Things You May Not Know About Pregnancy

You think you know it all. You've read all the books, you had a front row seat at the antenatal classes and you've probably done it three or four times but surprisingly there is so much more to growing a baby than meets the eye. 

• Ever wondered why pregnant women waddle towards the third trimester? It's because your hips actually get looser in preparation for labour. Oh, and your vagina will grow. Your body will be producing more blood to nourish baby through your uterus. Unfortunately, your lady bits will bear the brunt of the increased blood flow and in some cases, it can make you feel uncomfortable and swell. 
• You will sweat a lot and it's completely normal. You can blame this lovely pregnancy trait on hormones and it is most common in the first and third trimester so let's hope you are having a winter baby, hey? Thankfully there are many ways to help with sweating in pregnancy including keeping hydrated, staying out of the sun, by wearing loose light coloured clothing and by avoiding working out in the heat.
• Amniotic fluid is in fact urine. Sounds gross, doesn't it? But it's true. Your baby is technically swimming around in their own urine. In early pregnancy, amniotic fluid is water from your body however from around twenty weeks your baby's urine makes up most of the fluid.
• You will drool. Like heaps of drool and all those hormones swooshing around are the main cause of producing more saliva than normal when you’re pregnant. 
• Pregnant women always need to pee, it's a known fact. In early pregnancy, you can produce up to 25% more urine but as your pregnancy progresses needing to use the toilet more is caused by pressure on a woman's bladder from her growing uterus.
• You may feel like Rapunzel thanks to the higher levels of estrogen during pregnancy. You may notice hair on your face, belly or anywhere really. Although unfortunately for some women these hair changes usually don't last once you've delivered your baby. It is quite common to lose your luscious hair postpartum or when you stop breastfeeding. 
• As you grow your little human there is a mucus plug lodged in the cervix to block the cervical canal. The mucus plug protects your uterus from any unwanted bacteria and some women lose it as the cervix begins to ripen before they go into labour. 
• A dark line called the Linea Nigra may appear on your belly and it is the result of fluctuating hormones. It is believed the increase of melanin produced is responsible for the extra skin pigmentation. 
• As your belly grows and stretches you may get a mild itch which is completely normal. As your tummy stretches to make room for your growing baby your skin will become moisture-deprived. Moisturize with a light fragrance-free lotion or potion preferably with Vitamin E. If you experience any excessive itching inform your GP or midwife.