Pregnancy truly does put you through every change imaginable, both mentally AND physically. I remember looking at my huge bump in the mirror at nine months pregnant, and finding it utterly surreal that I was quite literally growing another person. You spend your whole life as just you, and for a short while it's you and someone else- it's both incredible and weird! At the end of it all when the baby arrives, it's easy to see that as the 'finish line' in a way, even though the chapter is only just starting. As not only do you have the whirlwind of learning to look after this tiny baby, but your body continues to do some crazy things that you might not have ever heard anyone talk about before. Here are just a few of them. 

Pregnancy makes a lot of things bigger- not just your stomach! And feet is actually one of them, my feet are a whole size bigger now than they were before having babies and years later that's stayed true. It might not be as noticeable when you still have your baby on board if like me you were waddling around in Crocs and slippers most of the time. But once I started dressing in my usual clothes again and dug out my normal shoes, I was extremely surprised to find that most of them no longer fit. Always a good excuse to go shopping, but definitely unexpected so something to be aware of!

Speaking of a bigger stomach, this is something that's a bit more expected. You can stay looking pregnant for quite some time after having a baby, while some people so 'snap back' quickly, that's definitely not the case for everyone. You can experience something called diastasis recti which is where the muscles in your abdomen separate because of the strain of carrying a baby in your body, this can give you a stomach bulge even once everything settles back down. Unfortunately it's something that has to be repaired surgically in extreme cases, although core strength exercises can help. Make sure you get some guidance first though, as certain exercises (like sit ups) can actually make it worse.]

This was such a big one for me. I have fine hair and not loads of it the best of times, and tend to go through huge yearly sheds already. With postpartum hair loss on top I was having days worrying that it was never going to stop. Thankfully it does, and before long you're rocking a very fetching postpartum micro fringe that sticks up all along your hairline! If you're going through this try not to panic. Even with super fine hair and probably a bigger than average postpartum hair shedding, even mine recovered and was back to normal by the time my baby was about a year old.

Periods can be so unpredictable when you've had a baby, if you're exclusively breastfeeding it can prolong them from starting up again for a while although that's not always the case. You might find that they're heavier or more painful for a while, or just intermittent. After such big hormonal swings it's no wonder, when everything settles down you'll be back to your usual baseline providing there's nothing else going on. A hot water bottle and a good painkiller like naproxen for period pain can get you through when times are tough. 

Pregnancy and postpartum can have all kinds of effects on mental health. If you're someone that has known issues you might find they get better, or worse. There's no real way to tell, so letting your healthcare provider like your GP, midwife or healthcare visitor know how you're feeling means they can monitor you either way. If you've never had mental health issues, they may start once you get pregnant or have a baby. Along with hormonal changes that can massively affect your mood, you're going through a huge life change and there's no way of knowing how you'll respond to that until you get there. Take good care of yourself as best you can, and lean on your support system like your partner, family and friends. You're in such a vulnerable state after having a baby so being aware of that means you can act if anything starts to not feel right.