So you’re thinking pregnancy is all about the precious baby growing inside you, that radiant pregnancy glow, walking on cloud nine and decorating the nursery, right? Hmmm….
Well, yes and no.
It CAN be all about that, but mostly it just isn’t and don’t feel bad if you don’t enjoy your pregnancy, not everyone has it easy and on top of it all, there are MANY things you probably didn’t know about pregnancy that aren’t quite so romantic. Here are some shockers.
1. Your baby is peeing in utero and drinking it!
2. Your bionic sense of smell is not imagined, it is your body’s way of ensuring you’re avoiding food harmful to your baby.
3. Your feet may grow up to a size larger and stay that way even after birth – no expensive shoe shopping till after baby.
4. Many will experience some form of skin change. This can range from freckles to darkened armpits and areoles as well as the dreaded ‘pregnancy mask’. Use sunscreen and practice good sun protection.
5. Your chances of carrying multiples increases if you’re tall or overweight.
6. The longest pregnancy ever recorded lasted 375 days, in 1945. That’s over a year!
7. As many as 75% of all conceptions end in miscarriage. Many without the woman even knowing.
8. Your overall blood volume increases by 50%, this makes you susceptible to nose bleeds and bleeding gums. And explains some of the weight gain.
9. Your uterus starts off the size of a pear and grows to the size of a watermelon during pregnancy.
10. Babies have been known to suck their thumbs, wave and masturbate in utero!
11. Babies also cry in the womb (my heart broke a little).
12. You may find you have leaky boobs later in pregnancy especially at the sound of a crying baby.
13. You are susceptible to breaking bones thanks to the hormone, oxytocin. This hormone is responsible for softening your joints in preparation for birth.
14. Three out of four ladies will develop ‘linea nigra’ the dark line that runs down your pregnant belly. This doesn’t always disappear after, unfortunately.
15. Forget pineapple and castor oil. Nipple stimulation is the only natural method of inducing labour when done correctly (suckling just like a baby would).
16. Orgasms can induce contractions but usually of the Braxton Hicks variety.
17. Thank the lack of oxygen in your blood for your pregnancy brain. The struggle is real, mummy!
18. Your baby is covered in vernix; a waxy, cheesy coating that protects their skin in the womb. Many are born with it.
19. One in every three women gives birth via cesarean section.
20. Baby girls develop all their reproductive eggs in utero while boys only produce sperm at puberty.
21. Sharing pregnancy symptoms (sympathetic pregnancy) with your baby’s daddy is real and proven.
22. Some of your baby’s DNA will be in your bloodstream.
23. You will feel hungrier, but refrain from eating for two, your intake should only increase by 300 calories. (Yeah, tell that to a craving mother!)
24. Later in pregnancy, you will feel hot – ALOT – thanks to the little furnace inside you.
25. Beautiful, thick, luscious hair is a wonderful side effect of the increase in estrogen coursing through your body, but beware, the dip after pregnancy can cause some (or a lot) of hair loss. This usually regulates after a few months.
26. Your growing belly will itch something awful – moisturisers and oils are your best friends.
27. Sleeping gets harder and harder as you grow, invest in a good maternity pillow from the start. It will be the best investment you make for yourself and your back.
28. The exhaustion in the first trimester can be rough, it gets better in the second trimester. Your body makes some pretty radical changes in those first few months of pregnancy so don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re creating a tiny human!
29. Your growing womb can push some of your organs around; don’t be surprised if you get more than a little winded as you grow even when you’re not doing anything.
30. And finally, pregnancy farts are lethal stink bombs! Be warned.
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