Now that you are pregnant, you are in for a lot of ‘What is this?’, ‘Oh my God! What’s happening?’ or ‘okay! This is strange’. Even if you are having a planned pregnancy, you are going to receive tons of pregnancy shockers. Your body goes through massive changes during these nine months. You will almost feel like a specimen of some great experiment of the universe. Stress less while you let the nature do its doing.
Here are some of the pregnancy surprises that you might come across along your journey to motherhood:
- Skin Discolorations
So you were expecting that expectant-mother’s glow? It is okay if you don’t have it because 60% of the women tend to develop a darker skin. This is again because of the massive hormonal changes your body is going through. Using sunscreen and lesser exposure to the sun can help you limit the discoloration.
Don’t freak out and start using vitamin A or skin lighteners. Skin lighteners usually contain bleach and vitamin A is known for causing birth defects. You might even have darker nipples and the back of your neck may become dark too. Don’t swoon in shock if you notice a dark line down the middle of your abdomen. After birth, it lightens up.
- Slight Bleeding
Did you just have two periods in one month? Then you are probably pregnant and you don’t know about it. You might bleed a little during pregnancy because the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus. This is basically implantation bleeding and is completely harmless.
In case you know you are pregnant and face heavy bleeding, you should immediately visit a doctor. Your doctor will do an ultrasound test to check the growth of your baby and even a blood test in case you are bleeding bright red blood to see if the hormones are at their optimum. If your bleeding comes with severe cramping, see a doctor without any delay as it is a sign of miscarriage.
- Leg Cramps
Do you feel leg pain particularly in your calves? Very often, pregnant women complain of leg cramps. Generally, it indicates either you are not taking in adequate amount of calcium or not drinking enough water. To avoid cramps, remaining hydrated is very important.
These cramps can translate into serious issues like blood clot too. They appear to be red and swollen. They cause pain upon touching. If it is serious, immediately check with a doctor who might give you blood thinners.
- Teeth Issues
Do you know why you are given calcium supplements during pregnancy? It is because your baby needs tons of calcium for the development of bones. The calcium you take in from drinks or food, the baby tends to take it first and you are left with the leftover. This means you have high chances of being short on calcium. This eventually results in bleeding and swollen gums along with tooth aches.
- Baby’s Hiccups
Your baby might just want to practice breathing right in your womb. When the baby does that, your tummy might jump up and down. No need to worry. This may occur in the last five weeks. Like you the baby is getting its oxygen via umbilical cord. As soon as the baby arrives in this world, this cord needs to be cut. Now, the baby has to breathe himself. Those hiccups in the womb are just a training session to breathe.
- Thicker Hair
This one is a happy shocker. You will be able to enjoy the lustrous mane you always desired. It may be for a short time but you will have more hair on your head. The reason is that you are shedding less hair and growing more of them. Growth of hair increases during pregnancy which results in lesser hair falling out. After you have given birth to your baby, your hair growth will decrease and hair loss increases. You can check with a dermatologist if you happen to face excess hair fall.
- The Bra Band Size Also Increases
The milk ducts are being prepared for breast feeding by the hormones. This can make your breast ache, become sensitive and bigger too. Women usually think that it is just the cup size that increases which is not true. In the beginning it is the cup size that increases but at the end of the pregnancy your rib cage also expands increasing your band size. Nature stretches your ribcage to increase the capacity of your lungs so that your baby and you could enjoy a good supply of oxygen.
- Crazy Mood Swings
Do you fall among a lot of women who undergo PMS? Then you have more chances of facing crazy mood swings during pregnancy. Those rising and whirling hormones can make your feel weepy, irritable, anxious, nervous, confused and at times you might feel all those at a time. you might go through such crazy mood swings more often in the first trimester and also in your last trimester.
