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10 Things That Might Surprise You About Being Pregnant (for Parents)

Pregnancy info is everywhere. At your first prenatal visit, your doctor will likely give you armfuls of pamphlets that cover every test and trimester.

Despite all this information, here are 10 common surprises that pregnancy can bring.

1. The Nesting Instinct

Many pregnant women feel the nesting instinct, a powerful urge to prepare their home for the baby by cleaning and decorating.

As your due date draws closer, you may find yourself cleaning cupboards or washing walls — things you never would have imagined doing in your ninth month of pregnancy! This desire to prepare your home can be useful — you'll have fewer to-do items after the birth. But be careful not to overdo it.

2. Problems With Concentration

In the first trimester, tiredness and morning sickness can make many women feel worn out and mentally fuzzy. But even well-rested pregnant women may have trouble concentrating and periods of forgetfulness.

Thinking about the baby plays a role, as do hormonal changes. Everything — including work, bills, and doctor appointments — may seem less important than the baby and the coming birth. Making lists can help you remember dates and appointments.

3. Mood Swings

Premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy are alike in many ways. Your breasts swell and become tender, your hormones go up and down, and you may feel moody. If you have PMS, you're likely to have more severe mood swings during pregnancy. They can make you go from being happy one minute to feeling like crying the next.

Mood swings are very common during pregnancy. They tend to happen more in the first trimester and toward the end of the third trimester.

Many pregnant women have depression during pregnancy. If you have symptoms such as sleep problems, changes in eating habits, and mood swings for longer than 2 weeks, talk to your health care provider.

4. Bra Size

An increase in breast size is one of the first signs of pregnancy. Breast growth in the first trimester is due to higher levels of the hormones

estrogenand progesterone. That growth in the first trimester might not be the end, either — your breasts can continue to grow throughout your pregnancy!

Your bra size also can be affected by your ribcage. When you're pregnant, your lung capacity increases so you can take in extra oxygen, which may lead to a bigger chest size. You may need to replace your bras several times during your pregnancy.

5. Skin Changes

Do your friends say you have that pregnancy glow? It's one of many effects that can come from hormonal changes and your skin stretching.

Pregnant women have increased blood volume to provide extra blood flow to the uterus and other organs, especially the kidneys. The greater volume brings more blood to the vessels and increases oil gland secretion.

Some women develop brownish or yellowish patches called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy," on their faces. And some will notice a dark line on the midline of the lower abdomen, known as the linea nigra (or linea negra). They can also have hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) of the nipples, external genitalia, and anal region. That's because pregnancy hormones cause the body to make more pigment.

This increased pigment might not be even, so the darkened skin may appear as splotches of color. Chloasma can't be prevented, but wearing sunscreen and avoiding UV light can minimize its effects.

Acne is common during pregnancy because the skin's sebaceous glands make more oil. And moles or freckles that you had before pregnancy may get bigger and darker. Most of these skin changes should go away after you give birth.

Many pregnant women also get heat rash, caused by dampness and sweating. In general, pregnancy can be an itchy time for a woman. Skin stretching over the abdomen may cause itchiness and flaking. Your doctor can recommend creams to soothe dry or itchy skin.

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6.

Hair and Nails

Many women have changes in hair texture and growth during pregnancy. Hormones can make your hair grow faster and fall out less. But these hair changes usually aren't permanent. Many women lose some hair in the postpartum period or after they stop breastfeeding.

Some women find that they grow hair in unwanted places, such as on the face or belly or around the nipples. Changes in hair texture can make hair drier or oilier. Some women even find their hair changing color.

Nails, like hair, can change during pregnancy. Extra hormones can make them grow faster and become stronger. Some women, though, find that their nails split and break more easily during pregnancy. Like the changes in hair, nail changes aren't permanent. If your nails split and tear more easily when you're pregnant, keep them trimmed and avoid the chemicals in nail polish and nail polish remover.

7. Shoe Size

Even though you can't fit into any of your pre-pregnancy clothes, you still have your shoes, right? Maybe — but maybe not. Extra fluid in their pregnant bodies mean that many women have swollen feet and need to wear a larger shoe size. Wearing slip-on shoes in a larger size can be more comfortable, especially in the summer months.

