About the Pregnant Body

Breasts also continue to enlarge during pregnancy. The female breasts produce milk for the infant to obtain nutrition if he is nursed directly from the breast. That's also true if the breast is pumped to place milk into a bottle.

Nausea is very common in the first several months of the pregnancy. This event usually occurs in the morning and is called "morning sickness." If the female starts eating smaller amounts of food more often, it can slow this process from occurring.

Estrogen and progesterone continue throughout the pregnancy. These hormones keep the pregnancy viable to the point of delivery of the baby. In the last several months of the pregnancy there is an increase in glucose or sugar, which can led to diabetes.

With weight gain, an increase in hormones, and the baby taking the nutrition away from the mother, fatigue can result. The baby can take extensive amounts of calcium away from the mother's bones to leave them weaker and the heart more at risk since calcium is needed for a normal heartbeat. The heart rate of the mother will increase during pregnancy.

As the baby grows, it places pressure on the lungs. This prevents them from expanding to their full capacity. Therefore, the mother must breathe harder to expel all of the carbon dioxide from her lungs. It is very easy for the mother to get short of breath when she is active, especially during exercise.