Pregnancy might be the most intense and beautiful phase of a woman’s life. It can be a life-changing experience with many complexities and challenges. We have listed down 5 of the many amazing facts about pregnancy for you.
- Your baby can taste food!
Yes, you heard it right! Babies can taste certain foods when they are in the womb. After 13 to 15 weeks, their taste buds develop.
According to a publication on the What To Expect website, babies in the womb can distinguish various tastes. They can taste sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or umami.
At this stage of fetus development, the baby’s growing brain can pass pulses to the mouth. Thus neurons from the brain connect to the developing taste buds.
This is why sometimes a pregnant woman can have weird cravings. It might be suggesting that there is something which is lacking in her diet, like iron or protein-rich food.
Few strong substances like garlic and spices can pass through the amniotic fluid, which surrounds the baby, and hence, the baby can develop a taste for it.
It has also been noted that babies swallow more amniotic fluid when it is sweet. This is due to the high sugar content in the mother’s meal.
Further, when a baby turns 21 weeks old, it can identify different smells and flavors. It is also suggested that the mother should take a healthy and nutritious diet during her pregnancy so that the child can get used to the taste.
- Change in Voice
Pregnancy surely changes a woman’s appearance, preferences, and her whole life. From her eating habits to her physical fitness, a woman goes through several voluntary and involuntary changes during her pregnancy.
But did you know that your voice is likely to change when you’re pregnant? This is obviously, one of the involuntary changes that one might undergo.
A rise in progesterone and estrogen levels during pregnancy can lead to moderate change in the mother’s voice.
Both of these hormones are the reason your body is so majorly affected during pregnancy. These hormonal fluctuations lead to swelling of vocal folds.
However, your voice will go back to normal once the pregnancy is over. Another reason why this happens can be an increase in bodily fluids. These bodily fluids can lead to a deepening of the mother’s voice.
While we are talking about your voice, did you know a baby starts recognizing its mother’s voice during the third trimester!
- A new organ!
During pregnancy, a woman obviously is responsible for growing a whole new human being. But! The story doesn’t end here! Did you know that a woman can also grow a whole new organ during pregnancy?
It’s called a placenta. You must have heard the term in elementary biology. A placenta provides the required oxygen and nutrients to the fetus lying in the uterus during pregnancy.
It is attached to the wall of the uterus and further helps in the development of the umbilical cord.
According to a publication on Mayo Clinic website, a placenta attaches to the wall of the uterus, covering the top, side, front and the back of the uterus.
The placenta, per the article titled “Pregnancy week by week,” also hold a water cavity to protect and cushion the baby against shocks and sudden movements.
The placenta also exits the body after the baby is delivered as there is no further use of it.
If the placenta does not leave the body within 30 minutes of birth, it might cause heavy blood loss.
Ensuring a healthy and balanced diet full of nutrients results in the enrichment of the placenta that ultimately provides nutrition to the baby. The miracle of procreating never ceases to amaze us!
- Size of fetus
It is amazing how a baby grows from being a tiny speck to a fully-grown human being. After you conceive, your fertilized egg, which is known as the zygote, is of the size of a mere poppy seed.
After this, your baby grows internal organs and skin leading him to grow into the size of a tadpole. Slowly, after his brain cells and blood vessels develop, the baby is still the size of a pomegranate seed until week 6.
During week 8, the baby attains the size of a small raspberry. Now, in week 8, the baby transforms into the size of a cherry and develops the digestive tract and its reproductive organs.
By week 11, it grows up to the size of a fig and develops toes, fingernails, eyebrows. After this, the internal organs mature further. By the time you are ready for delivery, it is the size of a whole watermelon.
- Changes in Blood Volume
An adult human being is said to have about 1.2-1.5 gallons of blood in their body which is approximately 10% of their body weight. However, you’d be amazed to know that the volume of blood in a pregnant woman is 50% higher than normal.
Significant changes occur in blood and body fluids of a pregnant mother. And these fluid keep changing with the growing fetus.
According to a PubMed Central publication, during pregnancy, the body produces 20% extra red blood cells. This helps in supplying food, oxygen, and nutrients to the baby and to carry away the waste products.
Fluid in the cell increases by 30% to 40% while the cell plasma increase by up to 60% during the third trimester. But the red blood cell mass increases at a lesser proportion.
Surplus blood is also required in filling the large vessels of the uterus. It has also been noticed that during pregnancy, the blood clots faster. This is a protective mechanism adopted by the female body to prevent heavy blood loss while delivering the placenta.
