Everyone knows the typical pregnancy symptoms: cravings, morning sickness, fatigue and (eventually) not being able to bend down and tie your shoes. But pregnancy comes with some lesser known, surprising symptoms too. There may be things happening to you that you couldn’t have possibly imagined before you got pregnant.
If you’re encountering some strange pregnancy symptoms, don’t panic. There's nothing wrong with you, and you’re definitely not alone. We scoured the What To Expect community groups and found some honest moms-to-be who shared the seriously odd pregnancy symptoms they’ve experienced. See if any of these sound familiar!
Your tongue may look like a world map
“Geographic tongue” is a condition where your tongue becomes inflamed and you develop little smooth red “islands” on the surface.
“It is not as gross or weird as the Google pictures; it just looks like I burnt my tongue,” WTE user Walkly910 shared. The condition is not dangerous but it can be painful. “It hurts like a burn [...] it’s a stinging pain. I feel like I can’t eat anything because it feels like I have 10 inflamed taste buds,” she added.
You may have bad breath
One lesser-known but common cause of bad breath are tonsil stones, small bacteria-covered balls that grow on the surface of the tonsils.
“I'm getting a massive amount of tonsil stones. I've had maybe one or two in my entire life, and in the last three weeks I've pulled out seven from one tonsil and one from the other,” user GGGGG wrote. “It's disgusting! I can smell my nasty breath all the time.”
You're also more prone to developing gum disease and cavities while pregnant, so it's important to keep up with your oral hygiene – even if the smell or taste of your toothpaste makes you queasy.
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You may have dandruff
Pregnancy causes so many changes in hormones (understatement of the year!), which can affect body parts beyond your breasts and belly.
One such spot? Your scalp. Pregnancy can cause you to suddenly experience oilier or drier hair than you’re used to, as WTE user Surfermom2be discovered. “My dry scalp is so gross! My eyebrows even have flaky skin!” she wrote.
Your breakouts may take you back to your teenage years
Ah, hormones. “I'm 12 weeks and my latest pregnancy symptom is acne! I have been getting large zits all over my hairline, neck and upper back. It’s painful and gross,” shared WTE mom Jamalame42.
Acne[1] can be a double whammy, as many of the products commonly used to treat it are off-limits for pregnant women. There is help, though. Here’s a guide to what causes pregnancy acne and a roundup of the best products to treat it.
All you want in life is to finally poop
Constipation is a common pregnancy symptom.[2] As if having to pee every five minutes isn’t bad enough, now bathroom trips become even more fraught as hormones slow down your bowel movements, leaving you bloated and uncomfortable.
“Ugh! I’m 10 weeks pregnant and I've been having a terrible time with constipation! It seriously goes like up to four or five days without going number two,” user Jazziejezz shared. “I've been eating as much fiber as I can force myself to and trying to get some daily walking into my routine, but seriously nothing is helping.”
You notice an unpleasant new body odor
Pregnancy both increases your sweat production and heightens your sense of smell — a combo that can leave you constantly worried about how you smell.
“So for the past couple weeks, no matter how many showers I take or how much deodorant I wear, my armpits keep getting this really bad odor,” mom Lovingtriplek wrote. “I shaved my pits, exfoliated really well, and kept applying deodorant, but the smell came back within hours. I have never had a problem with body odor before.”
Choking on your own saliva isn’t just a freak occurrence
File this under strange-but-true: Pregnancy increases your saliva production. It seems to be linked with morning sickness, and in some women it can build up in the mouth, causing random spitting and other issues.
WTE user Supermommas wrote that she definitely has more saliva than normal, which has led to some strange moments. “I’ve certainly choked on it and gotten a good laugh about it. It is such an odd symptom,” she said.
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