Pregnancy is an amazing thing and the many changes that occur in a pregnant woman's body that may be surprising and unusual. The bodies of mothers will adjust to the presence of a new human in their stomachs. His organs have to shift to make room for the baby. Not only that, there are also other subtle changes that are not visible at first glance.
Many interesting facts about pregnant women. Here are 14 surprising facts about pregnancy that may not be widely known.
1. Enlarged heart
The fact about the first pregnancy is that the pregnant woman's heart is enlarged. This is because pregnant women's blood volume increases by up to 50% and their hearts beat faster and stronger. The heart enlarges to feed the growing baby. The heart will pump more blood every minute and the heart rate will increase.
2. Legs grow
Many pregnant women also report that their legs get bigger when they are pregnant. In addition, when entering the fifth month of pregnancy, the ankles and feet can also swell, especially when the weather is hot and when you stand up a lot. The reason is due to the increased volume of blood and fluids in the body.
3. Husbands can also experience pregnancy symptoms
The unique thing about pregnancy is that when the wife is pregnant, husbands can also experience pregnancy symptoms. This strange phenomenon known as 'Couvade Syndrome' or 'Sympathetic Pregnancy' causes some men to experience nausea, weight gain, and swelling at the same time their wives are pregnant.
4. About 2% of all pregnancies result in twins
Identical twins occur when one egg is fertilized by one sperm, then divides into two separate zygotes, the cells that become babies. Meanwhile, non-identical twins are conceived when two separate eggs are released and fertilized by two separate sperm. Non-identical twins can be hereditary, but identical twins seem completely random.
5. Baby can be seen during 20th week ultrasound
When performing an ultrasound at the 20th week of pregnancy, the fetus will already be visible. His body and limbs will grow more slowly from this stage onwards. He is also covered by a layer of fat called Vemix Caseosa, which will protect the baby's skin from the amniotic fluid.
6. Fetal brain develops at 24 weeks
At week 24, the fetal brain is developing rapidly. He can tell the difference between his mother's and father's voices. Research shows that if parents play music repeatedly while the baby is in the womb, he will remember it until after he is born.
7. Baby crying in the womb
If many people think babies cry when they are born, actually long before they are born, babies are already crying. At 28 weeks pregnant, the baby starts to cry quietly in the womb. Scientists believe that this is a form of communication practice before the baby is born and not a reaction to feelings.
8. Pregnant women can have cravings for non-food items
What many people already know is that during pregnancy, pregnant women usually crave to eat a food, usually sour food, such as young mangoes. However, it turns out that 30% of pregnant women have cravings to eat something that is not food, such as paper, cloth, soap, hair, wool, rope, soil, powder, chalk, paint, metal, rubber, charcoal, gravel, ash, starch, clay. , or ice. This is an eating disorder or eating disorder called 'Pica.'
9. Pregnant women's voices can change during pregnancy
With all the hormones flowing around a pregnant woman's body, it's no surprise that some changes occur. Another change is the sound. An increase in estrogen and progesterone can cause swelling of the vocal cords, which means that lower notes will appear while some of the higher notes disappear.
10. Some pregnant women have diabetes
Pregnant women can also experience gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that appears during pregnancy and will disappear after giving birth. This is caused by the blood sugar of pregnant women is too high, and the pancreas can not meet the supply of insulin is sufficient.
11. Pregnant women's joints loosen during pregnancy
A pregnant woman's body produces a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy. This hormone softens the ligaments, the tissue that connects the joints. This is to help make the pelvis more flexible during delivery.
12. The sense of smell can change
In the first trimester of pregnancy, pregnant women usually experience an increased sense of smell, which can be a sign that a woman is pregnant. This possibility is a way that can help pregnant women to avoid unsafe foods.
13. Parts of a pregnant woman's body can change color
During pregnancy, the body of pregnant women will experience changes so that stretch marks will appear on their bodies. Usually the color can be paler than normal skin. In addition, pregnant women can also get melasma so that black spots appear on the face. The linea nigrea or lines on the abdomen also become darker.
Another part that changes color is the vagina. Some pregnant women report that their vagina turns purple or bluish in color. This is known as the Chadwick Sign. About 10% of pregnant women also experience blue varicose veins, but they will disappear a few weeks after delivery.
14. Estrogen
During pregnancy, pregnant women produce more estrogen in a day than women who do not get pregnant in a year. The body of pregnant women will also grow an extra organ, namely the placenta which produces hormones. At 37 weeks, a pregnant woman will produce more estrogen in a day than a woman who has not been pregnant in three years.
It turns out that there is a lot of interesting information about pregnancy that most people may not know. What is also unique is the fact that pregnant women can have cravings for non-food items.