Pregnancy is like a having a guest of honor at a party. You’re excited to see them, you’re willing to go the extra mile to make sure they have a good time, but sometimes they bring some not-so-welcomed friends along. Then, before you know it, you’re dealing with someone tracking mud in, eating all your food, and so on and so forth. Those "extra friends" during pregnancy are what I’d call unwanted, unpleasant, or downright weird pregnancy symptoms.
When I was pregnant I endured some nausea and extreme fatigue, and would consider both to be my major pregnancy symptoms. I did experience a number of odd side-effects of pregnancy with my son, though. For one, I was “blessed” with a superhuman sense of smell. I could give a bloodhound a run for its money, and it was arguably one of the worst things ever. Being able to smell even a faint aroma in the air would set me into a queasy downward spiral. Then I developed an awful rash all along my bra line. My bras were comfortable and soft, but for some reason I developed a dark brown patch along my mid-section. I was scared it would last forever, but it went away after a while. Thankfully.
I’m not the only one who’s experienced a number of less-than-popular pregnancy symptoms. Here are the "extra friends" these moms' pregnancies brought to their gestation parties:
Amy, 32
“Toward the end of my second pregnancy, I noticed that the seat of the toilet I used most was slowly turning a purplish blue color where my thighs touched it. I (of course) turned to Dr. Google and found a bunch of other pregnant folks who had experienced the same thing! I needed to use progesterone suppositories during that pregnancy, so I blame the extra hormones on this bizarre occurrence.”
Jamie, 35
“My stomach vibrated! It wasn't, like, a grumble or a contraction: it felt like there was a cell phone in my uterus and it was set to vibrate. My husband didn't believe me until I put his hand on the spot, at which point he jumped back and freaked out. It was very weird. It only happened that one time, though, and I went into labor the next day.”
Jenny, 33
“I had one foot bigger than the other, so I had to buy shoes that would be comfortable for the bigger foot and wear one of those foot pad thingies for the other so my foot wouldn't wiggle around. I [also] couldn't hear crunchy sounds, smell garlic, pine sol, nor [sic] anything with lavender and vanilla, or I would throw up almost always.”
Shannon, 35
“Pregnancy made me so zen. I'm normally a... Type A, and bam. Once I was pregnant, I was the most laid back I've ever been in my life. So strange.”
Stephanie, 35
“My leg hair got real dark and thick. They were like little razor blades coming out of my legs... I had to shave everyday. That was the weirdest thing for me. Definitely didn't read about that in any book.”
Jill, 35
“Hair growth was stunted. I didn't have to shave the pits or legs while pregnant at all! It was awesome!”
Momma Jorje, 44
“My taste buds were completely rewritten. While pregnant with my second, I accidentally discovered I liked something I didn't like before. So I started trying all the foods!”
Anonymous, 36
“Going into my first pregnancy, I had little hairs around my areolas that I would tweeze from time to time. When I got pregnant they fell out and never returned.”
Ariel, 30
“Air made me want to vomit. Too hot, too cold, too moist, any change in the air sent me heaving. (Think getting out of the car to go grocery shopping, and then walking into the grocery store, and then walking back out again. Or walking into a steamy room, or breathing in the steam from a boiling pan.) It didn't matter what it smelled like, it was the temperature/ humidity change. I was basically trying not to vomit any time I drove anyplace. I'd get out of my car, dry heave for a moment (or throw up) until I adjusted, and then go about my happy way until I walked into the building, at which point I'd do it again.”
Katie, 30
“I got very intense urges to smell chemicals. Thank god my cousin was a nurse and had me go in to the doctor (it was a sign of low iron levels).”
Kristen, 32
“About five or six months after having my first, I went for a haircut. I had a ring of dark hair about an inch thick all around my head. It was easier to see on the underside of my hair, but it was clearly the hair from when I first got pregnant, since it was about three inches or so from my roots. My stylist noticed it and said she didn't know what caused it but thought it was so cool.
Also, with my first, I had a noticeable difference (to me) in the length of each leg. I waddled a bit more than usual because of it.”
Marissa, 40
“Everything smelled kind of blue cheese-esque and I had loads of boogers.”
Anonymous, 36
“Frequent nosebleeds during pregnancy is fairly common, but I had severe nosebleeds while pregnant. I'm talking, ‘had to carry around a full sized beach towel with me everywhere in case I got one, and then run to a sink while it poured out' bad. I was scared to drive anywhere in case it started! It was so disgusting."
Sarah, 35
“I became violently nauseous at even the smell of poultry for the first three or four months. I would come home and could tell if my husband had made himself a turkey sandwich right when I walked in the door. Baked chicken, a staple dinner in our home, was off limits. Red meat, pork, or vegetarian meals only. Then, by month six, I started craving nuggets and tenders — no chicken breast or anything healthy like that, just battered and fried stuff. But the smell of poultry. I couldn't have even told you that poultry had a smell before I was pregnant.”
Jillian, 36
“During the last trimester of my third pregnancy, my hair actually ached. You know that feeling when you take out your ponytail at the end of the day and your scalp feels almost bruised? It was just like that on the entire crown of my head.”
Kate, 30
“My skin cleared up, and my hair could go days without needing to be washed, but I couldn’t breathe, had tendonitis in my hip, and could barely walk. And I hated the smell of anything. I looked great, but felt awful!”
Cassy, 28
“I tasted and smelled mold and throw up all the time! No one else could smell it, except me. That, and I'd sometimes have a metal-y [sic] taste in my mouth.
Also, I could eat peanut butter, but couldn't smell peanut butter. The open jar made me want to vomit it was so strong and disgusting, but give me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I'd tell you it was delicious.”
Karen, 37
“I had extra boogers when pregnant. I was told it was normal due to increased blood flow, but it was so annoying. Worst part, though? My kid is 6 and it’s still not gone!”
Alison, 35
“Pregnancy dreams. Super crazy. Usually violent or sexual. So super intense that I never ever feel rested.”
Simona, 37
“During my first trimester I would get a terrible metal taste in my mouth after eating any sugar. It was so unfair. Luckily it cleared up by the second trimester.”
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