10 interesting facts about pregnancy

Are you pregnant and not looking forward to hanging out with family and friends this coming weekend? Blame pregnancy and you will be off the hook!

As you continuously get several free passes during your pregnancy journey, you get to acknowledge that pregnancy is a powerful thing. You get to experience love, care and adoration from people which in turn transforms into happiness. 

Whereas pregnancy is a beautiful thing it also comes with its challenges that a lady has to experience as the body prepares itself to give birth.

As you imagine a bright future with your baby, your body is slowly becoming a vessel through which a baby will grow and come to life. Interestingly, there are a thousand and one interesting facts about pregnancy and we highlight a few that will make you appreciate pregnancy more and become more aware of your body during this beautiful journey.

1. Skin changes. Due to hormonal changes during pregnancy women will experience changes in their skin, particularly on their face. This manly occurs on the forehead and cheeks and you will also notice a dark line running from the navel to the pubic area. Many women will experience stretch marks and acne. During this period you can use acne prevention products from MYDAWA
2. Husbands may experience pregnancy symptoms. Yes, you read that right. A phenomenon known as Couvade Syndrome or Sympathetic pregnancy occurs when husbands experience symptoms such as weight gain, nausea and swelling in tandem with their pregnant wives.
3. Change in sense of smell. With pregnancy comes a heightened change in the sense of smell. You may wake up one day and not be able to stand the smell of a certain food that was your favourite. Interestingly, you may wake up one day and find a certain smell you could not stand before more appealing! Biologically, this is meant to help pregnant women steer clear of foods they shouldn’t eat.
4. The heart grows bigger. Your heart will grow bigger physically. This is because the heart works harder than before to keep up with the demand of its circulatory system. With a bigger heart, it can handle the new volume of blood and ensure that it moves to every corner of your and your baby’s body
5. At age 30, a couple has a monthly rate of 20% chance of getting pregnant. This decrease to about 5% by age 40.
6. Morning sickness. Contrary to belief, morning sickness is not limited to mornings only. It can be experienced during other times of the day like afternoons and evenings.
7. Babies can be born with teeth. Studies have shown that one in every 2000 babies is born with a tooth. These are known as natal teeth and can be removed by a doctor immediately after birth to prevent choking as they are normally very loose.
8. Pregnant mothers may get gingivitis and bad breath. According to The Insider, The hormonal changes of pregnancy can make women’s gums more susceptible to plaque. This can lead to inflammation and bleeding. Healthline, reports that, during pregnancy, your progesterone hormone levels are high. This increase makes you more susceptible to developing bacterial plaque that can attack your gums. One of the many symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis includes bad breath. MYDAWA has a number of oral care products to help a pregnant woman overcome some of these challenges.
9. Taller women are more likely to conceive twins. It is believed that women over 5 feet and 5 inches are more likely to conceive twins. This is attributed to the fact that taller women have higher levels of a certain protein released from the liver that is linked to increased ovulation.
10. Most twins are born in Central Africa. According to The Insider, Benin in Central Africa has the highest national number of twins on average, at 27.9 per 1,000 births. The global average is about 13.1 per 1000 births.  This can be attributed to the mothers’ age, height and hereditary factors.