If you`ve just found out that you are pregnant, you have no doubt already noticed a few changes happening with your body. You may be feeling tired, noticed tenderness in your breasts and morning sickness may be an issue.

For the next nine months you are going to be at the mercy of the hormones which are raging through your body. Every woman is different and problems that may arise for one, may not be a problem for another. For instance, morning sickness affects around three quarters of women and can cause extreme nausea and/or sickness. For many, it wears off as the day goes on but for a few unlucky ones, it is a constant battle. Some lucky ones don`t suffer at all.

No one really knows exactly what causes morning sickness although it is widely believed that the levels of hormones and changes in your body are responsible. For most women, morning sickness subsides after the first three months, but this is of little comfort if you are really suffering. It may help for you to eat something, it may be the last thing you feel like doing but quite often a piece of toast or a sweet dry biscuit will help you to feel better. If you are really struggling and/or continue to suffer with these symptoms after 14 weeks, speak to your midwife or GP.

You may have noticed also that your breasts have started to swell and feel rather tender. This again is due to those pesky hormonal changes which are getting your breasts prepared to produce milk for your baby. The areolas (areas around your nipple) may be getting darker and bigger and if you have fairer skin you may notice a network or veins just under the skin; this again, is simply your body preparing itself to support your baby once he or she is born. Later on in your pregnancy your breasts may start to leak a little as you start to produce milk so make sure you have a supply of breast pads at the ready. Back Pain can be an issue later in pregnancy, but there are ways to deal with it.

You may find that you need to urinate a lot more, even during the first trimester and this can be a bit of a nuisance. This is caused by the uterus which is beginning to expand and put pressure on your bladder and there is not an awful lot you can do about it. It can affect your sleep as you may find you need to get up in the night and if you are feeling tired this can really start to get you down. If you`re feeling particularly fatigued then a disturbed sleep pattern is not ideal. Try to avoid caffeinated drinks, particularly at night as they act as a diuretic.

The best thing to do with all these changes, is remember that for the most part, they are temporary and things will return to normal once your baby has arrived. This is an exciting time and along with your body changes, you are probably making some changes to your house too. Decorating and preparing a nursery is a really fun part of preparing for your new baby and little touches such as cute pictures, cot bumpers and baby cushions can help complete the look.

Earnest Parenting: help for the newly pregnant mama.

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