Unusual side-effects of pregnancy

by Rachel Mosteller (Subscribe to Rachel Mosteller's posts) Dec 5th 2006 4:02PM

When people think of pregnancy and all the symptoms that go along with it, they probably think of things such as nausea, vomiting and an aching back. But there's a variety of symptoms that all the pregnancy books don't tell you about.

I remember flipping through the book Pregnancy Sucks: What to Do When Your Miracle Makes You Miserable and reading about an unusual pregnancy symptom: moles. They don't tell you about moles in some of those other books. I, personally, found that I had more yucky skin tags during my pregnancies.

I also had this thing called a "muzzle rash" all over my face, thanks to all the pregnancy hormones. Later on, in the final month of my pregnancy, I had sciatic nerve pain. While sciatic nerve pain is something you might hear about in regards to pregnancy, having it to the point where you're unable to walk is a bit uncommon.

So, what did you have? Excess saliva? A constantly stuffy nose? Or were you one of those lucky ones who breezed through pregnancy, looking like you belong on the cover of a magazine?

Comments (28)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

LS 12-06-2006 @ 10:23AM

VERY early in my pregnancy, I think it was in the same week that we found out about it (6th-ish), I started having pains that felt like the ovarian cysts that I am prone to. I described the pains to my nurse, and she advised me to get to the E.R., pronto, as those pains sounded like ectopic pregnancy. Hubby and I got there, I underwent the entire poke-and-dig female examination (at the hands of a very nice, but very MALE doctor, and in front of my husband), all to find out that.... (and my husband LOVES telling this story)..... I was literally "full of s***" Doc said (as he and my husband stifled uncontrollable giggles), "Go home and go potty. You and the baby are just fine!" I still can't live that one down!!!

Oh, and I also had a skin tag that took on a life of it's own. It grew an inch in two days. Totally freaked me out.

HeatherR 12-06-2006 @ 9:23AM

I had major discharge to the point that it thoroughly wet my underpants if I didn't wear a pantyliner.

A friend had a hernia in the vaginal area towards the end of her last trimester.

AngelaFay 12-05-2006 @ 8:24PM

With both of my pregnancies I have sprouted more moles then I had ever thought possible. I literally stopped counting after 40! Gross and, even worse, uncomfortable since a lot of them surfaced where my bra rubbed. I had problems with skin tags as well, but not nearly so bad.

Diane 12-05-2006 @ 5:03PM

Though not very unusual, my main symptoms were migraine headaches and severe reflux. That is also the way I knew I was pregnant.

Heather 12-05-2006 @ 5:10PM

I had very bad carpal tunnel during my third pregnancy. I had to wear braces constantly, and I couldn't hold a pen for more than 2-3 minutes at a time.

Kathy 12-05-2006 @ 5:18PM

I couldn't breathe at all through my nose. The night my daughter was born was the best night sleep I'd had in months because I could breathe. On the plus side, I didn't have to shave my legs at all the last trimester; the hair on my legs just stopped growing.

mamatulip 12-05-2006 @ 6:06PM

I got a weird rash on my left arm while I was pregnant with my son. My hair also seemed to get much, much greasier when I was pregnant with him.

Mona 12-05-2006 @ 8:39PM

The weirdest pregnancy symptom was gingivitis. During the teeth cleaning, the dentist said, "Your gums are bleeding," and I shot back, "Well they weren't when I got here!" She then explained that gums become so sensitive during pregnancy that gingivitis is very common. Luckily, it went away when I gave birth.

Julie Brada 12-05-2006 @ 8:17PM

I had morning sickness...for 7 months. It started around the 2nd month and just refused to leave me be. My OB did give me a prescription to help, but the medication was like super dramamine which helped with the morning sickess because I was asleep all the time (not very helpful when you're working full time!).

Ginny 12-06-2006 @ 10:27AM

Heather - so did I. I have never "met" anyone else who had this happen. Mine ended up coming back recently. Great!

Lori 12-05-2006 @ 7:38PM

I breezed through my first pregnancy, but this second one is a different story. This time around I'm having severe incontinence issues -- gross!

sg 12-06-2006 @ 10:47AM

In my first trimester, my nose ran like a faucet and I had frequent sneeze attacks!

Jill 12-05-2006 @ 8:29PM

At about 20 weeks, during both pregnancies, I developed what I can only call painful skin. My whole torso felt horribly sunburned and my clothes felt like sandpaper. I hardly wanted to move; even breathing made my clothes chafe. It went away about 90% after baby #1 only to happen again with baby #2 and never completely stop. I'm up to eight stumped doctors who have no idea what's happened to me. Anyone?

Emily 12-07-2006 @ 11:34AM

Unbelievable heartburn in the third trimester. Post-nasal drip that resulted in uncontrollable coughing from week 19 on. Coughing (from the congestion and sometimes from the heartburn) that sometimes got so bad it made me throw up.

Baby is two months old now. The misery was worth it.

Amanda 12-06-2006 @ 6:42AM

I did have the horrible stuffy nose and ALWAYS at night time. I cannot sleep with a stuffy nose, I rely on Otrivan to clear my sinuses if I have a cold and obviously, I couldn't use that, so I was pooched....no sleep for me :(

Ethel 12-05-2006 @ 9:33PM

Dislocated pelvis - both at the front and where it meets the spine. It sounded really strange when I would walk, a pop every time. Then there was the spit bubbles: can't make 'em when I am not pregnant, and when I am I end up making them constantly as a nervous habit.

Jessica Escue 12-05-2006 @ 9:33PM

I had horrible sickness..I threw up my entire pregnancy...I lost 25lbs my 1st trimester. It was just awful..I am dreading it the 2nd time around! I also had period like bleeding through the 1st 5 months...about every 3 weeks, I would bleed..rush to the ER only to find everything was fine and completely normal..they had no idea why I continued to do it..all I know is that is was terrifying!

Jackie 12-05-2006 @ 9:50PM

I have what I like to call pregnancy hallucinations. It's like I think I see a bug or fly out of the corner of my eye and there's nothing there. It was especially bad in the summer, I was convinced the world was overrun with fruit flies. Now that it's turned cold I can mostly ignore it.

Most recently I've developed a spot above my belly button that breaks out in a cluster of really weird looking blistery things at night. I haven't asked the Doctor about it because it's just fine during the day. But sure enough when I get up for my 4 AM pee there's a somewhat gross cluster of blisters right above my belly button. When I get up in the morning it looks completely normal. I'm crediting it fluid rention and being only 2 weeks away from my due date with #2.

Jenn 12-05-2006 @ 11:32PM

I got a "cold" in my 2nd month...that continued through the rest of the pregnancy - I could barely breath through my stuffed up nose at night!

I also had arthritic-like elbow and wrist pain but now, 6 months post partum, the joint pain is in my knees and ankles.

And here I thought I had read all the fine print!

Rachel May 12-06-2006 @ 6:33AM

I had the excess saliva, and, umm... how to say this delicately?... discharge? Not terribly gross, but excessively moist. I was a two-shower-a-day girl (a.m. and p.m.) throughout my pregnancy, and I went through more panty liners than in the two years previous to pg!

Almost went anonymous for this one. Yech.

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