The Expert Knows Best

Moving around has started getting a bit tougher for the wife now. It takes her longer to get from point A to point B, and she walks in a shuffling manner. Last night, she asked me if this was normal for pregnant women. I said that it was. She replied back that I didn’t know what I was talking about and was just making up an answer. She says I should have just said that I didn’t know. 

The truth is, I did know the answer. I was just too tired to go through my mental index of facts to pull out the one related to her problem. But now that it’s morning and I’m well-rested, I can give her a full response.

Your difficulty in walking is due to the body producing relaxin (not to be confused with chillin’ and relaxin’), which is a pregnancy hormone. This begins in the early stages of pregnancy, sometimes as early as the second week, is produced in large amounts during the first trimester, and continues until birth.

What is the purpose of relaxin, you ask? Well, it helps loosen ligaments and joints around the pelvic region in preparation for giving birth. The loosening of these ligaments and joints makes your body less stable, hence the difficulty in walking. It is also one of the causes for the lower back pains you are experiencing. 

Here’s your lesson of the day: Don’t doubt the expert!