If you have been pregnant or close with someone pregnant you know that a lot of what gets covered in the media (and on 90s sitcoms) are the negative aspects such as weight gain, morning sickness, limited diet, weird cravings, sickness and just general uncomfortableness. That it is why it is so refreshing that last week new mom Keira Knightly revealed that pregnancy gave her hair, that had been horrible weakened after years of dye jobs for her films, new life! “I have naturally crazy, curly hair, and since I’ve had the baby, it’s become 10 times thicker,” she told Instyle UK. “Hair changes after delivery are very common, but most women do not talk about it,” Brett Worly, M.D., an ob/gyn at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told SELF. Well, that sounds like a pretty big perk of pregnancy to us (besides the whole, you know, bringing a new life into the world thing) but what are some of the other perks you may not know about?
- No More Cramps!
OK so you do get your period back once the baby comes, but it may not come with it’s sidekick AKA terrible cramps. For some women, cramps stop altogether. Oh happy day! Basically labor can eliminate some of the prostaglandin receptor sites in the uterus therefore less pain during menstruation.
- Better Senses
Post-pregnancy you may become Catwoman! Not really, but your perception of taste gets stronger, most likely because your sense of smell increases. Things will taste amazing!
- Cancer Risk Goes Down
Pregnancy can decrease your risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. The younger you start and the more pregnancies you have, the more it helps. Researchers at the University of Washington found that pregnancy has the ability to produce cells that protect the mother from harmful diseases. There is also a 2002 study published in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention that reports that ovarian cancer risk is reduced by pregnancy. The findings are consistent with the theory that the transformation of ovarian cells “induced by pregnancy hormones may be the underlying protective mechanism.”
- You Can Actually Live Longer
Pregnancy may actually elongate your life.This is related to fending off those cancer cells, but basically Microchimerism, which is the presence of a small number of cells that originate from another individual (so the fetus in this case), happens during pregnancy. One study found that women with male microchimerism present in their bodies are more likely to live longer than those without it.
- Your Immune System Gets Stronger
Not only do you live longer and can taste more, you also are just healthier overall. Pregnancy rules!
Plus, now you’ve got gorgeous thick hair and the immune system of a superhero. You and that baby will be unstoppable!
