6 Surprising Benefits of Pregnancy

You're probably all too familiar with the numerous aggravations -- morning sickness, heartburn, fatigue, stretch marks, and leg cramps, to name just a few -- that plague expectant moms. Sometimes pregnancy may seem like little more than an unpleasant means to a happy ending.

Yet, believe it or not, a baby isn't the only good thing you get out of childbearing. Those extra hormones not only encourage fetal development, but they also have an effect on your well-being. Some can actually improve your health during and after pregnancy. What's more, childbirth and breastfeeding offer some healthful benefits of their own.

Overall, most women find pregnancy to be a positive experience, studies show. Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, PhD, a professor of child development at Columbia University Teachers College in New York City, surveyed expectant mothers, and the majority of women reported only a handful of negative symptoms during their pregnancy: nausea and fatigue early on and discomfort and some difficulty sleeping toward the end. More often, "women reported feeling very energized and positive during the second and third trimesters," reports Brooks-Gunn.

Of course, those feelings may be easy to forget on days when getting out of bed is an effort. But rest assured, wonderful changes are taking place in your body. And you'll experience some of the benefits for a long time to come.