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10 Weird Things That Happen When You're Pregnant and Why

© 2003 Carole Moore

You're pregnant, it's been a long day and all you want to do is sleep. You crawl into bed and your baby suddenly becomes the life of the party. Why does baby seem to want to play when you need rest? We asked some experts about this as well as other weird and wonderful things that happen during the journey toward motherhood.

Rutgers professor Dr. Cynthia Walker of Spotswood, NJ, says her long-legged baby stretched and kicked whenever she went to bed for the night. Why? The blood supply usually dominated by mom to support activities like walking is no longer needed. That means the baby gets it instead – in the form of increased energy. "This acts as a power surge, waking the baby up," says Dr. Robert Kell, a Jacksonville, NC, Ob/Gyn

Got stretch marks? It's a fact – some get 'em, some don't. Abdominal skin stretching, hormonal changes and other things – like heredity – can all play a part in who gets the ripples and who doesn't.

Baby has the hiccups. Don't worry, hiccups are caused when the diaphragm spasms as part of the development of the neurologic system. And it's all perfectly normal. In fact, Paul Ogburn, Jr., MD, Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, State University of New York in Stony Brook, adds that your baby also yawns and swallows before birth.

Total strangers rub your belly so much you feel like a rabbit's foot.  Carol Lynn of Grosse Pointe Park, MI, says creating life is mysterious in itself. "To want to touch a mystery is a powerful human motivator." Pediatrician and midwife Dr. Cathryn Tobin, Markham, Ontario, author of The Parent's Problem Solver, agrees. "It's magical, and others want to share in the magic of it all."

If she walks like a duck – she's probably pregnant. Waddling seems  inevitable in the last trimester – for good reason. Hormones cause the pelvic bones to separate in preparation for birth. That loping walk also helps moms-to-be maintain their balance since a woman's center of gravity becomes higher as pregnancy progresses. Dr. Ogburn compares it to carrying a heavy television set. "You will see the same waddle in the walk caused by that load as you see in late pregnancy."

Blame the nesting instinct for that last-minute urge to paint the house. Most find themselves preparing the "nest" before baby appears. Animals do it, too, hence the name. Dr. Tobin believes it's nature's way of making sure everything is in order for the new arrival, but cautions expectant moms not to overdo it.

Why do some experience acne while expecting? Dr. Kell says acne's caused by increased amounts of progesterone. Dr. Ogburn adds hormones do different things to different skins – which is why one "glows" while another confronts zits. Pregnancy also changes the way you eat -- so you may be ingesting more foods that encourage break-outs.

And – burp – there's always the gas. Paula Howard, Rogers, AZ, says her baby's extra weight made the gas problem worse. She's right – but moms-to-be also eat more calories and have slower digestive rates, which  allows time to produce more gas. Then, as the baby and uterus enlarge, more pressure is put on the intestines, forcing gas out – but hopefully not when you're standing in the check-out line at the grocery store.

Ever heard of pregnancy causing your feet to grow? Lynn says it happened to her. Prior to two babies she wore a 7 ½ shoe. Now she's in an 8 to 8 ½ - extra wide. Why? All those hormones causing your pelvis to relax do a number on your feet. The increased weight, fluid retention and pressure on your bones also contribute to  permanent increases in shoe size for some women.

Not every mom-to-be sports racing stripes, but others develop a dark line down the center of their abdomens. The "linea nigra" derives from large amounts of hormones produced by the placenta. Those hormones  stimulate the secretion of melanin. Why do some avoid this line? Not all of us have melanocytes – which secrete the melanin – in this location.

Having a baby is an adventure. It's weird, wonderful, exciting, exhausting, magical and mysterious. Over time, your nice, dependable body caters – not to your needs – but to the demands of the little one hitching a ride. Enjoy it and remember the gas, stretch marks and rampaging hormones will all be forgotten the first time your baby smiles at you.

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