Baby Yourself Before the Baby
Everyone knows that being pregnant can wreak havoc on our skin, from stretch marks to hair in all the wrong places. Sometimes it feels like those symptoms of pregnancy never go away.
The Hollywood stereotype is for the happy and expectant mother to have the healthiest and most glowing skin, hair and nails of her life. Unfortunately, for those of us living in the real world, this is generally not the case. Everything seems to change when we are carrying our unborn children, some good changes and some bad ones.
Some of the things happening to our skin are a little more well known than others. Stretch marks occur in almost every pregnant woman. It is also one of the few things that rarely go away after the baby is born. They may start appearing on the abdomen area, and other parts of the body. This happens when the under layers of skin are stretched and pulled too quickly. Keeping the skin moisturized can be of some assistance, but it may not completely prevent them.
Hyper pigmentation, or darkening of the skin, especially on the abdomen, is likely to occur in up to 90 percent of pregnant women. Mommy may also notice her cheeks, nose, forehead and chin darkening as her baby develops. Both of the conditions usually subside after she gives birth but the best way to prevent it, at least on the face, is to use a good sunscreen.
Strange things happen with hair too. Many women notice hair growing in places that should only happen with men. Some places include the face and chest. While it may be unsightly at the time, the good news is that it usually resolves itself within about six months after delivery.
Mommies often complain of a receding hairline after the birth of the new baby. The explanation of this may surprise you. People naturally lose about 80-100 hairs a day. Women who complain of this trend usually had unusually thick hair during the pregnancy. Sometimes during pregnancy that number drops drastically, resulting in thicker hair. The problem is that the body has to catch up sometime so after the baby is born, all the hair that should have come out during the pregnancy is lost at once. The good news is that after about six to 12 weeks, the hair usually begins to balance itself out again.
Fingernails change right along with everything else. Baby needs all the nutrients he can get. The vitamins that the doctor prescribes are made just for that reason. The baby is going to take what it needs from mommy, whether she has some left for herself or not. One of the first places that women notice a vitamin deficiency during pregnancy is in the nails. Being faithful about taking those vitamins, however, can have the total opposite effect on mommy’s nails. Instead of dry, brittle and cracked, they can grow to be long and strong.
Hormones do strange things to our bodies and being pregnant just compounds that. We have to remember to take care of our bodies. Drink lots of water and continue with regular exercise for healthy-looking skin. Visit an esthetician to have a gentle but moisturizing facial, and then see what products you can take home. If you feel like your hair is overly thick, make an appointment with your stylist to try something new. Most likely, she’ll understand that you may need a change in a few months after the baby is born. And, don’t forget those nails. Treat yourself to a manicure and take home some nail strengthener. Just before the baby, schedule a pedicure to pamper yourself. Enjoy that bit of quiet time because scheduling pampering will get a lot harder. tpw
The Hollywood stereotype is for the happy and expectant mother to have the healthiest and most glowing skin, hair and nails of her life. Unfortunately, for those of us living in the real world, this is generally not the case. Everything seems to change when we are carrying our unborn children, some good changes and some bad ones.
Some of the things happening to our skin are a little more well known than others. Stretch marks occur in almost every pregnant woman. It is also one of the few things that rarely go away after the baby is born. They may start appearing on the abdomen area, and other parts of the body. This happens when the under layers of skin are stretched and pulled too quickly. Keeping the skin moisturized can be of some assistance, but it may not completely prevent them.
Hyper pigmentation, or darkening of the skin, especially on the abdomen, is likely to occur in up to 90 percent of pregnant women. Mommy may also notice her cheeks, nose, forehead and chin darkening as her baby develops. Both of the conditions usually subside after she gives birth but the best way to prevent it, at least on the face, is to use a good sunscreen.
Strange things happen with hair too. Many women notice hair growing in places that should only happen with men. Some places include the face and chest. While it may be unsightly at the time, the good news is that it usually resolves itself within about six months after delivery.
Mommies often complain of a receding hairline after the birth of the new baby. The explanation of this may surprise you. People naturally lose about 80-100 hairs a day. Women who complain of this trend usually had unusually thick hair during the pregnancy. Sometimes during pregnancy that number drops drastically, resulting in thicker hair. The problem is that the body has to catch up sometime so after the baby is born, all the hair that should have come out during the pregnancy is lost at once. The good news is that after about six to 12 weeks, the hair usually begins to balance itself out again.
Fingernails change right along with everything else. Baby needs all the nutrients he can get. The vitamins that the doctor prescribes are made just for that reason. The baby is going to take what it needs from mommy, whether she has some left for herself or not. One of the first places that women notice a vitamin deficiency during pregnancy is in the nails. Being faithful about taking those vitamins, however, can have the total opposite effect on mommy’s nails. Instead of dry, brittle and cracked, they can grow to be long and strong.
Hormones do strange things to our bodies and being pregnant just compounds that. We have to remember to take care of our bodies. Drink lots of water and continue with regular exercise for healthy-looking skin. Visit an esthetician to have a gentle but moisturizing facial, and then see what products you can take home. If you feel like your hair is overly thick, make an appointment with your stylist to try something new. Most likely, she’ll understand that you may need a change in a few months after the baby is born. And, don’t forget those nails. Treat yourself to a manicure and take home some nail strengthener. Just before the baby, schedule a pedicure to pamper yourself. Enjoy that bit of quiet time because scheduling pampering will get a lot harder. tpw