These days, there are countless apps and guides for pregnant women to track how their baby is developing. They compare the size of the foetus to everyday objects and many will even show you detailed 3D images from inside the womb.
But what impact is this growing baby having on its mother’s insides? The effects of pregnancy on women’s bodies are discussed far less frequently.
Well, a new video highlights just how much change a woman's body, particularly the internal organs, goes through when she's got a bun in the oven.
The short clip, 'Make Room For Baby', created by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, reminds us that ‘The baby isn't the only one changing’.
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Moving the interactive dials draws attention to the mammoth change women’s bodies go through during pregnancy until birth, and demonstrates what women look like at different stages.
It shows the womb expanding, the intestines and stomach being squashed and the breasts enlarging.
Overlaid are quotes from mothers describing their own thoughts and experiences of pregnancy. “Something that is supposed to be two pounds could be kicking you that hard? Sometimes it kind of takes your breath away!” said Shelley.
While Kathryn added: “I remember thinking, 'I don't know how I'm going to get this baby out'.”
The clip doesn’t describe what happens to the body after childbirth, however, but one doctor today told The Independent what women should expect.
Dr. Daghni Rajasingam, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said many women don’t manage to lose the weight they put on during pregnancy and that whether or not a woman has stretch marks can depend on her genes.
Many women also experience prolonged bleeding post-labour, she said, but “The vagina is an extremely forgiving part of the body.”
“If you have had a normal delivery it is common, for some degree, to have bruising on the vagina but this and the swelling should all go within six weeks."