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Parentpedia
Clumsiness and Falls
You didn't think that pregnancy meant you would break all of the glasses in your cupboard and constantly trip over your own feet, but, according to physician and bestselling author, Dr. Mark Moore, there are clear physiological reasons for why pregnant women become clumsy.
What's Happening in Your Body
Hormone changes: Your placenta secretes a substance called relaxin to make the ligaments looser to prepare for childbirth so your body can expand as much as possible. Relaxin loosens the joints everywhere, including in your hands and feet, making it harder for you to know when your fingers stop and that dish — crash — begins.
Weight changes: You are gaining weight and your center of gravity is shifting as the fetus grows in your abdomen. Many pregnant women find the last trimester to be their most fall-prone time.
Sway back (spinal lordosis): Your back sways (thanks in part to the relaxin) to help you carry the weight in the front. This change in posture makes your balance shakier.
Edema (water rentention): Water retention, especially in your hands and feet, can discombobulate your sensory perceptions as well.
Stress and distraction: You may be spending more time concentrating on what's happening inside you than around you. The distraction of being pregnant, sometimes called "pregnancy brain," means you don't pay as much attention to whether the rearview mirror can make it past that post.
What You Can Do
Put away the nice dishes. Take them out again to celebrate once the baby's born.
Put away the stilettos. Take them out again to celebrate once the baby's born.
Make a habit of paying more attention. When you are walking on grooved sidewalks, be conscious of where you put your feet or make a point of holding your partner's hand. Before backing out the car, look to make sure you have enough space.
Slow down. This can be hard, especially in your first pregnancy (seasoned moms learn quickly to enjoy this aspect), but understand that your body is changing and accept that you can't accomplish as much as you could before you got pregnant.
Be kind to yourself. You will break things and you may fall down. This is a a normal part of being pregnant.
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