More Changes In A Woman's Body During Pregnancy:

More Changes In A Woman's Body During Pregnancy:

Striae Gravidarum: "stretch marks" that develop in genetically predisposed women on abdomen and buttocks. Also positively correlates with increased chance of laceration of tissues during pregnancy/delivery.

Increased vascularity during pregnancy leads to many changes in a woman's body. She might get palmar erythema, in which you'll notice that she generally always has warm, red hands. In fact, the one time you should worry is when a pregnant woman has cold/clammy hands since she's likely hypotensive (lower than normal blood pressure) and possibly in a life-threatening event.

During pregnancy, a woman's blood pressure decreases. In fact, a woman's blood pressure during pregnancy is normally always lower than pre-pregnancy levels. Elevated blood pressures during pregnancy are a sign of trouble. Think of it this way. If you had a stadium full of people (blood in the body) and only a certain number of exit tunnels to travel through (blood vessels), the more exit tunnels that opened up (adding extra blood vessels such as the placenta), the less congested the traffic would be in emptying the stadium.

Increased prevalence of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's) in pregnant women is due to these changes:

1) Urine is less acidic (more alkalotic), and the acidic environment of urine helps is more inhospitable for bacteria.

2) There is a decreased ureteral urine flow (due to smooth muscle dilation due to the effects of progesterone, which leads to ureteral dilation, and subsequently decreased urine flow). Thus, bacteria aren't getting washed out of the urinary system as effectively.

3) Increased glucose in the urine (Glucosuria): due to a decreased tubal reabsorption threshold for glucose. Higher glucose levels provide a better environment for bacteria to thrive.

Source: Kaplan USMLE  Step 2 review series (plus my own analogies to explain the medical jargon).