Pregnancy brings with it many surprises as your body changes, especially the first time around.
"Having a baby will be, by far, the best thing that ever happened to you. But the rearranging of various body parts that comes along with this miracle can catch you by surprise. It helps to know what’s going on so you can maintain at least some semblance of control. Here’s an insider’s guide to seven common body changes."
The outwardly noticeable body changes will understandably get alot of your attention. There are plenty of new things happening inside as well. The mucus plug is one of these. Its job is to protect your baby in the womb from infection.
Not everyone will have a run-in with varicose veins. But since blood circulation increases during pregnancy and increased progesterone relaxes blood vessels, you might.
After you have a baby, be prepared for the fact that you'll still look about five months pregnant for awhile. Be kind to your body parts. Give your uterus a month to shrink, and allow post-delivery hormones to do their job. It's a process.
http://health.msn.com/pregnancy/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100194207