits for the blood circulation in the placenta, where the baby is nourished by blood from the mother. Circulation increases.
The limit for hemoglobin levels is considered to be around 12% at the time of birth. At values below this level, iron supplementation is required.
In addition, an increase in the number of white blood cells is also seen. White blood cells are responsible for the body's immune system.
During pregnancy, the tendency for blood clotting is also high. This tendency can be considered as a protective system to prevent excessive bleeding that may occur during pregnancy and birth.
The heart rate increases. Thus, the amount of blood pumped into the body in 1 minute automatically increases. Blood pressure increases in the last 3 months. The rate of this increase is in diastolic values. When lying on the back, blood pressure reaches very low values, but there may be an increase in heart rate. Blood flow in the kidneys may decrease by 50%. This condition is called Vena-Cava-Compression syndrome.
When lying down, the inferior vena cava, which carries blood from the lower body to the heart, can be compressed by the weight of the baby, causing this condition. For this reason, it is not recommended for pregnant women to lie on their backs, especially in the last trimester.
During pregnancy, standing or sitting for long periods of time should be avoided as much as possible. However, legs should be lifted up frequently. In cases where pain is severe, wearing compression stockings may also be recommended.
4) Changes in the lungs
From the early stages of pregnancy, shortness of breath problems can be encountered. The volume of breath taken per minute and the depth of respiration increase. Since this increase is more than the oxygen requirement, hyperventilation occurs. The reason for this is the changes in the gas concentrations and reserves in the blood. A pregnant woman becomes short of breath earlier than a non-pregnant woman.
5) Changes in the mouth, stomach and intestinal system
The high probability of tooth decay is due to changes in saliva content. At the same time, an increase in saliva secretion is observed.
The stomach changes position during pregnancy. Due to the growing uterus, the stomach shifts to the left and rotates. During the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, a decrease in acid secretion is observed. After that, it returns to normal again during the period until birth. The decrease in acidity is seen as the reason for the healing of stomach ulcers during pregnancy. The reason for the common heartburn problem is the relaxed smooth muscles. The closing mechanism between the stomach and the esophagus cannot function properly and when the stomach is in a lying position, the acidic stomach content returns to the esophagus. For this reason, severe esophagitis occurs. The solution to these discomforts during pregnancy is to pay attention to nutrition. The first thing to do in the morning is to drink a glass of water and plenty of water during the day. Consuming high-fiber foods and moving around will help reduce and prevent these problems.
6) Changes in the liver and its metabolism
In pregnant women, carbohydrate metabolism is almost the most affected. In order to provide the baby with a constant supply of carbohydrates, the body tries to prevent the mother's sugar from being taken into the cells by considering the effect of insulin. At the same time, the hormone produced in the placenta increases the mother's blood sugar level.
During pregnancy, there is an increase in the amount of protein coming into the body and a decrease in the excretion of this protein. This situation is known as positive nitrogen balance. In this way, cellular proteins are formed in the baby. The amount of albumin, which acts as a carrier in the blood and is a protein, begins to decrease in the last 3 months of pregnancy. In general, water is stored in the veins through protein and this is called oncotic pressure. With the decrease in proteins, the tissues retain more water, causing edema.
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