Skin changes during pregnancy

I know that during pregnancy there will be a lot of changes to my body. Recently I’ve realise a lot changes to my skin. So I’ve done a bit of search on net. Wow… Quite a few to take note:

This is something I’ve recently seen on my tummy:

1. Linea nigra (dark line running up your tummy) This is a dark, vertical line, up to a centimetre wide, that appears down the middle of your stomach, often crossing the navel. It tends to appear around the second trimester and is caused by pigmentation in the skin where your abdominal muscles stretch and slightly separate to accommodate your baby as it grows.

But good news! This line of pigmentation will fade within a few weeks of delivery,

I do see my skin glowing and my face look rounder!

2. Glowing Skin The 'bloom' or 'glow' of pregnancy is not just a saying. Your skin retains more moisture during pregnancy, which plumps it up, smoothing out any fine lines and wrinkles that you may have. The pinkish glow that makes you look radiant is due to increased levels of blood circulating round your body. This may also make you feel slightly flushed sometimes. The downside of this effect is that you may look puffy from water retention and that any red patches that you already have on your face may become more visible.

3. This is one of the scary one: Spots and acne! Pregnancy can sometimes trigger acne, which many of us have not experienced since adolescence. Higher levels of hormones can encourage the production of sebum - the oil that keeps our skin supple - and too much sebum causes pores to become blocked, resulting in greasy skin and spots.

I’ve a bit more outbreaks after pregnancy. It’s all caused by the “bb hormones”. But have to give and take lo... Exchange glowing skin for acne. A bit unfair le…But good news is a few weeks after delivery, your skin should return to its pre-pregnancy condition! Hooray!

4. This is one thing that all pregnant women scare! Stretchmarks The thin reddish or brownish (depending on your skin colour) lines of stretchmarks usually appear on the abdomen, breasts and thighs. They affect around 90 per cent of pregnant women and may appear as you put on more weight during pregnancy, causing the skin to stretch. Higher levels of hormones also disrupt your skin's protein balance, making it thinner than usual.

I’ve been super hardworking to apply creams to minimise or delay their appearance! Cos some lucky women have more elastic skin than others, meaning they won't get stretchmarks, but for most of us they are simply a fact of pregnancy. I know I can't prevent them, but I can try to minimise them by avoiding putting on weight too quickly, rubbing oil or cream rich in vitamin E over the abdomen to keep it supple, eating a healthy diet and doing gentle exercise.

5. Even before pregnancy, I’ve Sensitive, irritated skin Skin tends to become more sensitive during pregnancy, not only due to higher hormone levels, but because it has become more stretched and delicate. Soaps and detergents may suddenly cause irritation, or conditions such as eczema may become worse. Your skin may become more prickly than usual when exposed to sunlight.

Now I need to apply moisturiser to my hands and legs more often.

6. This is sometime thing I’ve tries (refer to my July blog entry): Rashes and itchiness It is common for temporary rashes and itchiness to come and go during pregnancy, without any obvious cause. Increased hormone levels make you more sensitive to contact with substances that would not normally affect you.

7. This is something new to me: Chloasma (pigmentation changes on your face and neck) Also known as the 'mask of pregnancy', chloasma has the appearance of brown patches of pigmentation on the forehead, cheeks, and neck. On darker skinned women, they appear as lighter patches. It's caused by the increased production of melanin, the tanning hormone, which protects the skin against ultraviolet light.

Good news: They will begin to fade within three months of your baby's birth.

I’ve not seen any (yet… hopefully not!)

Then I also read about other conditions that I might experience:

8. Spider veins These tiny clusters of broken capillaries (small blood vessels), or spider naevi as they are sometimes known, most often appear on the cheeks, and are common in pregnancy, particularly if you are already prone to them. They are caused by the increased volume of circulating blood putting extra pressure on the capillaries, which are also more sensitive during pregnancy.

9. Chafing As you put on weight, chafing can take place between your thighs or under your breasts, resulting in red, moist skin. Your skin may then become inflamed and blistered and you may notice an odour. This is a condition known as intertrigo.

10. Intense itching Intense itching all over, but particularly on your hands and feet, can be a sign of a rare liver disorder that only occurs in pregnancy. For 99 per cent of sufferers it causes no harm at all, but, left undiagnosed, it can lead to premature birth, excessive bleeding or, rarely, stillbirth. If you are over 37 weeks pregnant, you may be induced to avoid the rare risk of a stillbirth.

So much to learn from a pregnancy... Most importantly (which i've heard a lot recently) TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF AND BABY!