"Pregnancy is ALWAYS physically harmful . You try carrying a load of extra weight about and see what that does to your heart . It is also always life threatening - women still die from it and you never know how childbirth is going to go . These are the normal , frequent or expectable temporary side effects of pregnancy : -- exhaustion ( weariness common from first weeks ) -- altered appetite and senses of taste and smell -- nausea and vomiting ( 50 % of women , first trimester ) -- heartburn and indigestion -- constipation -- weight gain -- dizziness and light-headedness -- bloating , swelling , fluid retention -- hemmorhoids -- abdominal cramps -- yeast infections -- congested , bloody nose -- acne and mild skin disorders -- skin discoloration ( chloasma , face and abdomen ) -- mild to severe backache and strain -- increased headaches -- difficulty sleeping , and discomfort while sleeping -- increased urination and incontinence -- bleeding gums -- pica -- breast pain and discharge -- swelling of joints , leg cramps , joint pain -- difficulty sitting , standing in later pregnancy -- inability to take regular medications -- shortness of breath -- higher blood pressure -- hair loss -- tendency to anemia -- curtailment of ability to participate in some sports and activities -- infection including from serious and potentially fatal disease ( pregnant women are immune suppressed compared with non-pregnant women , and are more susceptible to fungal and certain other diseases ) -- extreme pain on delivery -- hormonal mood changes , including normal post-partum depression -- continued post-partum exhaustion and recovery period ( exacerbated if a c-section -- major surgery -- is required , sometimes taking up to a full year to fully recover ) These are the normal , expectable , or frequent PERMANENT side effects of pregnancy : -- stretch marks ( worse in younger women ) -- loose skin -- permanent weight gain or redistribution -- abdominal and vaginal muscle weakness -- pelvic floor disorder ( occurring in as many as 35 % of middle-aged former child-bearers and 50 % of elderly former child-bearers , associated with urinary and rectal incontinence , discomfort and reduced quality of life ) -- changes to breasts -- varicose veins -- scarring from episiotomy or c-section -- other permanent aesthetic changes to the body ( all of these are downplayed by women , because the culture values youth and beauty ) -- increased proclivity for hemmorhoids -- loss of dental and bone calcium ( cavities and osteoporosis ) These are the occasional complications and side effects : -- hyperemesis gravidarum -- temporary and permanent injury to back -- severe scarring requiring later surgery ( especially after additional pregnancies ) -- dropped ( prolapsed ) uterus ( especially after additional pregnancies , and other pelvic floor weaknesses -- 11 % of women , including cystocele , rectocele , and enterocele ) -- pre-eclampsia ( edema and hypertension , the most common complication of pregnancy , associated with eclampsia , and affecting 7 - 10 % of pregnancies ) -- eclampsia ( convulsions , coma during pregnancy or labor , high risk of death ) -- gestational diabetes -- placenta previa -- anemia ( which can be life-threatening ) -- thrombocytopenic purpura -- severe cramping -- embolism ( blood clots ) -- medical disability requiring full bed rest ( frequently ordered during part of many pregnancies varying from days to months for health of either mother or baby ) -- diastasis recti , also torn abdominal muscles -- mitral valve stenosis ( most common cardiac complication ) -- serious infection and disease ( e.g . increased risk of tuberculosis ) -- hormonal imbalance -- ectopic pregnancy ( risk of death ) -- broken bones ( ribcage , `` tail bone `` ) -- hemorrhage and -- numerous other complications of delivery -- refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease -- aggravation of pre-pregnancy diseases and conditions ( e.g . epilepsy is present in .5 % of pregnant women , and the pregnancy alters drug metabolism and treatment prospects all the while it increases the number and frequency of seizures ) -- severe post-partum depression and psychosis -- research now indicates a possible link between ovarian cancer and female fertility treatments , including `` egg harvesting `` from infertile women and donors -- research also now indicates correlations between lower breast cancer survival rates and proximity in time to onset of cancer of last pregnancy -- research also indicates a correlation between having six or more pregnancies and a risk of coronary and cardiovascular disease These are some less common ( but serious ) complications : -- peripartum cardiomyopathy -- cardiopulmonary arrest -- magnesium toxicity -- severe hypoxemia/acidosis -- massive embolism -- increased intracranial pressure , brainstem infarction -- molar pregnancy , gestational trophoblastic disease ( like a pregnancy-induced cancer ) -- malignant arrhythmia -- circulatory collapse -- placental abruption -- obstetric fistula And a few more permanent side effects : -- future infertility -- permanent disability -- death . And I 'm sure I 've missed some . Why the cheap shot against pp ?"
"So , tell me , if it is ALWAYS life-threatening , why are there so few life-threatening conditions mentioned above ? I agree that pregnancy can tax a person 's system , but so does exercise , the flu , and a million other things and only , rarely , do these result in death . In fact , I 'm willing to bet that you 're more likely to die from the flu than pregnancy . Want to take me up on the bet ? Oh and my `` love `` of PP stems from my knowledge of its original goal and current practices ."
"You try carrying a load of extra weight about and see what that does to your heart . It is also always life threatening - women still die"
"why are there so few life-threatening conditions mentioned above ? I agree that pregnancy can tax a person 's system ,"