In the course of growing an entire human being, women’s bodies undergo a slew of unbelievable changes. Often, we (meaning pregnant ladies, and the people who write about them) get hung up on the negative symptoms and with good reason — it’s hard to feel particularly great about unrelenting nausea, excruciating heartburn and fatigue so intense you could fall asleep at the grocery store, on a sidewalk, under your desk, in a plate of eggs .

Well done, moms-to-be!

Your Blood Volume Increases

During pregnancy, the volume of blood in a woman’s body increases by a whopping 50 percent in order to help support the uterus. Accordingly, the amount of blood pumped by the heart increases as well. By the end of pregnancy, a woman’s uterus receives one-fifth of her pre-pregnancy blood supply.

You Actually Glow

If you find yourself looking all dewy and glowy during your pregnancy, it’s not just because you’re brimming with I’m-about-to-become-a-mom sentiment; there’s also a physiological basis for it. The aforementioned increase in circulation that occurs during pregnancy causes many women’s faces to appear brighter, or flushed. And, as women’s bodies produce more hormones, their oil glands can go into overdrive, resulting in that famed pregnancy glow.

You Grow An Entire Organ

During pregnancy, women’s bodies grow a whole new organ, IE, the placenta — a structure that develops in the uterus and provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby (while also playing a key role in waste removal). The organ typically grows onto the upper part of the uterus and is linked to your baby via the umbilical cord. After your baby’s born and the placenta’s job is done, it is simply expelled through the birth canal.

You Loosen Up

More specifically, as you move through your pregnancy, hormones (especially the aptly named “relaxin”) help soften the ligaments that hold your bones together and the pelvic bones themselves begin moving to accommodate your baby’s birth. Sometimes, this can cause a bit of pain and discomfort although once your baby is born, your joints will firm up again.

You Stop Shedding

Do you have the thickest, most amazing head of hair, like, ever? During pregnancy, you stop shedding hair at it’s normal rate. Most of the time between 85 and 95 percent of the hair on your head is growing, while the rest is in a “resting” stage before it falls out. But during pregnancy, higher estrogen levels extend that growth phase, meaning you lose less hair and may suddenly find yourself with a gloriously thick ponytail. After your baby’s born, that “extra” hair will fall out.)

You Breathe Differently

It’s not uncommon for pregnant women to feel short of breath, particularly later in their pregnancy when the uterus grows and begins to press on the diaphragm. But breathing also changes because of the high levels of the hormone progesterone in your body signal your brain to lower the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, yet another amazing example of all the things your body does to support and accommodate a growing baby.

You Become Particularly Orgasmic

The increased blood flow to a woman’s genitals — plus the general surge in any number of hormones that influence desire — can make many pregnant women feel libidinous. And those changes can also increase sensitivity, allowing many women to orgasm more easily. But as with all things related to sexuality, this is totally individual — some women want nothing to do with sex while they’re pregnant.