Ah, pregnancy symptoms. Inevitable (but totally worth it!) side effects of growing your brand new baby! Before you even found yourself holding a positive pregnancy test, you had likely heard them all — morning sickness, fatigue, swollen feet, pure exhaustion. You’ve heard all about them, and you’re ready to face them head on!
But what about the weird symptoms? The ones no one talks about in public, and never wants to tell you about pregnancy! While they may seem a little more taboo to discuss in public, they’re just as much a part of pregnancy, and you may experience none, some, or all of them. We’re here to break down the super-weird, a little embarrassing, and totally normal pregnancy symptoms.
BODY HAIR.
Lots and lots of body hair! We hate to break it to you, but the extra hormones raging through your body can exaggerate the growth of hair in some…um…strange places. A lot of mamas report growing extra facial hair, some women get seriously hairy bellies, and some women struggle to keep their ladyparts tamed. Whatever it is, hang in there, Mama! It will all go back to normal after Baby.
LIGHTNING CROTCH.
No, we’re not joking. And yeah, it feels a little like it sounds. Lightning crotch is a very sudden and sharp pain deep in your vaginal area and can sometimes feel like Baby has sucker punched you…ouch! Try taking a walk or investing in some compression-wear to ease the sensation.
CONSTIPATION.
Remember when we said these symptoms were ones no one ever wanted to talk about in public? This is definitely one of those. But part of the job of your hormones during pregnancy is to relax your muscles and prepare you for labor–and also make it harder to, you know, go. Add fiber, grab a pregnancy-safe constipation relief, and just go when you need to.
LEG CRAMPS.
Charley horses…on steroids. Pregnancy leg cramps are no joke, Mama! They often strike in the evenings during your second and third trimesters, making it even harder to get those zz’s you need. Our best suggestion is to stay active and try to walk each night, and make sure you keep up with those magnesium supplements, Mama!
DISCHARGE.
Feeling a little wet down there? Yep–totally normal. Another great side effect of having excess amounts of estrogen in your body, you’re going to see a lot of extra discharge. Stock up on pantyliners and hit the restroom when you need to. Don’t worry, it will pass!
WETTING YOUR PANTS.
Again, not joking. You might feel like you’re living an age-old nightmare, but beware of laughter, coughing, sneezing, and, well, moving! As you move through pregnancy, Baby is going to get more and more acquainted with your bladder. Like we said, stock up on those liners.
CONSTANTLY…OUT OF….BREATH.
Trying to tell a story, and suddenly feel like you’ve run a marathon? Welcome to pregnancy, Mama! With all the extra weight and work you’re doing carrying a tiny human, your body’s going to feel like it’s doing more heavy lifting than you think! Take pauses to catch your breath–everyone will understand.
Just like the morning sickness and swollen cankles, this too shall pass, Mama! After Baby arrives, your hormonal balances and body will begin to even out and find it’s new normal — and you’ll have that sweet face to remind you of why you endured all of those weird pregnancy symptoms!