Totally Weird But Normal Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy is magical, beautiful, a miracle, etc., etc… But, you know what else pregnancy is? It's freaking weird. Certainly there are commonly known pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness and round ligament pain or having to go to the bathroom 18 times every night, but in addition, there are plenty of other lesser known symptoms that are truly bizarre. Here are just a few!

There's a condition knowns as Onycholysis that has been known, in rare cases, to affect pregnant women. Women who develop this condition will notice that their nails will suddenly lift away from the nail bed. Finger or toenails will start falling off at random. Strange, but true.

Having more intense/colorful/strange dreams is a common pregnancy symptom. It's thought that the extreme hormone fluctuations that women experience during pregnancy (the ones that make your emotions go more than a little wild) can affect the quality of dreams as well. Lucky us.

Pregnancy hormones can cause inflammation in nasal passages, causing you to make more mucus, resulting in congestion. This phenomenon is known as Rhinitis of pregnancy and nearly 30% of women experience it during pregnancy. The good news is, it should go away within the first couple of weeks postpartum, but it can definitely make pregnancy uncomfortable. Being congested on top of already not being able to get a good breath due to having a baby in your ribs, isn't the most fun ever.

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Along with the extra snot and mucus during pregnancy, the expansion of the blood vessels in your nose combined with an increased blood supply puts extra pressure on those blood vessels which often results in more bloody noses for pregnant women. Can we just catch a break here?!

During pregnancy there are a ton of breast changes happening. They obviously get larger (nipples too!), but one thing many women don't realize is that the darkening and enlargement of the areolas is part of the process. Basically it's nature's way of turning your breasts into giant, high contrast, bullseyes so your fuzzy-visioned baby can find your nipples to nurse more easily.

Many women know about the changes in the growth of the hair on their heads. The increase in estrogen during pregnancy tends to result in shiny, healthy hair for many mamas-to-be. But, it's not only the hair on a woman's head that undergoes changes. Often women will notice a change in the growth rate of their body hair as well. Some women will begin growing hair like a chia pet and others may end up with the magical pregnancy symptom of having their body hair actually stop growing. With everything else going on during pregnancy, it's nice when you get a symptom or two that actually turns out to be a perk!

Sudden changes in body temperature are an annoying, but totally normal, pregnancy symptom that many women experience. It's like a preview of what the hot flashes of menopause may feel like. Oh joy.

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Many scientific studies have shown that perinatal oral health is incredibly important for both mothers and babies, but sometimes actually taking care of your teeth during pregnancy can be a challenge. Due to the increased blood flow during pregnancy (a pregnancy woman's blood volume DOUBLES!) there's an increase of blood in the gum tissue that causes gums to be more sensitive and often downright painful. Simple brushing and flossing can be excruciating for some women and hot and cold foods can cause sensitivity.

Many women report brown blotches or patches on their face during pregnancy and the condition is known as melasma—better known as "the mask of pregnancy." It's caused by hormone fluctuations and while some find it to be unsightly, it isn't concerning and should go away shortly after delivery.

Sometimes pregnancy comes with a dose of severe itching. Of course, the process of having one's skin stretched is expected to make skin itchy, but there's an even more intense version of typical itching known as PUPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy). It's a common occurrence with a cause that isn't completely known. It typically begins toward the end of pregnancy with an incredibly itchy belly and then spreads to the arms and legs. While terribly uncomfortable, it's harmless and disappears upon delivery.

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This surprisingly common but rarely talked about symptom is known as Dysgeusia. Because pregnancy hormones (estrogen in particular) have a part in controlling our sense of taste, the fluctuating estrogen levels during pregnancy can cause women to get a sour or metallic taste in their mouths—even when they aren't eating. Thankfully this symptom tends to go away for most women once a mama-to-be enters the second trimester.

As if we don't go through enough, pregnant women are also prone to yeast infections. Pregnancy hormone changes can disrupt the pH balance of the vagina and result in a not-so-pleasant surprise down there. Some women exclusively get them during pregnancy and no other time!

Despite the fact that there isn't a definite known reason for it and it is sometimes disputed, there are women who swear up and down that getting hiccups frequently is one of their first symptoms of early pregnancy. Who knew?