8. Joint Mobility

During pregnancy, your body makes the hormone relaxin, which is believed to help prepare the pubic area and the cervix for the birth. Relaxin loosens the ligaments in your body, making you less stable and more at risk for injury. It's easy to overstretch or strain yourself, especially the joints in your pelvis, lower back, and knees. When exercising or lifting objects, go slowly and avoid sudden, jerking movements.

9. Varicose Veins, Hemorrhoids, and Constipation

Varicose veins, usually found in the legs and genital area, happen when blood pools in veins enlarged by pregnancy hormones. Varicose veins often go away after pregnancy. To help prevent them:

avoid standing or sitting for long periods
wear loose-fitting clothing
wear support hose
raise your feet when you sit

Hemorrhoids — varicose veins in the rectum — are common during pregnancy as well. Your blood volume has increased and your uterus puts pressure on your pelvis. So the veins in your rectum may enlarge into grape-like clusters. Hemorrhoids can be very painful, and can bleed, itch, or sting, especially during or after a bowel movement (BM).

Constipation is another common pregnancy woe. It happens because pregnancy hormones slow the passing of food through the gastrointestinal tract. During the later stages of pregnancy, your uterus may push against your large intestine, making it hard for you to have a BM. And constipation can contribute to hemorrhoids because straining to go may enlarge the veins of the rectum.

The best way to deal with constipation and hemorrhoids is to prevent them. Eating a fiber-rich diet, drinking plenty of liquids daily, and exercising regularly can help keep BMs regular. Stool softeners (not laxatives) may also help. If you do have hemorrhoids, talk to your health care provider about a cream or ointment that can shrink them.

10.

Things That Come Out of Your Body During Labor

So you've survived the mood swings and the hemorrhoids, and you think your surprises are over. But the day you give birth will probably hold the biggest surprises of all.

During pregnancy, fluid surrounds your baby in the amniotic sac. This sac breaks (or "ruptures") at the start of or during labor — a moment usually referred to as your water breaking. For most women in labor, contractions start before their water breaks. Sometimes the doctor has to rupture the amniotic sac (if the cervix is already dilated).

How much water can you expect? For a full-term baby, there are about 2 to 3 cups of amniotic fluid. Some women may feel an intense urge to pee that leads to a gush of fluid when their water breaks. Others may only feel a trickling down their leg because the baby's head acts like a stopper to prevent most of the fluid from leaking out.

Amniotic fluid is generally sweet-smelling and pale or colorless. It's replaced by your body every 3 hours, so don't be surprised if you continue to leak fluid, about a cup an hour, until delivery.

Other, unexpected things may come out of your body during labor. Some women have nausea and vomiting. Others have diarrhea before or during labor, and passing gas is also common. During the pushing phase of labor, you may lose control of your bladder or bowels.

A birth plan can help communicate your wishes to your health care providers about how to handle these and other aspects of labor and delivery.

Lots of surprises are in store for you when you're pregnant — but none sweeter than the way you'll feel once your newborn is in your arms!

Sex During Pregnancy (for Parents)

If you’re pregnant, you might find that your interest in sex has decreased or increased. No matter how sexual you feel, there will be changes in your sex life. Open communication will be the key to a satisfying and safe sexual relationship during pregnancy — whether this means talking about how you feel, trying different positions, or finding other ways to be intimate.

Is Sex During Pregnancy Safe?

Sex is considered safe during all stages of a low-risk pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor, nurse-midwife, or other pregnancy health care provider if you're uncertain about whether you are considered low-risk for complications such as miscarriage or pre-term labor.

Can Sex Harm My Baby?

No. Your baby is fully protected by the amniotic sac (a thin-walled bag that holds the fetus and surrounding fluid) and the strong muscles of the uterus. There's also a thick mucus plug that seals the cervix and helps guard against infection. A penis does not have contact with the fetus during sex.

Can Intercourse or Orgasm Cause Miscarriage or Labor?

