Pregnancy is an amazing time. To think about growing a new life inside you is extraordinary. The general public's knowledge about pregnancy and expecting mothers' health has increased in modern times, as women's health has been more of a focus. But there are still many surprises that can pop up with pregnancy and a new baby on the way.
To help with the surprises that can come with being an expecting mother, a convention for mothers and babies like The Baby Show in Toronto is incredibly useful to find products, advice, and meet other parents. A wide variety of vendors sell unique products for needs you may not anticipate ahead of time. There are seminars and workshops with product demoes and opportunities to meet other expecting, new, and current parents.These shows are special and relatively rare occasions,so find one near you today.
An unborn baby has the ability to feel, hear, and see in the womb.
Tall women and overweight women are more likely to give birth to twins or triplets.
A hormone called Relaxin causes joints to soften to accommodate birthing, but it can also lead to more broken bones.
A pregnant woman's feet and heart increases in size, along with her uterus and midsection. The change in foot size is due to swelling and the heart needs to grow to accommodate a larger volume of blood.
An unborn baby has their fingerprints by 9-12 weeks of age.
Expecting mothers have less oxygen in their blood which might lead to forgetfulness and clouded thinking.
If a pregnant woman or new mother hears a baby cry, it can provoke lactation, even if it's a stranger's child.
Women are granted a sort of super sense of smell, biologically theorized to enhance a mother's ability to detect dangerous foods – like poisons and things that have turned.
While a pregnancy usually lasts for nine months, the longest pregnancy recorded was a year and ten days.
Babies develop hair all over their bodies in the womb. Called "lanugo", this layer of hair is most often shed before birth.
Dads can sometimes share the physical symptoms of pregnancy, including gaining weight and mood shifts.
Fetuses in the womb can cry but they cannot be heard because of the volume of liquid and flesh around them.
Women's hair will stop falling out over the course of pregnancy. But the excess hair will finally come out after giving birth.
Expecting mamas suffering from heartburn more often give birth to babies with a lot of hair. This is likely because hormone levels that cause both a relaxed esophagus that the acid reflux can pass through also causes the hair growth.
Women can experience a change in the shade of their skin while pregnant.
The uterus grows from the size of an apple to a watermelon during pregnancy.
The food that mama eats can be tasted by fetuses in the womb.
For great resources to learn more about the experience of being pregnant, check out Health Canada's resource for women. Always visit your doctor regularly when you're expecting to get the proper advice and check-ups needed for a healthy pregnancy and birth. A baby trade show is also an invaluable resource for meeting likeminded parents, both expecting and experienced.