7 Spooky Things Nobody Tells You About Pregnancy

Spooky season is upon us! As Halloween approaches, we thought we’d take a moment to revel in the “spooky” side of pregnancy and some of the horrors your body may face during pregnancy and beyond. 

Prepare to be spooked! Here are seven frightening things no one tells you about pregnancy....

1. Peeing your pants is a new norm.
   If you sneeze, laugh, jog - or really do any activity with force - you may notice your bladder slipping out of control. It’s totally normal, and yet can be freaky to get used to.

1. Bloating, gas, and burps galore.
   Consider it your body’s way of saying “Boo!” In the months leading up to labor, you might experience more excess bloating, gas, and burping than normal.
   

2. You might poop during labor.
   Seriously...and your doctor may not tell you if you have. If you’ve taken an epidural, you may not be able to even feel yourself doing it. And with all of the pressure being placed on your pelvis during labor, it’s a totally normal phenomenon.
   

3. Prepare to tear…
   Beware of vaginal tearing! During a vaginal birth, it’s common for vaginar tears to occur. Following labor, your doctor will insert stitches if you’ve experienced tearing, which will take a few weeks to fully heal.
   

4. Your breasts may leak before and after birth.
   As your body prepares to produce breast milk, you may notice drops of thick, creamy fluid called colostrum inside of your bra or shirt. Don’t fret! This will taper off as your body begins to regulate its supply of milk.
   

5. And you may lose some hair…
   Postpartum hair loss is REAL. When you brush your hair post-birth, you may be startled to see chunks of hair coming out in your brush. As spooky as this can seem, please know that it’s totally normal for new moms to experience hair loss in the first few months following birth. And the hair will almost always grow back!
   

6. You might need bigger shoes. 
   As strange as it may sound, many expecting mothers experience foot growth (sometimes an entire shoe size bigger) due to a mixture of foot ligaments spreading out, fluids being retained in the feet, and added baby weight. This can sometimes be permanent, so you may need to consider upping your shoe size!

As frightening as these aspects of pregnancy and postpartum can seem in the moment, the magic that follows in the moments with your baby make it all worthwhile.

Are you an expecting mother nearing your third trimester? Read our recent blog post to learn about 10 things you can expect in your final trimester of pregnancy.

Wishing you and yours a happy and safe Halloween from the Cincinnati Birth Center team!