In cases of normal, low-risk pregnancies, the answer is no. The contractions that you may feel during and just after orgasm are entirely different from the contractions associated with labor. However, you should check with your health care provider to make sure that your pregnancy falls into the low-risk category. And let them know if you have severe or continued cramping after sex.

When Is Sex During Pregnancy Not Safe?

Some sexual behaviors that aren't safe for any pregnant woman:

If you have oral sex, your partner should not blow air into your vagina. Blowing air can cause an air embolism (a blockage of a blood vessel by an air bubble), which, while rare, can be potentially fatal for mother and child.
You should not have unprotected sex with a partner whose sexual history is unknown to you or who may have a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as herpes, genital warts, chlamydia, or HIV. If you become infected, the disease may be passed to your baby, with potentially dangerous results.

If complications with your pregnancy are expected or found by your health care provider, they may advise against sexual intercourse. Talk to your health care provider if you have:

a history or threat of miscarriage
a history of pre-term labor (you've previously delivered a baby before 37 weeks) or signs indicating the risk of pre-term labor (such as premature uterine contractions)
unexplained vaginal bleeding, discharge, or cramping
leakage of amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the baby)
placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta (the blood-rich structure that nourishes the baby) is down so low that it covers the cervix (the opening of the uterus)
incompetent cervix, a condition in which the cervix is weakened and dilates (opens) prematurely, raising the risk for miscarriage or premature delivery
multiple fetuses (twins, triplets, etc. )

Is it Normal for My Sex Drive to Rise or Fall During Pregnancy?

An increased interest in sex or lack of interest are both normal, as is everything in between. Many pregnant women find that things like tiredness, nausea, breast tenderness, and the increased need to pee make sex less enjoyable, especially during the first trimester. Generally, these symptoms ease during the second trimester, and some women find that their desire for sex increases. Also, the freedom from worries about birth control and a renewed closeness with their partner can make sex more fulfilling. Desire generally lowers again during the third trimester as the uterus grows even larger and the reality of what's about to happen sets in.

A partner's desire for sex is likely to increase or decrease as well. Some feel even closer to their pregnant partner and enjoy the changes in their bodies. Others may have decreased desire due to worries about the burdens of parenthood, or because of concerns about the health of both the mother and the unborn child.

Your partner might need time to get used to the idea that you’re both a sexual partner and an expectant mom. Again, good communication can be a great help in dealing with these issues.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call your health care provider if you're unsure whether sex is safe for you. Also, call if you notice any unusual symptoms after sex, such as pain, bleeding, or discharge, or if you have contractions that seem to continue after sex.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD

Date reviewed: April 2022

of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation Article 259. Guarantees for pregnant women and persons with family responsibilities when sent on business trips, engaging in overtime work, night work, weekends and non-working holidays family responsibilities when sent on business trips, overtime work, night work, weekends and non-working holidays

0-FZ)

(see the text in the previous edition)

Guide to personnel matters. Issues of application of Art. 259 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation

- Prohibition or restrictions on the employment of women and persons with family responsibilities

- Checking for a ban on sending an employee on a business trip

- Requesting consent to send certain categories of employees raising children, as well as caring for sick family members

It is prohibited to send pregnant women on business trips, to engage in overtime work, work at night, weekends and non-working holidays.

Sending on business trips, engaging in overtime work, night work, weekends and non-working holidays of women with children under the age of three years are allowed only with their written consent and provided that this is not prohibited to them in accordance with a medical report issued in accordance with the procedure established by federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation. At the same time, women with children under the age of three must be informed in writing of their right to refuse to be sent on a business trip, to engage in overtime work, work at night, weekends and non-working holidays. nine0003

(as amended by Federal Law No. 90-FZ of 30.06.2006)

(see the text in the previous edition)

ConsultantPlus: note.

Part 3 Art. 259 (as amended by the Federal Law of October 7, 2022 N 376-FZ) applies to legal relations that arose from September 21, 2022.

