For many soon-to-be parents, pregnancy is an exciting period of exploration as they discover the range of changes a pregnant woman’s body can go through. While it’s true that expectant mothers have a lovely glow and an appealing bulge, what about the possibility that they develop a “pregnancy beard,” sneeze or laugh and end up with blue privates? Sure, being pregnant can be magical, but sometimes it can also be really strange. Scroll down to learn more.

The Belly Isn’t the Only Thing That Grows

Most of us are aware that pregnant women frequently experience swollen feet, but did you also know that occasionally, even after the baby is born, their feet actually increase in size? A 2013 study from the University of Iowa looked at the matter. They measured the feet of 49 expectant mothers both at the start of their pregnancies and again five months after the babies were delivered.

They discovered that the feet of 60 to 70 percent of those ladies did, in fact, get wider and longer. Maybe from the extra weight and the greater joint elasticity associated with pregnancy, the arches of their feet had become flatter.

Hope You Never Get to Experience ‘Lightning Crotch’

Though we kind of love the term, this next strange occurrence that can happen to pregnant women is absolutely not fun: “lighting crotch.” The term “lightning crotch” refers to the term used informally to describe an intense pain that some pregnant women experience in their nether regions. The discomfort is frequently compared to an electric shock or a zap from the inside.

It seems to happen more frequently near the end of the pregnancy, but the feeling and frequency varies from woman to woman (some don’t even experience it at all).

You Might Not “Eat for Two,” but You Produce Blood for Two

If you’re not comfortable with blood, check out this equally awesome and terrifying thing. The blood volume in a woman’s body increases dramatically from the first few weeks of her pregnancy and continues to do so until the last month of her term. In addition to helping the baby grow and develop to its full potential, all that additional blood is meant to shield the mother against some delivery-related hazards, such as hemorrhages.

Although this varies from woman to woman, it’s estimated that a pregnant woman may have a total blood volume increase of up to 50%. Isn’t that incredible?

‘Pregnancy Brain’ Is Real – Don’t Disagree Unless You’ve Made a Baby From Scratch

Pregnant women sometimes complain of “mental fog,” which causes them to become distracted and forgetful. This condition, sometimes mockingly called “pregnancy brain” or “momnesia,” affects them when they try to concentrate on tasks or recall specifics. The existence of a “pregnancy brain” is a topic of debate in science, however, research has revealed that memory impairments are possible even when pregnancy does not change a brain’s ability.

It is only logical. Memory lapses indeed occur when a person is busy, worried, or sleep-deprived, and pregnant women frequently fit all of those descriptions.

Pickles and grape jelly are some of the strange pairings you might want to try

Pickles are one of the most well-known pregnancy cravings, so we weren’t shocked when this woman told us how her journey began with a large container of cucumbers marinated in brine. But we were so unprepared for what was about to happen. The mother said that she was watching several kids when she became pregnant with her first daughter and one of the youngsters requested a snack. She was making the kosher dill pickles for them when she suddenly had yearning for them because they enjoyed them so much, cut into two halves vertically.

She cut a slit down the middle of her pickle half, creating a “pickle boat,” and put grape jelly inside! Though, looking back, she admits, “it sounds disgusting,” she found the contrast of sweet, crunchy, tangy, and vinegary to be “spectacular” at the moment.

You Develop a Superhero-Like Heightened Sense of Smell

This may sound like a superpower, but it turns out that a lot of pregnant women get olfactory sensitivity, which gives them a keener sense of smell and allows them to detect scents that non-pregnant people miss. While it may sound cool, pregnant women will argue that this typically occurs in the first trimester and that, in fact, their newly acquired “superpower” might exacerbate morning sickness by altering the gag reflex.

Pregnant women may experience this seemingly random event, but evolutionary theory suggests that it is a mechanism designed to protect expectant mothers from harmful substances.

