‘I’m scared of getting pregnant now!’ women say as mum-to-be shows off HUMONGOUS baby bump & she’s only 34 weeks along

TO SAY the body changes during pregnancy and childbirth is an understatement.

Throughout the nine months it takes for the body to bring a baby into the world, it goes through some huge physical changes.

Considering how different the body looks during pregnancy, it's not surprising that there are some lasting changes.

And it some ways, it never does, Doctor Rachel Ward, a GP at Woodlands Medical Centre, Derby, said.

1. Wider ribcage and hips

"During pregnancy in order to accommodate a growing baby and prepare for giving birth, our body produces a hormone called relaxin," she explained.

Relaxin works by increasing the flexibility and movement in our joints and ligaments.

"Many women find that after pregnancy the shape of their pelvis and ribcage remains different," Dr Rachel said.

It is common to need a different bra size due to a change in chest circumference, the expert said.

"This is a reminder of the changes your body made to accommodate your baby and is nothing to be worried about," she added.

2. Change in skin colour

During pregnancy, most women experience skin changes as it stretches to accommodate your bump and enlarging breasts.

"It is not uncommon to develop stretch marks.

"Though they will often fade over time and become a shiny pale colour, depending on your skin tone they will not go away completely," Dr Rachel said.

"Some people do not like the way stretch marks look but they are an incredibly common change that we see in many people," she added.

3. A change in breast shape

Breasts increase in size during pregnancy as the breast tissue prepares to produce milk.

And shortly after birth they will start to produce milk and become swollen, Dr Ward explained.

"If you choose to breast feed or not, it is likely that the shape, size and way your breasts look and feel will be different after pregnancy compared to before," she added.

"This is not a problem but it is important that we do learn what the new normal is for our breasts so we can stay breast aware and pick up and changes that could be cancer."