Guarantees provided for by part two of this article are also provided to employees with disabled children, employees caring for sick members of their families in accordance with a medical certificate issued in accordance with the procedure established by federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, mothers and fathers raising children under the age of fourteen without a spouse, guardians of children of the specified age, a parent with a child under the age of fourteen, if the other parent works on a rotational basis, is called up for military service by mobilization or is undergoing military service under a contract concluded in accordance with paragraph 7 of Article 38 of the Federal Law of March 28, 1998 N 53-FZ "On military duty and military service", or entered into a contract on voluntary assistance in the performance of tasks assigned to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as employees with three or more children under the age of eighteen, in the period up to achievement by the youngest of the children at the age of fourteen.

(as amended by Federal Laws No. 372-FZ of November 19, 2021, No. 376-FZ of October 7, 2022)

(see the text in the previous edition)

Recommendations for vaccination of pregnant women against influenza

Pregnant women and women after childbirth have a high risk of developing a severe form of influenza with the subsequent development of complications, which is associated with factors such as:

General immunosuppression due to the products and metabolism of certain hormones: chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, alpha-fetoprotein, placental proteins Syncytin-1 and Syncytin-2 and other factors. Immunosuppression is directed mainly at T-cell immunity and NK cells. nine0003
High oxygen demand of the mother and fetus. Oxygen uptake progressively increases in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The growing fetus puts pressure on the diaphragm, which makes breathing difficult, especially during exercise and movement. Any decrease in lung function greatly affects the general condition of pregnant women.
High sensitivity to hypoxia. In the case of hypoxia, a high level of production of destructive reactive oxygen species is observed. Free oxygen radicals reduce the ability of the lungs and placenta to transport oxygen, and with the development of influenza, they cause a generalized pro-inflammatory reaction. nine0003

The 1957 influenza A/h3N2/pandemic revealed that 50% of women of childbearing age who died were pregnant, accounting for up to 10% of all influenza deaths. During the 2009 pandemic, maternal mortality in the Russian Federation from influenza and its complications was 83 cases (15.8% of the total).

The need for pregnant women with influenza for medical care in the intensive care unit is 10 times higher than for patients diagnosed with influenza from other categories of the population. After analyzing the most critical period of pregnancy for a woman, experts concluded that the majority of deaths occur in the third trimester of gestation. nine0003

The 2009 influenza A/h2N1/v pandemic allowed the WHO Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to place pregnant women in the highest priority group for influenza immunization.

Vaccination of pregnant women against influenza with subunit and split vaccines has been planned for more than 20 years in a number of European and American countries, while its immunological efficiency reaches 70-85%.

Special studies conducted in the USA, which involved more than 2,000 women, have shown that immunization of pregnant women with modern inactivated vaccines does not affect the normal development of the fetus and does not cause undesirable post-vaccination effects. There is evidence that among infants born to mothers vaccinated against influenza during pregnancy, it reduces the incidence of influenza in children in the first 6 months of life by 50-63% due to the passive transfer of antibodies against influenza from mother to fetus. nine0003

The studies conducted in recent years by domestic scientists substantiate and expand the indications for vaccination of pregnant women with modern polymer-subunit preparations. It has been proven that pregnancy is not a factor limiting the formation of full-fledged post-vaccination immunity.

It has been shown that vaccination of women in the second trimester of pregnancy with immunoadjuvant drugs in terms of immunogenicity and the duration of post-vaccination seroprotection in women themselves and their infants is preferable to vaccination in the third trimester of gestation. At the same time, non-adjuvanted subunit influenza vaccine forms a more pronounced humoral immunity to influenza when administered at late gestation. nine0003

Thus, influenza vaccination is strongly recommended for pregnant women and women planning pregnancy in the current epidemic season with inactivated influenza vaccines. Vaccination of pregnant women can be carried out at all stages of pregnancy. The best results are achieved in early pregnancy and in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

The decision to vaccinate pregnant and breastfeeding women should be made by the doctor individually, taking into account the particular health of the pregnant woman. nine0003

Vaccination is recommended during the second (preferably with immunoadjuvanted vaccines) and third (vaccines without adjuvants) trimester of pregnancy.

For vaccination, only inactivated vaccines that do not contain preservatives and are allowed in Russia should be used.

Live influenza vaccine is not indicated for vaccination in pregnant women.

According to the WHO and the Atlanta Center for Disease Control (CDC, Atlanta, US): nine0003