Week 21: Comfortable in your skin

Pregnancy brings about amazing changes in your body, but some of them are less than wonderful to deal with!

As your belly expands, your skin may feel itchy and stretch marks may form on the skin of your abdomen, thighs, and breasts. Stretch marks are generally caused by a rapid increase in weight, and usually fade after pregnancy.

Learn more about skin care during pregnancy and some changes you may expect.

You may have pain down the sides of your body as your uterus stretches.

Along with these discomforts, though, should come some relief. As your uterus grows out of the pelvic cavity, there is less pressure on your bladder so you may need to urinate less frequently.

Gentle hair care can help

During pregnancy, extra estrogen may make your hair appear fuller. When you give birth and your hormone levels return to pre-pregnancy levels, you may experience hair loss. Read about what to expect and how to care for your locks during, and after pregnancy.

Breathe easy

If you're expecting a baby, you don't want the hassle of a stuffy nose—especially one that won't go away. But experts claim that up to 20 percent of pregnant women develop a condition called pregnancy rhinitis. Learn about help for your symptoms.