Pregnancy is wonderful, but it’s also pretty weird. No two pregnant women will experience the same symptoms, so although it is great to chat to other expectant or new mums about what they went through, how they felt and what their birth was like do keep in mind that it is a different journey for everyone!
However there are a few things that catch many pregnant ladies by surprise, here are 6 of the most common:
Leaky boobs: You may experience this as early as the first trimester, but more often in the third trimester your boobs will start to leak that magical golden substance called colostrum or ‘liquid gold’ as it is the perfect first food for a newborn baby.
Itchiness: Your skin goes through a lot when you are pregnant, your belly stretches to accommodate the bump becoming a baby, you’ll probably get a gorgeous pregnancy glow too. However you may also get itchy skin. It might be just around the bump but it could be all over your body too/ Thankfully there are some amazing creams to help you feel more comfortable again
Leaky something else: You are fairly likely to develop a weak bladder as the baby will be pressing down on it so it can hold less. You’ll also be more thirsty than usual and these two combined mean that you’ll need to visit the loo much more than usual, and possibly throughout the night too! You might also need to start wearing pantyliners just in case! This is really common though so try not to freak out about it, but practising your pelvic floor exercises will help!
Steady on your feet: Or rather unsteady! Not only have you got to get used to carrying that gorgeous bump around everywhere but your body releases more of a hormone called relaxin, which helps soften and prepare your pubic area for birth but it also affects your other ligaments meaning you aren’t as strong as normal, so do take it easy especially in the last months of pregnancy!
A sudden urge to tidy ALL THE THINGS EVER: People who haven’t been houseproud or neat freaks in the past will suddenly be resisting the urge to reorganise their kitchen cupboards at 3am. Move aside Marie Kondo, there’s a pregnant lady nesting!
Dreams: You may well start having really vivid dreams, and some women even report having steamy dreams frequently in pregnancy! It’s all perfectly normal though, and you can probably expect a couple of dreams about giving birth too!
If you’re pregnant now are you experiencing any of these strange symptoms? Or maybe something just as odd we’ve not mentioned?
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