What pregnancy does to your health
By Annie Murphy Paul
Expecting a baby can make you more prone to some diseases-but it can protect you from others.
More common:
Diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects about 5% of pregnancies.
Health.com: 7 tips for a healthy pregnancy with diabetes
Urinary tract infections
You're at greater risk of developing them from weeks 6 through 24.
Yeast infections
These are more common during pregnancy, especially the second trimester, than at any other time in your life.
Health.com: Is my yeast infection related to what I'm eating?
Gallstones
Higher estrogen levels during those nine months appear to increase cholesterol levels in the digestive fluid known as bile, which can lead to gallstones.
Deep-vein thrombosis
The risk of developing a blood clot in a vein deep in the body is higher during pregnancy and for six weeks after delivery, because of the changes in blood and blood vessels that happen when you're pregnant.
Health.com: Pregnancy advice examined
Less common:
Ulcers
Surprisingly to anyone who's had terrible heartburn while pregnant, your stomach produces less acid during gestation, making ulcers less common
Health.com: 5 health conditions that can cause heartburn
Pelvic inflammatory disease
The risk of this infection of the reproductive organs decreases once the mucous plug has sealed the cervix, about halfway through the first trimester.
