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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