Pregnancy can be a very exciting time, with lots of big changes to your body and lifestyle. If you think about it – you are growing human life inside of you! That in itself is amazing! How many of these pregnancy facts did you know?
Pregnancy facts:
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Bathroom breaks:
During your second trimester your little one will be urinating about a litre a day in utero! No wonder you have to go to the bathroom every five minutes. Some experts also attribute this to the baby resting on mom-to-be’s bladder. At the beginning of your pregnancy baby will be tiny and continue to grow to an oversized watermelon. You are also the filtration system for the baby so will be expelling urea for you and your little one.
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Pregnancy Glow:
Pregnancy glow is a real thing so embrace it mama! Your blood volume increases by 50% to ensure that your bundle gets all the nutrients it needs. Combined with the overactive oil glands can leave you with a softer and shinier appearance. This extra blood can cause a healthy flush to appear, combined with the soft shine equals pregnancy glow. Often skin dries out due to the hormones so the oil glands work overtime to try and counteract this. Many pregnant women find that these changes also extend to their skin tone.
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Nose bleeds and swelling:
The increased blood can also lead to a higher instances of nose bleeds and bleeding gums for some pregnant women. All the extra fluid is what can cause swelling in the body – especially in the ankles. Some pregnant women have reported their feet growing a full size!
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Oestrogen:
As you get close to the end of your pregnancy, the placenta will product more oestrogen in a single day then a non-pregnant woman will produce over the course of three years! Oestrogen produced by the ovaries helps prevent bone loss and works together with calcium, vitamin D and other hormones and minerals to build bones. This is also thought to happen because other hormones cause other ligaments to relax which can lead to extra strain on muscles and joints of your lower back. The body is thought to become more flexible to prepare for the birthing process.
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Pregnant for a year!
Most pregnancies last approximately nine months, but the longest recorded pregnancy was 375 days! This case was in 1945, nowadays most doctors will induce labour long before this.
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Inducing labour:
There are many old wives tales regarding methods of inducing the baby. The only scientifically proven method of inducing is the “comfort technique” involving stimulation of the nipples.
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Full head of hair:
Many of the old wives tales are exactly that, but moms that experience heart-burn are more likely to have a baby that is born with a full head of hair.This is because the higher levels of oestrogen and progesterone used to stimulate hair growth are also said to relax the oesophagus which can cause acid reflux (also know as heart burn). One of the side effects of pregnancy is that your hair will also become thicker and glossy. Your hair growth will slow down and hair loss will be reduced.
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“Everything you eat the baby eats”
Baby can actually taste some of the food you eat! Strong flavours like onion and garlic can be passed through the amniotic fluid into the womb. Your sense of smell will also be heightened so you will be less likely to eat something that is bad for the baby. Remember that baby will take their nutrients from your food. By eating very nutritious foods you ensure that you have enough nutrients for both you and baby.
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Expanding Organs:
During the course of your pregnancy, your uterus will expand more than five hundred times! The Progesterone in your body causes the joints to soften, this means that your rib cage will stretch so that everything can shift about. Your heart and other organs will also expand slightly to fulfil their extra work load. Your heart will pump 40% more blood than normal and will manufacture 20% extra red blood cells to carry more oxygen around the body.
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Tooth fairy:
For every two thousand babies born, one of them will be born with a tooth! Many pregnant women also loose teeth during their pregnancies. This is because of the softening of the body, bones and ligaments mentioned earlier, and the baby needing calcium for development. Today this is less likely to occur because of our varied diets and multivitamins. Ensure that you get plenty calcium to avoid this.
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Donors:
During Pregnancy, if the mother experiences organ damage, the baby will send stem cells to repair the damaged organ.
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Girls Rule:
Over the past twenty years, there have been more boys born. Although women still outnumber men in the general population. Chances of multiple births increase with tall or overweight mothers. There are more twins born in Central Africa than anywhere else in the developing world.
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Lactation:
The sound of a baby crying has been shown to cause new moms and pregnant women to lactate. In fact, this does not even have to be the sound of their own child!
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Contractions:
For many moms contractions won’t stop after birth. Most new moms still experience contractions for a few days after birth. This is your body’s way of stopping excess blood loss.
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Fingerprints:
Baby’s fingerprints are formed within the first three months of pregnancy.
