7 Strange Pregnancy Symptoms You

May Not Be Expecting

Everyone knows about nausea, heartburn, swelling, cravings, skin pigmentation and itching in pregnancy. Here are seven strange symptoms you might really wonder about!

1. Acne

Acne is partly related to all the hormonal changes your body undergoes when pregnant, but this isn’t the only factor involved. Often, your diet influences your skin too, and just like your other organs, your skin works extra hard during pregnancy to help keep you healthy. Fortunately, acne tends to settle down around the second semester.

Tips:

Nurture yourself and get some downtime, especially if you’re super-efficient.
Cut down on red meat and fermented foods, like pickles.
Drink eight glasses of water a day, and avoid caffeinated drinks.
Go for a brisk, 20-minute walk every day. This will improve your circulation, which in turn, will improve your body’s cleansing process.
Cleanse the acne with a weak solution of organic rooibos tea.
Take the tissue salts Ferrum phos and Calc sulph – one tablet of each, three times a day.

2. Low blood pressure

In pregnancy, your blood volume increases by up to 40–50%. Your heart must get this extra blood around your body, often leading to low blood pressure, and a feeling of dizziness. Low blood pressure is often accompanied by anaemia too.

Tips:

Sudden movements, like getting out of bed quickly, can trigger the dizziness.
There is medication to help, but it can only be taken after 12 weeks pregnancy.
Your doctor may prescribe extra iron supplements, or you can take the tissue salts Calc phos and Ferrum phos if anaemia is the problem.

3. Leaking breasts

Colostrum is the precursor to your breast milk, and is made in your mammary glands as early as eight weeks into your pregnancy. Sometimes, this sticky, yellow-white substance trickles out during pregnancy. This is not an indication of how much breast milk you’ll make after pregnancy, and the colostrum won’t ‘run out’.

Tips:

Leave the colostrum to dry, or even spread it around your areola, as it’s good for the skin of your nipples.
Don’t scratch off the dried colostrum crusts; wash your breasts with warm water instead.
Use breast pads to prevent embarrassment.

4. Losing teeth and bleeding gums

It’s important to visit the dentist throughout your pregnancy, as gums and teeth are more prone to problems. See your dentist early on (make sure he knows you’re pregnant), as he’ll be able to stop any problems from developing. Bleeding gums may be caused by the extra blood in your system, and the softening effect of progesterone, one of the pregnancy hormones.

Tips:

Get a good calcium supply from nuts, seeds, green, leafy vegetables, and a variety of fruits. You may need to take a calcium supplement.

Brush your teeth regularly with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
The homeopathic remedy, ImmunoCare, can be very helpful for any gum sores, blisters, boils or other infections in the mouth. The tissue salts Calc flour and Ferrum phos will strengthen gum tissue.

5. A blocked nose

This may well be caused by the extra blood and tissue fluid rather than a cold, and by the hormone progesterone, which softens the membrane linings.

Tips:

Take the homeopathic remedy MucoCare to help with sinus problems.
If you’re prone to allergies, eat fewer dairy and grain products.
If it’s really bad, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about a safe anti-histamine spray, although use this sparingly.
If nothing helps, you may have to grin and bear it until birth, after which, it will magically disappear.

6. Nosebleeds

The extra fluid in your body during pregnancy can cause small nasal blood vessels to ‘pop’, but this is mostly not serious.

Tips:

If it persists, see your doctor, who may be able to cauterise a tiny vessel, fixing the problem.
Have your blood pressure checked, as it may be high.

7. Lots of saliva

You guessed it – the increased fluids in pregnancy probably cause the extra saliva, but at least it’s safe. You may also feel hungrier more often, which also stimulates saliva production.

Tips: