5 reasons why pregnancy rocks

Now we're in the second month of Spring we're also in peak baby season! There's so much information and focus on the downsides of pregnancy [and you've probably heard it all before - pregnancy can give you acne, make you feel sick, exhausted, crappy or worse] - that I thought it would be good to focus instead on the really amazing side-effects of having a bun in the oven.

So here's 5 reasons why pregnancy really rocks.

1. Bigger cleavage. As your body gets ready to lactate, your breasts grow (and keep growing) which means you can grow a cup size in the first trimester alone. This is a real bonus for those of us less-endowed!
   
2. You can say goodbye to dieting. OK it's a myth that you should 'eat for two', but during a healthy pregnancy you can gain between 9 and 12 kilos. Many gynaecologists recommend eating a total of 8400kJ each day in your first trimester and an additional 1260kJ a day in your second and third trimesters.
   
3. Longer nails. Another positive side-effect of all those hormonal changes is that your nails often grow longer, harder and stronger!
   
   
4. Full, thick, luscious hair. Many experts believe that changes in your hair are due to increased circulation of blood in your body, while others says it's because of hormonal changes or changing phases of growth. Who cares, it still makes you hair look SO good.
   
   
5. Radiant skin. Yes, pregnancy can really make you glow and that's because when you're pregnant you generate 50 per cent more blood, creating greater circulation throughout your body, and helping to oxygenate the skin, which gives you the 'glow'.

This is just my top 5 but of course there's so many more positives - especially if you have a happy, healthy, baby as the end result!

Getting that pre-baby body back

Your body can feel out of control after having a baby - a scary thing for the unsuspecting.

During pregnancy you've had time to adjust to the expanding waistline. After the baby is born, all of a sudden the tummy's empty and your breasts swell to the size of watermelons.

Then over the next few months your body changes shape again. There's fat sticking where you'd rather it wouldn't, veins popping, hair falling out, skin wrinkling and maybe breasts shrinking, and some of your bones don't seem to be where they were previously.

But don't panic and don't give up on getting your pre-baby body back!

Did you know:

• Skin relies on elastic properties to regain shape, so gaining, and losing weight more slowly during and after pregnancy helps prevent damage and helps you to return to shape.
  
• Skin is also more likely to sag if you lose your weight quickly without exercise. If you lose fat under the skin without maintaining or increasing muscle tissue, the skin can wrinkle or sag with nothing to fill it out.
  
• Exercise increases your circulation, and so increases the blood flow and hydration to the skin.

So look to no one but yourself in setting goals. Don't compare your body with your sister's, your friend's, or a celebrity 'Yummy Mummy'. Although all Mums essentially have a similar experience in pregnancy, we all have our own stories, we're all effected differently, and there's a huge range of normal.

After all, you don't see the complete effects of motherhood on other women's bodies - only on your own.