Pregnancy depression

Although this occurs significantly less frequently than postpartum depression (S. puerperal), it still affects one in ten pregnant women and should therefore not go unmentioned. The cause has not yet been clarified with certainty, but hormonal changes during pregnancy are being discussed. Some women are also affected by the supposed decrease in physical attractiveness. In particular, the belief that a woman must always be happy in expectation of a child can additionally depress pregnant women and lead to self-reproach. Therefore, every affected person should know that she is not alone with her needs and fears.

Stretch marks

They do not represent a serious medical problem, but they are a massive nuisance to many women for aesthetic reasons. They are caused by cracks in the subcutaneous tissue in particularly stretched skin areas, such as the abdomen, hips and breasts (S. female breast). An increase in volume of the underlying tissue is the cause and can also be caused by body-building, weight gain, rapid growth or hormonal causes (cortisone, estrogen).

The reddish shining through stripes hardly recede and can only be treated to a limited extent. The oral and external administration of vitamin A acid and the use of lasers have a certain effectiveness. As a preventive measure, women should especially apply cream or oil to the abdomen regularly during pregnancy to support the elasticity of the tissue. You can read about further measures to combat stretch marks in the article Preventing stretch marks.

Excessive vomiting during pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum)

The symptoms of vomiting occur mainly at the beginning of pregnancy and may improve over the course of the pregnancy. In addition to the massive nausea, more dangerous symptoms can also occur, which may make hospitalization necessary. These include, above all, dehydration of the body and weight loss, which could endanger pregnancy. A definitive cause has not yet been found, but psychological factors and excessive production of the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) are being discussed.