©Pregnancy bliss 2008
Weight gain during pregnancy
The rate of weight gain during pregnancy differs widely among individuals women. The rough average is an overall gain of about 12 kg (26 lb).
About 5 kg of the weight gained will be accounted for by the uterine contents (i.e. the baby, the placenta and amniotic fluid). That weight will therefore be lost immediately on delivery.
The remainder of the weight gain is due to:
· Increase in the size of the uterus itself,
· Increase in the blood volume,
· Fluid retention and
· Fat put on under the skin.
Most of this weight is lost within the first few days after delivery. The fat may be a little more difficult to shift. Weight is discussed in more detail in the section "Weight and Pregnancy".
Sex during pregnancy
There is nothing to prevent a pregnant woman from continuing to enjoy a normal sex life with her partner.
A problem may arise if there is vaginal spotting or bleeding during pregnancy. This may very well be the result of an innocuous cervical condition. However, since penetrative sexual intercourse could provoke further bleeding, the standard advice for a woman with this problem is to avoid penetrative sex.
In a case of confirmed placenta praevia (where the placenta is too close or covering the cervix) are firmly advised to stay off sexual intercourse, as this could provoke heavy and very frightening bleeding.
All the above-
The working expectant mother
At what point of pregnancy should a working mother give up work? There is no way anybody can give a standard answer to this. Every individual's circumstances are different and it is mainly those factors that influence a decision on how long to continue working while pregnant.
Factors such as the type of job, the woman's general health, pregnancy type (singleton or twins), and the presence or absence of potential problems (such as placenta praevia or high blood pressure) will have an influence on this decision. For a woman who is doing a desk job with low physical stress, it could be alright for her to continue working as long as possible, if that is what she wants. It certainly won't have any adverse effect on the pregnancy. The general advice, therefore, is for every woman with a normal pregnancy to listen to her body.
