30 Things We All Forget During Pregnancy

The baby's biological sex is determined at conception

Image Source: Reddit 

It turns out whether the baby will be born biologically male or female is determined right from the moment of conception. There are 46 chromosomes that make up baby's genetic material and just two of those (known as the sex chromosomes) decide the sex- one from the sperm and one from the egg.

Morning sickness isn't just for mornings

Image Source: The US Sun 

You remember that old saying, "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas"? Well, during pregnancy it turns out that morning sickness is for all day, not just the mornings! Whilst this nauseating symptom is often worst when you first wake up, it can strike at any time.

Your keys...

Image Source: Reddit 

For me, this is already a daily occurrence- it's like my house keys have legs of their own and can relocate at will! But a lot of expectant mothers report a kind of brain fog, colloquially known as 'mommy brain', that leaves them feeling more forgetful than usual.

...And where those keys go when you're finished

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance 

Take this lady who, having successfully found and used her car keys, got home and put them in a spot for safe keeping. Only problem was, that safe spot was actually her fridge! On top of the leftovers isn't the most conventional spot, but that's pregnancy brain for you!

Pregnant women get super senses

Image Source: Reddit 

A lot of soon-to-be moms report one particular sense that gets sharpened right from the start of a pregnancy: smell. If you want to get fancy about it, it's referred to as heightened olfactory sensitivity. Whilst it sounds cool, it can mean you're nauseated by scents you used to love.

New mom's have big hearts- no, literally...

Image Source: Reddit 

Remember the end of The Grinch, where that green old meanie's heart grows three sizes? Well, if you enjoyed that you might enjoy being pregnant! To make sure the foetus is getting enough blood and plenty of nutrients, women's hearts expand during pregnancy.

...And even bigger feet

Image Source: Reddit 

I know, I know, this is starting to sound like the bit in Little Red Riding Hood where she starts to compliment her Grandma on what big teeth and ears she has. But it's true! As well as an even bigger heart, whilst carrying a baby a mama's feet can go up a couple of shoe sizes too.

That can lead to some slipper slip-ups

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance 

If your feet have gone up a shoe size, and you're carting around the extra weight of a gestating human, it's understandable that you want your feet to be comfy and cosy. But for this lady, the comfort factor crossed with pregnancy brain fog lead to her turning up at work in her house slippers by accident!

That eggs don't make good beauty blenders

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance 

Yes, you read that correctly. It's another classic 'mommy brain' moment! One woman took to Instagram to explain the bizarre situation: "Grabbed my stuff for work this morning and I realized when I got to work that I did NOT in fact grab my beauty blender… I grabbed a boiled egg."

What a good night's sleep feels like

Image Source: Reddit 

So much about pregnancy is exhausting- seriously, baby mama's of the world, we salute you! And to make it even tougher, at the end of a long day, your bump might get in the way of a good night's rest! You can't lie in the position you want, you might be nauseous or sweaty, and at some point the baby can literally kick you to keep you awake- what a nightmare!

The baby is floating in it's own wee for most of the time

Image Source: The Scientific American 

If you picture a baby in the womb, you're most likely picturing a tranquil slumber, a little being getting ready to enter the world. That's all true but, what's that they're floating in? Amniotic fluid is essential for a baby's development, but after a while a lot of it is actually comprised of the baby's own urine!

Whatever you eat, they eat

Image Source: Reddit 

All the nutrients a gestating baby needs to grow and develop are gonna have to come from the mom, so whatever you eat or drink, they do too. But did you know that even a baby's taste in food can be affected? Some studies have shown that if you eat a wider range of flavours whilst pregnant, it can lead to a more adventurous eater when they're born!

You can forget you're expecting

Image Source: Reddit 

This one must be really trippy! Reddit, and the internet at large, is full of anecdotes of mom's-to-be who- even just for a moment- totally forgot they are expecting!! I guess after a certain point of exhaustion, your brain just starts to act out- in what some online call 'momnesia'.

The sweet kick of caffeine

Image Source: Reddit 

Over the long nine months of a pregnancy, you might just forget how amazing the kick of caffeine is! Whilst it's been a long debated topic, most soon to be mom's decide to either limit their intake, or forgo coffee and other caffeinated drinks entirely.

Or just how nice a glass of vino is at the end of a long day!

Image Source: Reddit 

This is another one that really stings- no drinking for nine months!! You might end up forgetting just how lovely a crisp rose is on a summer's day, or how cosy an Egg Nog is around the holidays. Plus, if you choose to breastfeed, you might end up going tee-total for much longer!

