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15 Surprising Facts About Pregnancy


A woman goes through a lot of external and internal changes during pregnancy. Most of these internal changes are unknown to the mother. Here are some facts about pregnancy you may not have known. Be ready to get wowed to the max.
1. Some women suffer from a chromosomal disorder called Turner syndrome. They have just one X chromosome instead of two, so cannot reproduce without fertility treatment. Turner syndrome affects about 1 in every 2500 girls.

2. Babies can cry in the womb. Research has shown that fetuses can express their displeasure by crying silently while still in the womb. This can happen as early as in the 28th week of pregnancy. According to scientists, this is a form of communication practice for life after birth, and not a reaction to feelings.

2. A pregnant woman's partner can involuntarily experience some pregnancy symptoms as well, a condition called Couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy. These symptoms include: morning sickness, minor weight gain, cravings, altered hormone levels and disturbed sleep patterns.

3. The most amount of babies born at once is eight - six boys and two girls (octuplets), with one dying and seven surviving. The McCaughey septuplets were born in 1997.

4. A fetus' taste buds are developed by the time you are 15 weeks pregnant. The baby can then taste foods that have strong flavors, such as spicy food, in amniotic fluid.
5. A woman's blood type (group) can influence her chances of conceiving. Research has shown that women with the 0 blood type may find it harder to conceive, as they are at double the risk of diminished ovarian reserve than women of other blood types. Those with the blood A type seem to be more fertile than those with other blood types.
 

6. Around week 25 or 26 of pregnancy, a baby can hear its mother's voice. In the third trimester of pregnancy, a baby can recognize and respond to its mother's voice. They become more alert when their mum is talking, responding with an increased heart rate.

7. A woman's heart works harder during pregnancy to better pump the extra blood volume (a 30 to 50% increase) a pregnant woman has, around her body. This leads to an increased heart rate during pregnancy. The increase in blood volume is required for the supply of sufficient oxygenated blood to the fetus.

8. Babies can be born with teeth. Studies have shown that for every 2000 babies born, one will have a tooth. These teeth are called natal teeth. Researchers report that one-to-two-thirds of natal teeth fall out in the first year of the baby's life.

9. In 1998, a 15-year-old girl from Lesotho born without a vagina got pregnant after performing oral sex on her boyfriend then being stabbed in the stomach. She was caught in the act by her former boyfriend, then a knife fight ensued. ABC News reports that the girl arrived at the hospital with an empty stomach -- and therefore with little stomach acid around -- and doctors found two holes from a stab wound that opened her stomach up to her abdominal cavity. It is worth noting that sperm survive better in an alkaline environment, so the little acid in the girl's stomach increased their survival chances. The case report said doctors washed her stomach out with a salt solution and stitched her up. "A plausible explanation for this pregnancy is that spermatozoa gained access to the reproductive organs via the injured gastrointestinal tract," wrote the authors of the story in a Discovery magazine blog. The girl later gave birth to a boy who resembled the alleged father via cesarean section.

10. Fetuses pee in the womb from the second trimester onward. They also consume their urine as they swallow amniotic fluid.

11. Orgasms during pregnancy can cause "practice" contractions, also known as Braxton Hicks or false labor. Such contractions do not produce cervical changes. Other causes of Braxton Hicks contractions are: dehydration, a full bladder, overexertion or a urinary tract infection. These contractions can last from 30 seconds to two minutes. Their onset is the 20th week of pregnancy, and become more noticeable in the third trimester.

12. Pregnant women can start producing breast milk as early as 14 weeks into their pregnancy, evidenced by little colostrum (thick, sticky, yellowish breast milk) leaks.

13. During pregnancy, the baby occasionally sends stem cells through the placenta to repair its mother's damaged tissues.

14. The uterus expands a great deal in the course of pregnancy. In the first trimester, it is the size of an orange and expands to the size of a watermelon by the third trimester.

15. In the later stages of pregnancy (third trimester), hearing a baby cry could automatically cause a pregnant woman to lactate (let-down reflex).



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