You Can Get Varicose Veins – Gasp! – Down There

Pregnant women appear to be particularly susceptible to varicose veins, which are twisted, swollen veins that almost exclusively occur on the legs and feet. Yes, you heard us correctly. Pregnant women are considered to have a 10% chance of developing those blue, purplish, lumpy, swollen-looking veins on their private areas; occasionally, they also get these veins on the upper inner part of their thighs.

The good news is that women can take steps to reduce the symptoms, like staying active, avoiding prolonged periods of inactivity, and switching positions while lying down or sitting.

Your Hair Gets Fuller and Thicker – But Sadly Not Just on Your Head

The good news for some women is that pregnancy hormones cause their hair to grow faster and thicker. The bad news is that this effect extends beyond the head to include the entire body’s hair. Have you ever heard of a small term known as “pregnancy beard”? Pregnant women frequently develop hair on their faces, chests, backs, and bellies—areas where they typically have none.

After giving birth, all the additional hair usually falls out on its own after six months, including the hair on the head (no!) and the body (yes!).

Nosebleeds Out of the Blue Are a Common Occurrence

Another thing pregnant women should be prepared for is nosebleeds, which are reportedly extremely prevalent during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. Is there anything about a pregnant woman’s body that doesn’t change as a result of pregnancy hormones? But we think this one makes sense. Remember that the body produces more blood and increases circulation during pregnancy and that this expansion of the circulatory system makes it more likely for the tiny blood vessels inside the nose to break.

In actuality, one in five pregnant women, or almost 20% of them, get nosebleeds! Although it might be unpleasant and messy, nosebleeds are usually not cause for concern.

Forget Kicking – Some Women Can Feel Their Baby Hiccuping in the Womb

Here’s another strange pregnancy side effect that we were unaware of: fetal hiccups. It turns out that hiccups can occur in newborns when they are still in the womb (we had no idea!), and sometimes the mother experiences them. It’s unbelievable that until today we had never heard of this! This perfectly captures the cute and strange aspects of pregnancy, which is probably a decent way to summarize a lot of what goes on.

While some babies get the hiccups multiple times a day, others might not experience them at all. Hiccups or not, these are typically seen as just another typical aspect of pregnancy.

Your Private Parts Can Become Blue or Purple

There are some really cute pregnancy facts, and some not so cute. This one is simply bizarre. It turns out that a woman’s intimate areas can change color to a bluish, purplish-red hue six to eight weeks after conception, which is an early indicator of pregnancy. It’s known as Chadwick’s sign, and it results from increased blood flow to the lower extremities.

Unless they are specifically looking for it, most people probably don’t even notice this shift, but in any event, the bluish color usually disappears throughout pregnancy or shortly after birth.

When You Suddenly Crave Palmolive Dish Soap

You didn’t think we would write a whole post about pregnancy-related issues without even mentioning the strange desires, did you? We could probably make an entire list simply on the stories of pregnant women suddenly feeling compelled to eat strange things—there are so many of them out there. For example, a woman who came forward online claimed that she had a strong desire to put some Palmolive dish soap on her cheeseburger one day.

You Could Get Freckles, or even a ‘Pregnancy Mask’

Pregnant women may have a variety of changes in their skin, with hyperpigmentation being one of the most prevalent conditions, due to changes in hormones and blood flow. Higher hormone levels during pregnancy can stimulate melanin cells, which is why many women report that their freckles get more noticeable or that they get melasma, which is a term for brown or tan patches on the skin that are commonly referred to as a “mask of pregnancy” because they are so common in pregnant women.

The term “black line,” or “linea nigra” in Latin, refers to the dark line that many women develop, which extends vertically from the belly button downward. The good news is that when the baby is born, the hyperpigmentation usually disappears or at least lessens.

Really, all pregnant women have is constant sweat.

It turns out that the “pregnancy glow,” which many of us have heard about, is actually a real physical phenomenon and not just a case of “I’m glowing out of sheer happiness since I’m so excited about the thought of becoming a mom.” Pregnancy glow may result from women’s faces seeming more flushed and brighter due to the enhanced blood circulation that occurs during pregnancy. They look amazing, but occasionally it causes them to perspire a lot.

