posted 25.07.2022
12 Surprising Facts You Might Not Know About Pregnancy
Photo by Neal E. Johnson on Unsplash
Pregnancy symptoms change your body in ways that you might not imagine. Although you probably expect certain things to happen, I thought you might be surprised by these twelve pregnancy facts — I know I was! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
1. The Longest Pregnancy Was over 12 Months!
Most pregnancies last approximately 280 days or 9.5 months, thank goodness! But one woman was pregnant for 375 days. When Beulah Hunter’s baby girl, Penny Diana, was finally born on the 21st of February in 1945, she was almost 100 days overdue. Although this is the longest pregnancy ever recorded, pregnancies of 42 weeks, which is around ten months, are relatively common.
2. When You Are Pregnant, Your Heart Grows Bigger
One of the most incredible pregnancy wonders I discovered is that your heart doubles in size during pregnancy and remains that size until you give birth. This is because when you are pregnant, your blood volume increases by around 30-50%, meaning the heart is working harder.
3. Your Voice Can Change During Pregnancy
Your voice might sound deeper or lower during pregnancy. The cause is the rise in oestrogen and progesterone when pregnant, so your voice should return to normal after childbirth, although this may not happen until you finish breastfeeding.
4. Joints Become Looser When You’re Pregnant
You are actually more flexible when you are pregnant, although it probably doesn’t feel like it! Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long after you give birth, as your body only makes the hormone relaxin — which makes ligaments soften — during pregnancy.
5. More than a Third of Pregnant Women Will Have “Oops” Moments
Yes, I am talking about when you unexpectedly pee yourself. Urinary incontinence is one of the most common pregnancy symptoms and often continues after childbirth. But you don’t have to put up with it. Kegel exercises can be done during pregnancy and after birth. There is also a new treatment that does your pelvic floor exercises for you!
The revolutionary Emsella Treatment for urinary incontinence can get you back to normal with easy, non-invasive treatments. All you need to do is sit in the Emsella chair for 28 minutes and let it do the work.
6. You Will Probably Notice Bad Smells More
In the first trimester, bad smells will probably smell worse than before you were pregnant. Scientists propose a strong sense of smell during pregnancy could be an evolutionary mechanism to keep you from eating food that might make you ill.
7. Babies Taste Food in the Womb
When you eat food with strong tastes, such as garlic, your baby can taste them! Intense flavours travel from the blood into the amniotic fluid. After the third trimester, your baby will swallow amniotic fluid and can more than likely taste through their taste buds.
8. Babies Cry in the Womb
Babies have been shown to become startled on 3D ultrasounds when the sonographer presses down on the stomach with the ultrasound. Researchers have also found that when your baby hears sounds, they might “cry”, with ultrasound videos showing babies opening their mouths and gasping when music is played.
9. Your Unborn Babies Stem Cells Might Repair Damaged Organs
Pregnancy symptoms don’t get more astonishing than this! Research has discovered fetal cells in mothers’ brains. A remarkable study found that fetal cells might migrate through the placenta into many organs, including the lungs, liver, heart, and kidneys. These cells might be able to repair damage and even prevent cancer.
10. You Might Crave Non-edible Things
Often pregnancy cravings are joked about, but did you know pregnant women can have cravings for non-edible things? Pregnant women have reported a hunger for many less than tasty items, including soap, hair, paper, and pebbles!
11. Taller Women Are More Likely to Conceive Twins
A study found taller women are more likely to conceive twins or multiple babies. So you have a higher possibility of conceiving fraternal twins — which happens when two eggs are fertilised by two different sperm — if you are tall!
12. Your Feet Might Grow by One Full Size
You might expect your feet to swell when you’re pregnant, but did you know they might actually increase in size? Why your feet grow during pregnancy is thought to be due to a combination of factors. Your ligaments become looser, which can make your feet wider, your arches drop, and swelling can all make your feet up to one shoe size larger!
But don’t worry, you probably don’t need to throw out your shoes (unless they are already tight), as, after childbirth, your feet will usually reduce in size again. But be warned; 60 to 70% of women will still have slightly larger feet after childbirth. But isn’t that the perfect excuse to buy lots of new shoes?
Worried about urinary incontinence after childbirth?
Find out more about the revolutionary urinary incontinence treatment, the Emsella Chair at Body Lipo Lincoln, a medically-led aesthetic clinic. Offering a wide range of treatments using the most advanced technology, we are here to support your health and well-being.
