The incredible phenomena of pregnancy

Contents

01
Calcium absorption doubles
02
Your body retains more than 3 kg of fluids
03
You are building another organ
04
You do not share blood with your baby
05
The cord is composed of jelly
06
Your uterus grows by more than 500–1,000 times!

Pregnancy comes with some incredible facts — here are a few examples.

Take care mama

Your body adapts in a remarkable way during pregnancy.

Calcium absorption doubles

During pregnancy, the baby needs a great deal of calcium to build its bones. From the twelfth week of pregnancy, intestinal calcium absorption doubles [1]. It is worth noting, however, that this metabolic adaptation during pregnancy is only possible when vitamin D reserves are sufficient!

As this increase in intestinal calcium absorption occurs during the first trimester, well before the peak in foetal calcium demand during the third trimester, the maternal skeleton stores calcium (i.e. increases bone density) ahead of this demand [2].

To find out more, see our article on calcium and pregnancy.

Why this product?

Ourpregnancy food supplementBaby Bump is designed to cover both the expectant mother's needs and those of her baby, combining a multivitamin complex (with 14 nutrients in bioactive form), DHA, choline and vitamin B9... in just 2 capsules per day.

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Replaces folic acid (methylated and patented vitamin B9 Quatrefolic®).

Contains choline, an essential nutrient

Contributes to the nutritional needs of pregnancy

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Your body retains more than 3 kg of fluids

Among the weight you gain during pregnancy, there are 3 kilos of fluids added to that, with approximately [3]:

~1 kg of amniotic fluid

~1.5 kilos of additional fluids, water (swelling)

~1.5-2 kg of blood volume (+40-50%!)

We can also add:

~0.5kg of placenta

~1kg of uterus

~0.5 to 1.4kg of breast tissue

Did you know?

Of the weight you gain during pregnancy, 3 kilos of it is fluid!

You are building another organ

The placenta is a temporary and autonomous organ: it forms specifically during pregnancy to support foetal development and the transport of nutrients and oxygen, and its lifespan is 9 months.

It weighs on average 500g [4]. It has a total exchange surface area of approximately 12 to 14m², and over the course of nine months it develops a vascular network more than 500 km long [5]!

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You do not share blood with your baby

On one side, the villi of the placenta are anchored to the wall of the uterus and draw in the mother's blood. The other side is covered by a transparent membrane and connected to the baby via the umbilical cord. The baby's and mother's circulations are thus linked, without their blood mixing [6].

Pregnancy food challenge

Our step-by-step advice for your diet during pregnancy

The cord is composed of jelly

The cord is made up of Wharton's jelly, a type of gelatine formed from strong, elastic, non-vascularised, water-rich connective tissue. This jelly surrounds the 2 arteries and one vein of the umbilical cord [7].

Unlike adult circulation, where organs are oxygenated by the arteries, here it is the oxygen-rich umbilical vein that carries nutrients to the foetus [8].

On the same topic, find our article on delayed cord clamping of the cord.

Your uterus grows by more than 500–1,000 times!

The uterus grows by 4 cm in height per month, reaching approximately 34 cm by the end of pregnancy. It will grow from the size of a lemon to the size of a watermelon during pregnancy. It can weigh up to 1 kg at the time of your baby's birth [9].

Author

Pauline Benaroch

Dietitian nutritionist specialising in women's nutrition

Nutrition expert at Jolly Mama, Pauline Benaroch supports women from fertility through to the postpartum period with an approach grounded in science and enjoyment. Founder of the community @LesHealthyMamas (+10,000 members) and author of Je mange quoi pendant 9 mois (Larousse, 2024), she champions balanced and accessible nutrition for all women.