It’s very easy to go from “glowy” and “dewy” to just plain sweaty due to the body’s increased blood flow and metabolism. In actuality, one of the most typical signs of pregnancy is heavy perspiration.

You Might End Up With Swollen, Sore, and Bloody Gums

Even in theory, some of the things that can happen to women during pregnancy are cool; we’re talking about things like glowy skin and heightened sense of smell. However, there are some things that are completely unpleasant, like pregnant gingivitis. Pregnancy hormones appear to increase the gums’ sensitivity to plaque and raise the gum tissue’s susceptibility to bleeding.

It’s not exactly good news, but the majority of cases of pregnant gingivitis occur between months two and eight of pregnancy—that’s virtually the whole time. The bottom line is that women who are expecting need to take additional care of their teeth.

It Could Seem as Though Onions Are the Most Delicious Thing Ever

Pregnant women may experience extremely strange desires for items that aren’t really edible, but it can also be equally strange for them to crave meals they used to detest. One woman who went public on the internet claimed that after detesting onions her entire life, she suddenly started to crave them. When she told a friend about this, the buddy joked, “Haha, maybe you’re pregnant,” so you can probably picture where this is heading.

She took a test, then another, and as it turns out, the friend was right. The tests kept showing her pink plus signs, and she was indeed pregnant.

Goodbye, Bladder Control! Hello, Leaking Accidents When Sneezing or Laughing

Another “fun” (not!) thing that pregnant women might expect is pregnancy incontinence. Because the baby is developing in the uterus above the bladder, as the baby grows and the uterus expands, more pressure is put on the bladder. Therefore, after a certain amount of time, any extra pressure from physical activities like coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising is enough to cause a leak. Even if this is common, it might still be disconcerting.

It doesn’t help that pregnant women are recommended to drink even more water than non-pregnant persons. Panty liners are a godsend!

That Extra Blood Flow Is Good for Bedroom Activities

Everything changes—we really mean it—when you consider that a pregnant woman’s blood volume might increase by a stunning 50%. It seems that pregnant women frequently experience a full and heavy feeling in their intimate areas, which is due to the increased blood flow in that specific place. Even though the change may not always be apparent, many women claim to be able to sense it.

The benefit is that some women end up with a larger “O” since the increased blood supply might heighten their sense of smell, which may seem strange.

Some Women Actually Start Craving Sand

While reading about the strange desires pregnant people had, we couldn’t help but wonder how often pregnant ladies had actually tried the “forbidden foods” they had suddenly come to find appetizing. Though it definitely happens, the woman in this account specifically chose not to indulge her strange need. Anyhow. One woman claimed that she had wanted to consume beach-fresh sand during her pregnancy.

Her doctor’s sole recommendation when she brought this up was to “don’t do it,” which is understandable. It doesn’t seem good at all that the woman said she wanted to grind salt between her teeth, but then, not many bizarre pregnancy desire stories sound good either.

Go Full Transformers as Your Body Rearranges Itself for Labor

The human body is incredible, but we have to admit that the female body is even more incredible in light of everything that has been discovered about the experiences that expectant mothers have. The body releases a hormone called relaxin in anticipation of the baby’s birth. This hormone, among other things, causes the uterine muscle to relax and the public bone to separate, opening up the pelvis and essentially reconfiguring the body for labor.

But here’s the deal. Due to the hormone’s potential to impact other joints in the body, a lot of pregnant women experience joint pain. They also have back pain, which is not made any easier by the large burden in their abdomen.

When You Suddenly Find Yourself Sounding Different

A woman’s voice might be impacted by pregnancy hormones! How come? It seems that the rise in estrogen and progesterone can cause the vocal cords of a pregnant woman to expand. Then, they could be able to reach lower notes, but they might also lose the ability to reach higher notes. Actress Kristen Bell disclosed that her voice became noticeably deeper during her pregnancy, to the point where she had to redo a few scenes from the animated film Frozen.