When it comes to pregnancy, we've all heard about stretch marks, morning sickness and weird cravings. But with hormonal and other changes happening in your body, there's a lot of unexpected things that could pop up during your pregnancy.
Here are eight things no one's ever told you could happen while you're expecting:
1. You might see blue in the bathroom
Many pregnant women have experienced the strange phenomenon of seeing their toilet seat turn blue after sitting on it. It's not caused by the dye in your blue jeans or because you sat in ink, it's just from your bare skin touching the seat. The cause is still up for speculation, but there's a clear pattern of pregnant women turning their toilets blue. One theory suggests an ingredient or dye in some prenatal vitamins is to blame.
2. You can lose your sense of smell
Yes, your nose can quit working while pregnant! But only for a little bit. Your pregnancy creates an imbalance in your hormones, and one of the possible side effects of this imbalance is non-allergy, pregnancy rhinitis. This is an inflammation of the inside of the nose which inhibits your sense of smell.
3. You can get new freckles
Due to the major hormonal changes taking place in your body, pregnancy can change your skin's coloring. New freckles can appear and birthmarks, moles and freckles can darken.
4. Your saliva glands can go into overdrive
Many women notice excessive salivation during the early stages of pregnancy. It can be terribly uncomfortable, but you can get it under control with frequent teeth brushing, mints, gum and by drinking water.
5. You'll get to a point where NONE of your clothes fit
Unavoidably, you'll reach a stage in your pregnancy where your normal clothes are uncomfortably tight, but your tummy is not quite big enough for maternity clothes. Defeated, you'll probably trudge through this stage in nothing but loose dresses and sweats.
6. Your can get bloody gums
According to Baby Center, about half of all moms-to-be will get swollen, red and tender gums during their pregnancy. This is due to a mild form of gum disease called pregnancy gingivitis. Your mouth will be extra sensitive to flossing and you might spit out blood while brushing. Talk to your doctor about treatment options, especially if your gums seem very tender and there is excessive bleeding.
7. You can get restless leg syndrome
RLS is an uncontrollable urge to move your legs to relieve a crawling, tingling or burning sensation. One study of over 600 pregnant women revealed that 16 percent showed RLS symptoms. The symptoms usually show up while you're at rest, especially at night while you're trying to sleep. It normally develops and peaks when you're seven to eight months pregnant but does tend to disappear by the time you deliver.
8. You can forget to enjoy the experience
One mom shared the number one thing she wish she'd known when she was pregnant: "At week 27, my doctor told me, 'I know women are scared and unsure of what's happening, but I wish some of them would stop, relax, and not treat this like a science experiment. You only get this experience with this baby once and then it's gone. Enjoy it.'"
The mom said after this advice from her doctor, she stopped worrying so much. As moms, we can go through some really scary, painful and even unexpected things, but we should remember to pause amidst the worry and enjoy this unique lifetime experience.
