You will go through many changes during pregnancy and it starts in the first trimester, where you may suffer from pregnancy nausea, commonly known as morning sickness, but if you have suffered with nausea in pregnancy you will know it can hit at any time. Your body will also go through many changes from itchy stretching skin, to hot swollen legs, even your bits will change through pregnancy.

Self-care is also important so take time for yourself if you can. Look into pregnancy massage, group exercise classes for pregnancy and pregnancy, birth and baby education classes. This will give you an excellent support network of likeminded people. You will also start preparing for your baby in pregnancy, which includes deciding where and how you’d like to give birth.

One of the most empowering things you can do is prepare your perineum for birth by doing perineal massage from 34 weeks, watch our short video below on how to do perineal massage, or visit our dedicated page to perineal massage.

Pregnancy sickness and nausea is common in early pregnancy. It usually eases off after the first 12 -16 weeks but everyone’s experience is different and it can carry on into later pregnancy. It is often referred to as ‘morning sickness’ but it can happen at any time of day or night. Whilst uncommon, 1-2% of women, can experience severe morning sickness- hyperemesis gravidarum.

There is no quick-fix cure but our midwives have advice and tips that can help you manage and ease the symptoms, see our guide to surviving morning sickness here.

Your body goes through many changes whilst your baby grows. You have to adapt pretty quickly to these changes which can affect you both physically and emotionally. When the going gets tough, remember you are growing another human being in there, which although challenges us more than we may have imagined, is also truly amazing. Always be kind to yourself, try to take time out just for you to nurture your body and mind during your pregnancy.

Read our expert midwife blog on changes to your body during pregnancy

About 85% of women will sustain some form of perineal trauma during childbirth. However research proves that perineal massage from 34 weeks can be effective at reducing the extent of tearing during childbirth. Preparing your perineum before birth can help stretch the skin and muscle and so reducing the risk of tearing or need for an episiotomy. Here are some tips on perineal massage that will help you get prepared for your baby’s birth:

• Start perineal massage at week 34 of pregnancy
• Find a perineal massage oil. You can use one specially blended and designed for perineal massage or an oil such as almond oil
• Make time to do this 3 or 4 times a week
• If you struggle to do this yourself, you can ask your partner to help

For more information on why and how to do perineal massage visit our perineal massage page.

Getting to know your bits through pregnancy will help you manage the many changes that can happen, often symptoms we don't even want to talk about, our midwives are here to guide you through everything you need to know so you can soothe them through pregnancy, prepare them for birth and also how you can help them recover after childbirth.

Our expert midwife Malena Monteverde has developed a trouble shooting guide to help you identify changes and ailments to your bits through pregnancy, birth and beyond, including:

• **Pregnancy **- Discharge, piles, thrush, varicosities, urine infections and bleeding.
• Birth - Perineal massage, warm compresses and positions.
• Recovery - Swollen and tender bits, tears and episiotomies, bleeding, piles and incontinence.

Read our trouble shooting guide to ailments during pregnancy or if you want to learn all there is to know about your bits visit our Know your Bits page.