Did you bloom in pregnancy?

Yesterday in our shop I had the delight of talking with a mom expecting her 5th child. To say she looked magnificent would have put it mildly. She was eight months pregnant on no.5, and looked stunning. The good news was that on baby no.5 she was converting from disposable nappies to cloth nappies, and came to us as the cloth nappy experts. I am happy to report that she left delighted with her choice of bumGenius freetimes, in such an array of funky colours! She topped of her purchases with armfuls, and I mean armfuls of CJs butter samples - she went for one in every flavour!

This lovely lady, hello if you are reading!,  got me thinking about how some people just bloom in pregnancy. Research suggests that  at some point in pregnancy, it’s estimated that you’ll leave behind your mood swings and morning sickness and bloom into a ravishing creature with glowing skin and thick, shiny hair.

There’s no doubt that loads of hormonal changes in pregnancy make some women look and feel absolutely wonderful, especially in the middle months of pregnancy. Lots of extra blood capillaries are produced and this helps make the skin and hair shine. This is not, however, the case for everyone. The same hormonal changes can also cause spots, greasy hair and tiredness, especially early on. So if you do bloom in pregnancy, just sit back and enjoy it!

Everyone knows that endorphins are the ‘happy hormones’ that are released when you do exercise, making you look and feel better. The good news is that they kick in during pregnancy to help you cope with pain and stress, particularly in birth, so your body is producing these naturally. Don’t forget about the exercise though - try some yoga, swimming or Pilates.

Everybody talks about the ‘pregnancy glow’ that kicks in at some point, often during the second trimester, when erratic hormone levels settle and high levels of oestrogen course through your body. The increased metabolism and circulation which are created by these pregnancy hormones nourish both your skin and hair. You’ll find that your nails will grow faster than you can manicure them and your hair will be thicker and more lustrous than it has ever been.

Many women really love their hair during pregnancy, saying it looks thicker and glossier. This is because of the high levels of progesterone, which are coursing through your body at this time, causing the follicles to go into a ‘resting’ phase which reduces the amount of hair that drops out when you wash it. It does this by reducing the levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterne (DHT), which is responsible for hair loss. (Three months after you give birth, however, your progesterone levels will drop again and your old hair will start falling out again to make way for new ones.)

Each of my four pregnancies has been different and whilst I never bloomed as magnificently as the lovely mama yesterday, I did bloom in the 2nd trimester. That was my favourite part of pregnancy and I loved every moment of it, and enjoying new maternity clothes. Off course it was not long before I turned into a beached whale and needed a crane to move me.

Did you bloom in pregnancy?