A lesson in the magic of hormones

There is no shortage of fascinating changes occurring in the pregnant body. One that, despite the warnings in the books, I was not quite prepared for is how much my gums bleed. I mean, gush like I just stepped out of an ultimate fighting ring. And, I kind of have to floss because my gums get cranky and will bleed even if I don't touch them. I went through a quart of Listerine in a month, trying to rinse that ferrous taste from my mouth.

Here's why it happens : all the extra hormones loosen the membranes and the muscles in the body. It makes sense. You're stretching. You're adding blood and other fluids. All that needs somewhere to go. Your blood vessels, lungs, and abdominal muscles need to be able to expand quickly. Thank you hormones for making this possible.

On the downside, some tissue that does not need to expand does. That would be your gums. Oh, and yeah- there's also all that extra blood in your body. Good luck with that.