5 Surprising Facts About Pregnancy

There are many old wives' tales about pregnancy. We all repeat them, even if they are not true. We like to think of these things as nice for pregnant women. Plus, we all want to be happy about the upcoming arrival of a new baby. However, there are some stories that are true, and people have no idea that they are true. Here are five surprising facts about pregnancy.

Sympathy Pregnancy is Possible

It is possible for the father to experience sympathy pregnancy. He may start to gain weight. He may even feel cramps in his lower abdomen and experience morning sickness. This is known as Couvade Syndrome.

Heightened Sense of Smell

During pregnancy, a woman's sense of smell becomes stronger. Doctors think this is to help them avoid toxins that normally would not harm an adult, but could easily harm a baby. The fact that coffee and smoke are easily detected by pregnant women makes this theory seem true.

Swollen Feet

It is known that a pregnant woman's feet will swell. However, the feet can also grow up to a whole shoe size. This is because the body is loosening tendons and it allows pressure on the feet which may grow and stay bigger after pregnancy.

Glowing Skin

We often say that a pregnant woman glows. This is sometimes attributed to being excited about becoming a mother. However, it is true that a pregnant woman glows. This is because of having extra blood in the body that shows through, especially at the cheeks. The hormones also make oil glands more active making the skin shinier.

Contractions Continue After Birth

A woman knows that contractions are going to happen when she is ready to give birth. She also knows that they will continue to deliver the afterbirth. However, the contractions don't stop then. They can last a few days after the birth. This is because the contractions help the body from losing too much blood.

Source:

Harness, J. (n.d.). 10 Weird Pregnancy Facts No One Tells You About - Oddee.com (facts, pregnancy...). A Blog on Oddities: the odd, bizarre and strange things of our world! | Oddee.com. Retrieved June 6, 2011, from http://www.oddee.com/item_97595.aspx