Pretty much all of being pregnant is weird. But here's some things we bet the Doctor forgot to mention.
1. During pregnancy, you grow an organ.
Yep, the placenta is an actual organ.
2. The placenta will grow 50 kilometres of blood vessels.
That explains the tiredness.
3. Placenta is Latin for “Cake”.
Why nobody brings this up during antenatal class is beyond me! And for those who choose to consume the placenta, this fact brings a whole new meaning to the term, “You can have your cake and eat it too”.
4. Babies in the womb drink a whole lot of pee.
From the second trimester on, babies pee in the uterus then drink it. Then pee again. Then drink it. In fact, amniotic fluid is pretty much just sterilised pee. And babies drink about 1 litre of it each day. Ewww.
5. In addition to drinking urine, babies also cry in the womb.
But it’s not because they are sad or distressed, they're just practising.
Seriously?!
6. Your uterus will expand to over 500 times its normal size.
Your feet will grow too (it’s the extra blood circulating). And your heart. In fact, a pregnant woman’s heart can grow up to 12 per cent to accommodate the extra blood for bub.
7. Even in the womb, your little one eats first.
Baby takes all the nutrients he needs before the food goes on to you. Again, it must be practising for life outside the womb. Because the moment you sit down to enjoy a meal, your baby will decide he needs to feed first.
8. You CAN get pregnant when you’re already pregnant.
It’s incredibly rare but it has happened. Known as superfetation, double pregnancy occurs when the body carries on releasing more eggs for fertilisation after a pregnancy has already started.
9. You are more likely to break a bone during pregnancy.
You can thank the hormone relaxin for this. It softens the joints so that your hips and pelvis can open up for birth but also makes your bones more prone to breaks.
10. Your unborn baby can actually heal you.
If a mother damages an organ during pregnancy, the baby in the womb sends stem cells to help repair the damage. That's amazing.
11. Your uterus is basically stronger than a body builder.
And it deserves a medal because with every contraction during labour, the force equates to 180 kilograms of pressure per square foot.
12. Nipple stimulation can actually bring on labour.
Rubbing or rolling a woman's nipples when she's full term can stimulate the release of a hormone called oxytocin, which can cause contractions. This method is called "the comfort technique". It's science!
13. Having a baby boy can can make your "whatsitcalled" worse.
Forgetfulness, that's the word.
14. For every 2,000 babies, one is born with a tooth.
So check first lest you get a painful surprise.
15. Your placenta will produce more oestrogen in a day than a non-pregnant woman would produce in three years.
No, you're crying...
16. And this is how a baby's face forms in the womb.
