Your pregnant body is a power house of energy capable of miraculous changes and of growing new life.



Once upon a time we knew very little about how babies developed. It may even seem as if we've lost some of the magic now that technology has exploded many of the myths of pregnancy. And yet, if you retain a sense of wonder at the miracle of pregnancy, you can only profit from such a close look at your baby's first home.

Land of plenty
Your whole body is baby's 'homeland' and any routes into it can affect the baby's environment.

Toll-free routes
Your heart and circulatory system (all the blood vessels in your body) are of vital importance to your growing baby. Your heartbeat delivers the gift of life.
Your blood volume will increase by about 40 to 50% during the course of pregnancy. This increase accounts for about 1,5kg of your total weight gain in pregnancy.
Your blood will never pass directly to your baby. Only necessary elements will be extracted ? they are then passed through the miniscule placental probes into baby's blood ? a real engineering miracle.

Baby's castle
Your bony pelvis protects the organs so vital for conceiving, growing and birthing children. It is a dream design that seldom needs improving. The pelvis provides a stable support and yet it allows for movement, much like modern buildings in Los Angeles that have foundations able to accommodate the energy of earthquakes!
The bony coccyx can be pushed backwards by the descending baby's head and ligaments at the joining of the pubic bones in front as well as between pelvis and thighbones, stretch, allowing your pelvis to accomodate your baby.

Although you may experience discomfort from the stretching of these ligaments in pregnancy, the good news is that this gains enough space in your pelvis to let the majority of babies through safely. The movement of your pelvis in everyday activity rocks your baby, often into a deep sleep.


The inner sanctuary
Your womb is baby's bedroom.
Vital statistics: non-pregnant measurements of the uterus are 8.5cm by 5.0cm by 2.5cm and its volume will increase a thousand-fold. If you are expecting more than one baby, the length and breadth of your uterus increases substantially.
Stretched capacity: can hold 5 litres.
Weight: will increase to 800g or more, perhaps even up to 1.5kg.

Placenta, placenta, on the wall
To the experienced eye, the placenta is a most beautiful organ because it is responsible for the life and well-being of the developing baby. It is disc-shaped and thickest in the middle at about 2.5cm.
Its diameter is about 20cm and it weighs all of 800g or more when still attached to the wall of the womb. The surface embedded in the wall of the womb is bluish-red in colour and spongy in texture. The baby's side is smooth and shiny with branches of the umbilical blood vessels clearly visible.

The placenta performs several important functions:
Nutrition It stores glycogen for baby and allows all necessary nutrients to pass to baby for growth and development.

Respiratory Baby does not use the lungs in the womb. The placenta exchanges gases to keep baby well oxygenated.

Excretory All waste produced in the womb is processed via the placenta.

Hormonal Important hormones for nurturing the pregnancy and ensuring good growth of the baby are produced by this temporary 'factory'.

Enzymatic Every enzyme ever discovered has also been found in the placenta, proving just what a complex organ this is.


Baby's pool
Two membranes enclose baby in a watery capsule within the womb: the outer one, called the chorion, the inner, the amnion. From the very earliest weeks of pregnancy, amniotic fluid, in which your baby will swim and grow for nine months, is produced. This straw-coloured fluid serves a strong protective function.

Baby's lifeline
Much like a scuba diver who uses a rope to guide his way down to the seabed, your baby is attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord. Your baby will still be quite mobile, although lack of space toward the end of pregnancy will restrict her.
The inner membrane, the amnion, covers the cord. The cord houses two arteries which take deoxygenated blood away from the baby and one vein which transports oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the baby. These vessels are surrounded by a jelly-like substance called wharton's jelly, accounting partially for its soft texture.


Baby's future pantry
Your breasts, believe it or not, are primarily intended for services other than the erotic! They are baby's future pantry. This does not mean that milk is being stored there now, however, the wherewithal to supply all that your baby will need until weaning is busily being prepared as you read this.

Busting out
You may gain about half a kilogram on each breast during pregnancy because of the development of mammary gland tissue, but also because fat stores in your breasts increase during pregnancy.
Normal changes include prominence of blue veins, leaking of a bit of colostrum (first milk) from eight weeks, and visible sebum glands for keeping nipples and areola supple.


Simmi replied. Hi Avi. As usual, you shared such a lovely article with us. Thx. Hope u r keeping well. I haven't weighed myself but I suddenly feel HUGE!!
Take care. Vindhya replied. Hi Avi,

Thats a nice article. I cannot imagine that we are going through the process. Isn't that great!

Vindhya