If you’ve just discovered that you’re pregnant, a massive congratulations are in order! This will be the most exciting and possibly scary nine months of your life so far. But, it will all be worth it when you bring a beautiful baby into the world at the end. As a first-time mother, you’re probably a bit nervous about what to expect throughout pregnancy. A few things will happen to your body, some of which are more obvious than others. You should know that pregnant women experience massive mood swings and hunger cravings. You’ll also know that a lot of weight gets put on, and you’ll end up with some aches and pains along the way.
However, many other things can also happen, some of which are slightly stranger than the ones mentioned above. When these strange things happen to you, it can be a bit of a shock. You start to worry and frantically Google to see if you’re alone. The good news is that all the weird things that happen are totally normal. So, to help you prepare for them, let’s look at some of the strangest things that will happen to your body while you carry your baby:
Restless Leg Syndrome
Initially, restless leg syndrome sounds like a made-up condition! But, it’s a genuine issue that a lot of pregnant women suffer from. It’s aptly named as the main symptom is that your leg feels very restless and you can’t keep it still. It can sometimes itch or feel as though there’s a current running through it. This tends to happen when you try to sleep, meaning you’re tossing and turning in bed because you can’t keep your leg still. According to 8 Sheep, this condition is caused by a lack of dopamine and folic acid in your body. Reductions in both of these things are expected during pregnancy, so don’t worry if you have restless leg syndrome. You can often see improvements by taking a folic acid supplement – which you should be taking anyway!
An Enhanced Sense Of Smell
Many women will claim that everything smells horrible when they’re pregnant. This can cause a lot of sickness as the smell of certain things makes you feel nauseous. Funnily enough, this isn’t a trick in your mind or an over-exaggeration – things literally smell different! Or, to be more accurate, you’re smelling with more intensity than ever before. Your estrogen levels are elevated, enhancing your sense of smell and making you smell things you otherwise wouldn’t. Therefore, things can get pretty intense, leading to sickness. It’s wise to avoid strong-smelling foods while you’re pregnant as they can be too overpowering for your super-nose to deal with!
A Constant Stuffy Nose
It’s common to feel like you’re coming down with a cold where you’re pregnant. This is because your nose gets all stuffed up, and it makes your head feel heavy. However, this is a natural reaction to the changes within your body. It’s not a sign of sickness; it’s caused by an increase in blood flow around your body. This, along with more hormones flying about, can cause the mucous membranes in your nose to get a lot bigger. In essence, this closes your nostrils and makes them feel stuffed out. So, if you feel like this, there’s no need to panic! You aren’t coming down with the flu, you just have a stuffy nose thanks to your pregnancy. Thankfully, you can try many things to get rid of a stuffy nose without resorting to any drugs. One of the most popular is to have a hot shower and allow the steam to make the stuffiness melt away.
Swollen Feet
So far, I would say this is the most well-known thing on the list. When you carry a baby, you are literally carrying a baby. Another human being grows inside of you, meaning you put on a lot of additional weight. Then, factor in the hormone increases that can cause cravings and make you eat loads of junk food. As a result, you put even more weight on. Now, think about what this means for your feet – they take all of this weight bearing down on them. As a result, you can get a lot of swelling and fluid retention. This can be pretty painful, so be sure to relax and keep yourself rested whenever you can. You may also have to buy some new shoes as your feet can swell to the size above your current ones. Consider buying maternity socks too; these have been shown to help improve the blood flow and prevent swelling.
Forgetfulness
That’s right, pregnant women become very forgetful as they make their way through the trimesters. Some people think this is a joke, but it’s genuinely real. Again, it comes down to the hormonal changes within your body. You’re setting off so many different hormones that have never been used as much in your life. As a result, it’s natural to experience some changes in the way your brain functions. If you feel foggy and forgetful, don’t worry! This is perfectly normal, as is an inability to focus. These effects can be made worse if you don’t get much sleep, feel stressed, etc. So, all of these things come together to make you more forgetful and, for want of a better phrase, a bit dull. Fear not, you won’t be like this all the time, just at specific periods during your pregnancy. Of course, everything will go back to normal when the baby is born.
This post wasn’t created to make you worry about pregnancy. Instead, it has the opposite intention. By understanding some of the weird and wacky things that happen, you’re better prepared to face them. Now, if any of these things happen to you, it won’t be a big shock. You can acknowledge that it’s a natural thing that all mothers will probably go through. Ultimately, it gives you one less thing to worry about when you’re carrying a child. Also, it’s worth looking up all the side-effects of pregnancy to see other things that are likely to happen.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 