HaleyPregnancy is such an exciting time in a woman’s life, especially if it’s her first pregnancy. I remember religiously checking the weekly baby updates to see what was going on inside my womb and to understand how my baby was developing. Though 40ish weeks of pregnancy can feel like ages at times, it’s amazing how fast your baby grows and develops during that time. From seeing your belly bump finally pop to feeling that first flutter of movement, there are so many special moments that come with pregnancy.
Of course, on the flip side, pregnancy can cause pain, discomfort and some other strange side effects. Find out about some unusual pregnancy symptoms that women don’t often talk about.
7 Pregnancy Symptoms No One Talks About
Hair Grows Slower on Legs
Though most think of pregnancy causing long luxurious hair, pregnancy actually doesn’t make your hair on your head grow. Instead, higher levels of estrogen prolong the hair growth phase, meaning you lose less hair so your hair is thicker.
Despite the thicker hair on your head, there’s a good chance your leg hair growth will slow down and hormones will cause strands to thin out. Many women who shaved their legs every couple days can shave about once a week to achieve the same feel. For many women, especially those pregnant during summer months, this is one of the best pregnancy symptoms.
Moles Develop or Enlarge
Not only can pregnancy hormones cause new moles to grow, but if you already had moles, it can cause them to darken or enlarge. After delivery, the new smaller moles often go away. But it’s always a good idea to get a dermatologist to check out any moles that change during pregnancy.
Melasma on Face
Melasma—often called the pregnancy mask—is the development of brown blotchy spots on the skin. Most commonly appearing on the face, melasma is also linked to pregnancy hormones. Oftentimes, the spots will fade after delivery, but skin lightening creams can help with stubborn melasma.
Nausea Can Reappear
Less than 3% of pregnant women experience hyperemesis gravidarum, debilitating nausea that can last throughout half or even their whole pregnancy. More commonly, 50+% of women experience morning sickness in the first trimester due to pregnancy hormones produced by the corpus luteum. Typically, the nausea lets up between 11 and 14 weeks pregnant, when the placenta takes over the production of pregnancy hormones.
However, nausea can also reappear in the third trimester. The chance of heartburn increases as your pregnancy progresses and the baby pushes your stomach up higher as he or she grows. The baby displaces your stomach, causing food and acid to flow back up to the esophagus, causing heartburn and nausea. Additionally, nausea is often a sign that labor in near in the third trimester.
Insomnia
Pregnancy insomnia is estimated to affect more than 75% of pregnant women in the third trimester. Some have trouble falling asleep while others have a hard time staying asleep. Discomfort, frequent bathroom breaks, intense baby movement, heartburn, sciatic nerve or pubis symphysis pain, hormone changes, snoring, feeling overheated, an endless to-do list and labor anxiety can all be contributors to pregnancy insomnia. Quite honestly, the contributors to pregnancy insomnia are endless, and often sleepless nights are due to combined factors.
Leaky Breasts
Colostrum is thick yellowish liquid that your baby consumes before your breastmilk comes in after delivery. Though your baby only gets a small amount, it is chocked full of everything your baby needs until your mature milk comes. But oftentimes, a pregnant woman’s breasts will leak colostrum during the second or third trimester as her body is preparing for baby.
Chance of Hemorroids
Though no one likes to talk about it, hemorrhoids affect more than half of pregnant women by the second or third trimester. Pressure from your uterus, increased blood flow to the pelvis, extreme weight gain or constipation are all contributors. Hemorrhoids may also develop while you’re pushing in the second stage of labor. And if you’ve had them in a previous pregnancy or labor, they are more likely to appear with subsequent pregnancies and deliveries.
What are some unusual pregnancy symptoms you experienced?