Doctors recommend an iron-rich diet, regular exercise, and aerobic activities to maintain blood circulation. Walking and swimming can help keep your heart healthy which is essential as it is pumping about 40% extra blood.
In conclusion, we discussed five amazing facts about pregnancy that we want every woman to know. There is a hope that these five facts can help you change your mind set about pregnancy and that you can discuss things with your partner.
What Are Some Weird Pregnancy Facts?
Pregnancy is a beautiful and miraculous journey for many women. From the moment a woman finds out she is expecting, her body undergoes incredible changes to support and nourish the growing life inside her. While many pregnancy facts are well-known, there are also some strange and unusual facts that may surprise you. In this paper, we will explore some weird pregnancy facts that you may not have heard before.
1. Your uterus can expand up to 500 times its original size during pregnancy.
One of the most amazing things about pregnancy is the way a woman’s body adapts to accommodate the growing baby. The uterus, which is normally the size of a small pear, can expand to hold a baby that weighs around 7-9 pounds at birth. This means that by the end of pregnancy, the uterus can be 500 times its original size.
2. A woman’s feet can grow up to a full size during pregnancy.
Many women experience swollen feet during pregnancy, but did you know that your feet can actually grow in size? This is due to the hormone relaxin, which helps to loosen the ligaments in your body to prepare for childbirth. This hormone can also cause your feet to flatten and widen, leading to a permanent increase in shoe size.
3. Some women develop a pregnancy-related condition called Pica, which causes them to crave non-food items.
Pica is a condition that causes women to crave and eat non-food items such as dirt, chalk, or even ice. While the exact cause of Pica is unknown, it is thought to be related to nutrient deficiencies or changes in hormones during pregnancy. While it may seem strange, Pica is a real condition that can be harmful to both the mother and the baby.
4. Morning sickness may be a sign of a healthy pregnancy.
Morning sickness, also known as nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), is a common symptom experienced by many pregnant women. While it can be unpleasant, research has shown that women who experience morning sickness are less likely to miscarry and have a lower risk of preterm birth. This is because the hormones that cause morning sickness also help to support the developing placenta.
5. Your baby’s taste buds develop as early as 13 weeks in the womb.
Many people believe that a baby’s taste preferences are developed after they are born, but research has shown that a baby’s taste buds start to develop as early as 13 weeks in the womb. This means that the food a mother eats during pregnancy can influence her baby’s tastes and preferences after birth.
6. Some women experience a condition called couvade syndrome, where they have pregnancy symptoms like their partner.
Couvade syndrome, also known as sympathetic pregnancy or “male pregnancy,” is a condition where the partner of a pregnant woman experiences pregnancy symptoms such as weight gain, nausea, and back pain. While the exact cause of this condition is unknown, it is thought to be related to the stress and anxiety that many expectant fathers experience during pregnancy.
7. Babies can cry in the womb.
It is a common belief that babies do not cry until they are born, but research has shown that babies can cry in the womb as early as 28 weeks. While these cries are not audible to the outside world, ultrasounds have captured images of babies crying in the womb. This shows that they are developing their vocal cords and are practicing their crying skills before birth.
8. The baby can taste the food a mother eats through the amniotic fluid.
As mentioned earlier, a baby’s taste buds start to develop in the womb. But did you know that they can also taste the food a mother eats through the amniotic fluid? This is because the amniotic fluid is made up of the same substances found in breast milk, so the baby can get a preview of the flavors they will experience after birth.
9. The longest pregnancy on record was 375 days.
The average length of pregnancy is around 40 weeks or 280 days, but some women may go into labor earlier or later. However, the longest pregnancy on record was 375 days, carried by a woman in Los Angeles in 1945. This is an extremely rare occurrence, and most women give birth within a week or two of their due date.
10. Pregnancy can change the size and shape of a woman’s nose.
While it is common for a woman’s feet and hands to swell during pregnancy, some women may also experience changes in the size and shape of their nose. This is due to increased blood flow and hormonal changes, leading to swelling and a wider nose. These changes are usually temporary and will go back to normal after giving birth.
In conclusion, pregnancy is a unique and fascinating experience that brings about many changes in a woman’s body. While most pregnancy facts are well-known, there are also some weird and unusual facts that may surprise you. From the expansion of the uterus to the development of a baby’s taste buds, pregnancy is full of strange and amazing facts that highlight the incredible journey of bringing a new life into the world.