That concerts might best avoided

Image Source: Reddit 

The foetus can begin to hear sounds from as earlier as eighteen weeks into a pregnancy! Whilst some studies show benefits to playing music to your bump during pregnancy, it's generally advised to avoid loud noise over a certain level of decibels. Whilst the affects are unclear, frankly I can barely stand on my feet for three hours at the best of times- let alone carrying a baby!

That there was a time before your pregnancy

Image Source: Reddit 

Nine months is a long time! It's different for every new mom- for some it flies by, but for other it might start to drag. What with all the morning sickness, swollen feet, aversions to smells, and sleepless nights, it would be easy to forget that there was a time before all this madness!

What your favorite foods are

Image Source: Reddit 

It's so crazy that during pregnancy your taste in food can completely change. Of course taste is so closely linked with smell, all those sensory changes end up meaning you might suddenly hate some of your all time favourite meals. Plus, cravings can have you hankering for things you'd never have touched before!

What's food- and what isn't!

Image Source: Reddit 

Speaking of crazy cravings, did you know that some pregnant women end up hankering to eat non-food items? People have reported the urge to eat dirt, chalk, or laundry detergent. It's a condition called Pica, and some people suffer from it outside of pregnancy too. Of course, dirt, chalk, and laundry detergent should NEVER be consumed, and anyone suffering from Pica should check in with their doctor to be extra safe.

Just how potent the hormones are

Image Source: TikTok

Progesterone, Estrogen, Oxytocin- there are myriad hormones involved in a pregnancy, and they pack a serious physiological and emotional punch! They're the forces that help get the mother's body ready for the pregnancy, the birth, and things like breastfeeding.

What goes well with cereal

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

You know the feeling- alarm goes off, you're bleary eyed at the breakfast table. Before you know it, you're in this sticky situation! I'm going to put my hands up on this one and admit that I've done this before, and I didn't have the excuse of brain fog as a result of growing a whole human person in my uterus like the original poster here did.

How to drive

Image Source: San Francisco Bay Area Moms

It's not like getting pregnant means you suddenly forget which one if the gas pedal and which one is the brake, blasting you back to the time before Drivers' Ed. But, with so much going on in their bodies and minds, some women don't find driving comfortable in the latter stages of a pregnancy.

Your dreams can get crazy!

Image Source: Reddit 

During such a tumultuous time- for both your body and your mind- perhaps it's no surprise that you might find your dreams are getting more and more vivid. Lots of expectant mothers report crazy night-time imaginings, that feel very real and quite different from ones they've had in the past.

The hormone relaxin isn't as relaxing as it sounds

Image Source: Reddit 

One of the powerful hormones we've been talking about is called Relaxin. Sounds nice, finally something chilled out on this list! Well, it isn't quite as laid back as it sounds and is actually to do with relaxing the uterine muscles to avoid premature contractions.

That we've being doing this since the dawn of time

Image Source: Business Insider 

Pregnancy can be wonderful, but it can be tough too. With so many new feelings, both physical and emotional, it can be overwhelming and perhaps scary at times. It might be helpful to remember, when it all feels a bit new and daunting, that women have been doing this since the dawn of time. You're part of a long tradition that literally keeps the human race going!

The agony of giving birth!

Image Source: Daily Mail 

Again, this will vary mother to mother- and every delivery is different. But I think there is enough consensus to say that it hurts, like really really hurts! The thing is, our bodies want to make sure we go on reproducing, so it pulls a sneaky trick: the hormone oxytocin is released around birth, and it has an amnesiac effect, making the new mum forget the full extent of the agony she's just been through!

The afterbirth

Image Source: The Today Show

Once they baby is out of the womb and into the room, you might think, good job done! End of story! But not quite, a lot of people either don't know or forget about the afterbirth. That's right, all the bits that were floating around in there with the baby (the placenta, the umbilical cord) have got to come out too...

It can take time to get pregnant

Image Source: Reddit 

It's one of the biggest cosmic cruelties in this life, that some couples get pregnant accidentally when they're not even trying, and others who are desperate to conceive can try for months, or even years, to no avail. It's easy to forget that even when both would-be parents are in perfect reproductive health, it can take some time.

Some women will get a 'period' even if they're pregnant

Image Source: Glamour UK

Ok, so technically speaking- if we get all scientific about it- you won't get your actual period whilst pregnant. But, some women still have vaginal bleeding, with some reporting it as regular and feeling in all respects like their period. So if you're trying, it's always best to test!

What you're doing this all for

Image Source: Reddit 

Throughout nine months of cravings and crazy dreams, sleepless nights and nausea, aches and anxieties: you might feel like asking, "what is all this for??". If parenthood is something you really want, it will all be worth it in the end, and that's an important thing to remember through all the ups and downs.