Physical Changes
You may notice:
- changes in your skin colour. For example, the skin around your eyes may darken (this is called cholasma), or you may develop a dark line (called linea nigra) that goes from your pelvis up to your belly button.
- more breast changes, such as small bumps on the areola (the dark part around your nipples), or a liquid (called colostrums) may begin to leak from your breasts.
- increased secretions from your vagina. They do not smell, and are a milky colour.
- feeling movements like butterflies or bubbles. It's your baby!
Emotional Changes
Becoming a mom is a process and takes time. It takes until your baby is a year old for you to fully understand your new self and role as a mom. If you already have children, you will go through this process again.
It is normal:
Remember …
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The changes you feel in the first 18 weeks are dramatic. You may feel very different but look the same. Many of these changes are chemical and hormonal.
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As your baby grows you notice different changes.
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The physical changes of pregnancy can cause a wide range of discomfort. What affects you may not be the same for your friend.
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Get help with symptoms if you feel they are causing a great deal of discomfort and difficulty in your daily life.
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You will start to feel closer to your baby on your own time table. There are many variations on what “normal” is.
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There is a wide range of normal emotional changes.
Feelings of uncertainty are often the first emotion of pregnancy. It is typical to feel introverted, more passive, notice mood swings and feel a change in how you look at yourself. There are many things that affect how soon you feel close to your baby. Your changing hormones affect how you are feeling and the changes of pregnancy can be added stress sometimes.
It may help to:
- remember a degree of uncertainty is normal. Give yourself some time to grow into the idea of becoming a mom.
- tell your story about your pregnancy to a good listener.
- talk about what you want and need during the pregnancy, what kind of care you want, and your ideas about motherhood.
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It is normal to begin to develop an image of your baby. What is she doing? What does she look like? It is normal for moms to do this on their own, no equipment is needed! Your image of your baby changes as your little one grows and you learn more about her.
It may help when you:
- Hear your baby’s heart beat. Your baby’s heart beat can usually be heard between 10 to 12 weeks but sometimes earlier.
- Feel your baby’s movements. For first time moms this is around 18 to 19 weeks. For second time moms ( or more) you often recognize these movements earlier, around 16 or 17 weeks.
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Dreaming is a way to test new ideas, find ways to mother and rework relationships. It is common for either you or your or partner to have vivid and sometimes disturbing dreams. It does not mean that the dream will happen.
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Close to your partner
Sometimes you will feel you are in tune with your partner, other times you may feel you are on a very different journey and sometimes at odds with each other. These are typical feelings.
The support you give each other influences how you respond to your new identity as a mom or dad and as you develop your new roles.
It may help to:
- talk about who your roles models are for moms and dads
- what the pregnancy is like from both your view points
- it takes time to become used to the idea of being a mom or dad. Becoming moms and dads are different processes
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Reviewed on: March 2, 2010 |