Most women notice some changes in their skin when they are pregnant. Some of these may be for the better, and you may welcome them, but unfortunately this is not always the case.

There is no way of predicting how a woman’s skin will change in pregnancy. Some women find that their skin improves and becomes less dry or less oily, or that they get fewer spots. Others find that it worsens and they get more spots, or their skin becomes oilier or dryer.

The extra blood in your circulation can make you look radiant and glowing, though it can also make you look permanently flushed. Sometimes the increased blood flow to your skin causes small red spots (spider veins) on your face, upper body and arms.

The extra fluid that you retain may make your face look a little plumper, which will help smooth out any lines and wrinkles that you have, though on the other hand it may make your face look puffy or chubbier than you would like.

Around 90 per cent of pregnant women experience changes in their skin pigmentation. Quite early on (from around 3 to 4 months), you may notice that the area round your nipples gets darker, and that a brown line starts to appear down the centre of your tummy. If you have freckles or moles or a birthmark, these may get darker, too.

Some women develop brown patches on their face as well. These are made worse by being exposed to the sun. All these pigmentation changes usually disappear or fade after the baby has been born.