If you are snoring during pregnancy, you may have noticed a multitude of changes going on, the most noticeable of which may seem to be a growing baby belly, however other changes have taken place as well. The pregnant female body is primed with a variety of different hormones that all cause changes in numerous physiological systems. The effects of these hormones can manifest themselves in ways that most women have never experienced. In a some recent sleep studies performed on women and their spouses, the majority of women did not snore. A mere 4 percent of the participants of the studies reported snoring prior to pregnancy, however when the women became pregnant nearly a quarter of the surveyed women began snoring. Snoring during the gestational period is actually a fairly common occurrence and is not necessarily a cause for concern.

Intuitively we all know what snoring is or at least what it sounds like. Snoring is the harsh, guttural sounds made during sleep when the soft palate vibrates against the other portions of the throat. Snoring, while annoying at times, is not normally diagnosed as a health concern if you are otherwise healthy. There are many causes of snoring, some of which are temporary while others are long term.

There are many causes of snoring, most of which relate to obstruction of the airway in some fashion. Some common causes of snoring include overproduction of mucous in the nasal passages, weak or malformed throat muscles, and excessive weight gain in the neck and face. Pregnancy can cause changes in a woman's body that will mimic many of the above root causes of snoring. Excess hormones can cause an increase in mucous production, greater blood volume or flow can lead to constricted blood vessels and narrowed airways, weight gain from the pregnancy can also lead to restricted airways, and the hormones present in the mother's blood that help relax and open the pelvic area can lead to looser and more relaxed neck and throat muscles. One or all of these factors added together sometimes can cause a pregnant women to begin snoring even is she had no prior experience of it.

For the most part, snoring during pregnancy can just be seen as yet another of the small annoyances that comes along with pregnancy itself. Once the mother gives birth and hormone levels return to normal, it is often the case that women who sounded like buzz saws while sleeping during their pregnancy will completely return to their normal (quieter) breathing patterns of prior to pregnancy. There is a slight chance that the snoring is not simply a result of hormonal changes from pregnancy and that the mother has developed a condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, also called OSA. The OSA is an ailment in which breathing periodically pauses during sleep, causing restless sleep and increased fatigue throughout the day. It is said to be caused by some gestational complications such as hypertension associated with the pregnancy or with preeclampsia. If someone who is pregnant is concerned about their sleeping habits or snoring, they should schedule an appointment with their doctor or midwife to make sure they do not show signs of other more serious complications.