I recently attended a baby shower for a good friend and as most showers go, we played a few baby games and one really stood out to me. This particular game was based around “fact or myths” of pregnancy – it would ask a statement and we had to guess whether we though this was something that occurred during pregnancy or an old wives tale. There were 3 questions that were indeed, fact, yet many of the participants didn’t know why it happened during pregnancy, which resulted in many questions for me as someone who sees pregnancy regularly in my practice. I thought it would be interesting to write the reasons as to why these physical changes happen during pregnancy.
1. | Your vision changes
This is indeed a fact. During pregnancy, the dramatic hormonal changes that occur effect many parts of the body, and the eye is no exception. There are host of reasons which can explain why this happens – some of which are just tied to normal physiological changes, others which are more pathological in nature. Physiological changes found during pregnancy include changes in structure of the shape of the eye, as well as a decreased pressure within the eye.1 The cornea appears to increase in thickness during pregnancy, likely due to increased water retention, and the shape of the cornea also appears to change, most commonly experienced during the 2nd and 3rd trimester.1 These changes can be transient, resolving post-partum, or, in rarer circumstances, can result in permanent damage, depending on the woman. Pregnancy-related conditions, such as preeclampsia and gestation diabetes if severs enough, contribute to problems with vision as well, much like their non-pregnancy counterparts, uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes. Due to the changes that occur in the eye during pregnancy, more optometrists and eye specialists are recommending that women wait before undergoing corrective vision surgeries until after they are finished having children as whether maintaining the success of these procedure may be unpredictable post-pregnancy.1
2. | Stress can negatively effect the growing baby
One my first articles for the Natural Path, I explained the physiological impact mood has on the baby during pregnancy. To simply reiterate, stress has been long researched to have an effect on the growing fetus. A number of animal models and human studies have linked elevated stress hormones in the mother during pregnancy to increased risk of preterm birth, and slow growth rate in the infant.2 Moreso, increased stress hormones in the found in the amniotic fluid has been linked to low birth weight, which in turn has been linked to temperamental distress and fear in the infant at 3 months.3 This is why it’s important to practice calming techniques, and working with a professional if you have a history or are having trouble managing stress and anxiety during pregnancy.
3. | You may have more vivid dreams
This is definitely something that pregnant women in my office have reported as a change during pregnancy and has been known fact within the medical community. While we’re not entirely sure why this is, there are a few interesting theories as to why this happens. Pregnant women tend to wake more, perhaps due to discomfort, frequent need to urinate or because of the baby moving, which causes her to enter REM sleep more frequently, which is the sleep stage when we dream. Interrupted sleep also prevents deep sleep from occurring, which makes it easier to recall a dream waking in the middle of the night rather than in the morning after a long night’s rest. Quick and extreme changes that happen to the body and hormones can create an altered state of emotional stability and thought-processes during pregnancy.4 As dreams tend to be a window in to emotional state, the heightened feelings of emotions women feel during pregnancy makes it easier for dreams to be remembered in the conscious state.4,5 Interestingly, dreams have been theorized to be a way for a women to mentally prepare and cope for the difficulties of labour, as pregnancy and labour-related dreams appear to dominate the dream repertoire during pregnancy.4 To confirm, A 2008 study found that women who had higher dream activity had shorter labour times.5 An interesting article on WebMD quotes an expert in the subject saying that women in their third trimesters who have nightmares about labour also have shorter delivery times, as if they were practicing for labour in their dreams.6 Increased dream activity has also been linked higher age (>35 years old), higher education, higher income and a good patient-physician relationship.5
So if you ever go to a baby shower asking whether these physical changes are fact or fiction, now you have not only your answers, but the reasons as well!
Dr. Tanya Lee, N.D. received her Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences from McMaster University, and was trained as a Naturopathic Doctor at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Dr Lee practices full-time between two clinics located in Toronto and Milton Ontario and has been voted Milton’s favourite Naturopath in 2013 and 2014. Her primary care practice focuses on family medicine, treating a wide variety of conditions such as hormonal (endocrine) disorders, fertility, digestive problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insomnia and fatigue. She has a special interest in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, paediatric and perinatal health. Tanya offers her clinical knowledge to a number of publications, including the Natural Path.
References:
- Gotovac M. Eye and pregnancy.Coll Antropol. 2013 Apr;37 Suppl 1:189-93
- Weinstock M. The potential influence of maternal stress hormones on development and mental health of the offspring. Brain Behav Immun. 2005 Jul;19(4):296-308.
- Baibazarova E. Influence of prenatal maternal stress, maternal plasma cortisol and cortisol in the amniotic fluid on birth outcomes and child temperament at 3 months. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Jun;38(6):907-15.
- Nielsen Dream-associated behaviors affecting pregnant and postpartum women. 2007 Sep;30(9):1162-9.
- Mancuso A Emotional state and dreams in pregnant women. Psychiatry Res. 2008 Sep 30;160(3):380-6
- Haines, C. The Vivid Dreams of Pregnant Women. WebMD. 2003 http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/vivid-dreams-of-pregnant-women