15 Surprising Ways Pregnancy Transforms Your Body --- and Your Mind

8. Hormones: The Master Puppeteers

Pregnancy hormones are the behind-the-scenes directors of this whole production. Progesterone relaxes your muscles, which is great for preventing early contractions but not so great when it slows down digestion, causing heartburn and constipation. Relaxin (yep, that's a real hormone) loosens up your ligaments to prepare for labor, making you feel a little extra wobbly.