Month 3: Sopping Sleep

For some pregnant women, running on a higher temperature grid can make them feel sweaty and uncomfortable – especially at night. Severe night sweats during the first trimester are comparable to menopausal hot flushes.

- Sister Burgie Ireland

WHAT CAUSES THEM?

Women generally feel warmer during pregnancy because the baby is like a built-in hot-water bottle. The placenta produces hormones that stimulate other hormone-producing glands – such as the thyroid gland (found where your throat is) and the hypothalamus, which is found in the caverns of your brain – to become more active.

Among the many functions of pregnancy hormones, one is to boost metabolism. This is the rate at which you convert food into energy but also store sugar and fat into reserve supplies. This is achieved by stimulating your intestines to absorb maximum nutrition from your diet. Sugar is stored in the liver, and fat cells are plumped up to be used as energy later on. Extra fat stores also mean better insulation.