Heartburn and Stretch Marks: A Few Symptoms of Pregnancy

Preganancy is exciting, there's no doubt about it. A happy pregnant woman is usually thinking about what her baby is going to look like, what she is going to be good at, what unique characteristics she may have, and so forth. When she first gets pregnant, she is usually not thinking about the heartburn her mother told her about, or the wicked stretch marks she sees everytime her aunt changes her shirt. These are all but inevitabilities, however, and should be adequately mentally and physically prepared for.

Heartburn!

Feeling heartburn when pregnant is more normal than feeling normal. At times, it can be so intense as to cause nausea and real uncomfortability. The reason for this unpleasantness is, first, the slowing of the muscles of the digestive tract. Hormones from pregnancy are intense. Part of what these hormones do to the pregnant woman is the slowing down of every area of digestion. This causes everything from constipation to heartburn. Especially interesting, as far as heartburn goes, is that the valve which separates the esophagus from the stomach relaxes. This allows the acid which normally resides safely in the stomach to surge upward into the throat. This burning sensation which comes from heartburn is due to this stomach acid.

Another reason for the increase in heartburn is the simple fact that as your uterus and baby get larger, there is simply not enough room in there for all of the pregnant women's AND the baby's organs. This lack of room pushes on the stomach, causing the acid to once again surge to the surface.

There are ways to calm this feeling. Eating smaller meals so that there is more room in your body will help. Also avoiding greasy and acidic foods will help.

Stretch Marks!

Stretch Marks are one of the most common worries on the minds of pregnant women. We see our mother's and are left to just pray that our bodies don't turn out the same. The happy truth is that only about half of women get stretch marks. The unhappy truth is that all those creams which talk about reducing stretch marks really can't do that. Creams and lotions will keep your skin well-moisturized, and reduce itching, but they can't prevent stretch marks.

Other skin changes that accompany pregnancy which no one really ever talks about are things like darkening and enlarging of the areola. This is very common among pregnant women. Another common occurence is the dark line which forms from the belly button down to the pubic hair line and even sometimes all the way up between the breasts.