9 weird things that happen to your body while you’re pregnant
Pregnancy is its own bizarre, magical mystery. While it’s factually correct that a human is growing within, it’s sometimes hard to connect that knowledge with all the weird things that happen to your body while pregnant. Because, let’s face it — there are some really whacked-out things most women can relate to and they sound absolutely ridiculous (but so true)! Here are some of the weird, albeit totally normal, things you might experience. An no worries — you’re not alone, we swear!
1The memory goes.
One of the most notable things of pregnancy is that (seemingly) once a woman’s body is trying to grow an actual human, it puts most other things to the side. Pregnancy brain is a real thing, people! Need to remember an important appointment? Nope. How about a birthday? No way. According to WebMD, there’s no actual alteration of your brain makeup but due to the new stress, lack of sleep, and other priorities, you might have memory lapses. Unless it’s something your pregnant self deems “necessary,” you’ll likely lose a lot of details for awhile. And from what we hear, while it gets better with time, having kids in general means you’ll probably always have to compete for memory space. Sorry.
#pregnancybrain is real…just did a load of laundry without detergent & spent 10 mins looking for my phone while talking on it
— Megan Lizotte (@MeganLizotte) April 8, 2016
2There is, uh, leakage.
The word “leakage” alone is enough to make us shudder but most pregnancies experience it from breasts, vaginal, or both (yikes)! It’s completely natural to have the amount, texture, and frequency of discharge change during pregnancy because — hello!— there’s a baby! Of course your body isn’t going to behave the way it always has because it’s doing something extraordinary. While most leakage isn’t anything to be concerned about, it’s always a good idea to ask your doc to rule out something more serious such as amniotic fluid, infection or STD.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/779478198971146240
3Your nose is SUPER sensitive.
Pregnancy makes some senses superhuman. Taste buds change, sense of touch or sight can seem altered, and hearing might be more sensitive. One thing is for sure: The sense of smell has to be one of the more affected senses. That first trimester situation has most moms-to-be running to the toilet when they get a whiff of an awful smell (that they’d normally not mind). Rotten eggs might be a put-off to everyone but Sunday morning bacon? Don’t worry. We hear the second trimester is a little more forgiving!
4Cravings get super random.
Along with the nose doing its own thing, you might start to crave the strangest snacks and food combinations. Pickles and ice cream is a classic reference but what about pineapples and hot dogs? Gross, right? Maybe not when you’re pregnant! Psychology Today says there are a few factors that trigger those strange cravings. Culture, hormones, and maybe even a particular region of the brain called the insular cortex (the mysterious “fifth lobe”). There’s a hypothesis claiming gradual shifts in the uterus might alter parts of the brain that represent the taste bud perception. Super interesting but still, Twix and ketchup? Weird! false
5You’ll break out like you’re 14 again.
When you’re pregnant, you could go to bed a flawless queen and wake up a queen with a major breakout! Depending on how the hormones change, your body might react in a very “pubescent” kind of way. Breakouts, voice changes, moodiness, and all the menstrual cycle type of things might happen during pregnancy and it’s a real bummer that certainly can affect one’s self-esteem. But, at least it’s temporary, right?
I just spilled my cup of ice water and cried for 20 minutes then called my boss and told her I quit #pregnancyproblems #hormoneslikeamofo
— cole_fresh (@colee_sayzs) September 14, 2016
6Things swell.
Besides the fact that you’re already dealing with an expanding waistline, thighs, and, well, most things, you’ll probably also swell in lots of places. Calves, feet, fingers, and even your face can look bloated, probably until the baby comes out. Yay, pregnancy!
7You go to the bathroom a lot.
It’s a well known part of pregnancy but even still, having the constant urge to go to the bathroom or worse — being constipated — is pretty awful. While not weird, per se, it’s just annoying and uncomfortable enough because you have zero control over anything happening to your body. It’s probably best to accept it sooner than later or it’s going to be a long nine months.
When I go a whole night without waking up to pee#pregnancyproblems #pregnantlife pic.twitter.com/guAAEXYufd
— Mom of Toddler (@mommywhiner) July 25, 2016
8Your muscles cramp, and it’s painful.
When things are swelling and veins are all constricted and gross-looking, those tired muscles also like to cramp. And what better time than when you’re trying to (finally) get some sleep!
9Hair sprouts everywhere.
Part of having all the hormones means dealing with what they leave you with. Sometimes, you get that “pregnancy glow” and everyone comments on how fab you look, while others, you’re finding new places hair started to grow because evidently, pregnancy isn’t hard enough without it.
Despite all the wacky things your body goes through, you’re carrying an actual person! So cut yourself some slack and try to be patient when the weird things feel endless.