10 unusual pregnancy symptoms first-time mums should know about

Pregnancy is a beautiful part of womanhood, but it doesn’t come without its challenges. Aside from the obvious symptoms we can see from the outside (no I’m not bloated, it’s a baby) there are so many more changes going on behind-closed-doors.
These symptoms range from bizarre and quirky, like an increase in shoe size (it’s a real thing!), to more serious signs that should be relayed to your doctor if persistent.
So if you’re carrying a little bundle of joy or thinking about trying to conceive, here are 10 unusual pregnancy symptoms your friends may have failed to mention…
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Tender and swollen breasts
Sore, sensitive and swollen breasts are one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. For some, the breasts may only feel sore when they’re touched, or for others even just the feeling of clothes brushing against the chest can cause discomfort. This is because the body is producing more oestrogen and progesterone, which causes tenderness. The swelling is due to the multiplication of milk glands, thickening of the fat layer and the blood flow increasing – all changes that occur in order to get the body reading for breastfeeding.
Changes in eyesight
Hormone fluctuation during pregnancy can be intense and can even lead to changes in eyesight. “Changes in hormonal levels may alter the prescription needed in spectacles or contact lenses”, says Optometrist Dr. Barry Zinn of Hornsby OPSM. But there’s no need to be alarmed if your computer screen suddenly seems blurry. Dr. Zinn assures that for most women, the changes are temporary and eyesight will generally return to normal post-delivery.
Constipation and bloating
Bloating and constipation during pregnancy is common in many women thanks to an increase in the hormone progesterone, which relaxes muscles throughout the body to accommodate the growing baby. One muscle in particular that becomes relaxed is the digestive tract, which means that food passes through the intestines more slowly, hence constipation and bloating.
Fatigue
The reason for this symptom is quite simple: you’re growing another human inside of you. It’s a big job that requires a lot of energy and resources from the body, meaning more sleep is in order to supplement this energy. The surge in pregnancy hormones also plays a large part in making you feel tired and emotional.
Dry, irritated eyes
Many pregnant women suffer from very dry, irritated eyes. “Hormonal changes that occur in pregnancy can decrease tear production resulting in dry eyes, which will produce symptoms of stinging, grittiness, foreign body sensations and at times cloudy and hazy vision,” says Dr. Zinn. Using lubricants or gels can relieve these issues and Dr. Zinn also suggests avoiding wearing contact lenses if possible.
Spotting
While a missed period is a common sign of pregnancy, so is spotting, which is why it’s so easy for women to become confused. During early pregnancy, spotting can occur as a result of implantation, when the fertilised egg implants into the lining of the uterus. However, there are also a lot of other causes for spotting, so if it persists, see your doctor.
Headaches and backaches
Headaches can occur during pregnancy thanks to a surge in hormones, while backaches are a result of your ligaments loosening to accommodate the baby. Thankfully, the headaches usually subside, but the backaches may continue as your belly begins to grow and your weight shifts to rely a lot more on your back.
Another reason for persistent headaches could be due to strained eyesight. Dr. Zinn explains that pregnant women may experience increased spots in their vision. “Unlike floaters, these may affect a larger part of their field of vision and may indicate pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, which can cause blood pressure to become extremely high.” Therefore, it is very important for women experiencing on-going headaches during pregnancy to flag this with their OBGYN as soon as possible.
Altered sense of smell
During pregnancy many women experience sensitivity to certain smells or an overall heightened sense of smell. Once again thanks to those pregnancy hormones (in this case oestrogen in particular), the smell of certain foods, or even foods that you usually find to have a pleasant smell, could have you running to the bathroom. The level and impact of an altered smell is different for every woman and unfortunately the only thing you can do to help is to avoid the smells that drive you crazy as much as possible.
Change in shoe size
If you’re struggling to fit into your favourite pair of trainers, it’s likely because your feet have actually grown during pregnancy. This is a common symptom for many women and seems to occur because the hormones produced during pregnancy increase joint looseness. This, in combination with the weight most women put on during pregnancy, elongates the foot and flattens the arch. And while many pregnancy symptoms subside post-delivery, this might actually be here to stay!
Diabetic Retinopathy
“Women with diabetes or gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of developing more serious eye conditions during pregnancy, which can lead to permanent damage to the blood vessels in the eye,” says Dr. Zinn. This is known as diabetic retinopathy and is characterised by blurred vision or fluctuation, floaters, and flashes. Dr. Zinn stresses the importance of having your blood vessels monitored during and after pregnancy.
Shortness of breath
Struggling up the office stairs more than usual? Huffing and puffing as you stroll down the street? You’re not alone. Once again your baby requires some of your body’s resources to grow and oxygen is one of them. Unfortunately this is also a symptom that can continue throughout pregnancy as the baby grows bigger and begins to put pressure on the lungs and diaphragm.
Have you experienced any of these unusual pregnancy symptoms?
194 Member Comments
I get all of them before a period and there's no chance i'm pregnant.
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Yep had a few of these symptoms
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I'm almost 6 weeks pregnant and sore breasts are the main symptom!
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Good to know this, the only way I would know is if I get put off by smells of foods/drinks that I love, such as coffee...which happened, but it was a false alarm...i'm really not looking forward to pregnancy
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I am newly pregnant with my first child and I am over the moon. Very lucky to not have morning sickness! However, symptoms are minimal because all my life, I have been very snacky, get hungry frequently, go to the toilet frequently, am emotional.. you get the drift! Trying to do as much research as I can :)
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My breasts were very tender & I had some spotting.
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Definitely all these, and the fatigue for me was terrible! I was sleeping about 30% of the daytime away, as well as 10 hours at night.....It was like my body took control and forced me to sleep all the time!
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Great article
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I don't know what prompted me to do a test when I was pregnant with my son, just hoping I guess. I don't really remember what signs I had. The 2nd time I was totally fatigued for no reason and got the sniffles. Unfortunately that one didn't hold so now I am ultra aware of all the signs and hoping as we've been trying for nearly a year now.
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If you have these symptoms, you're so far gone how can you NOT know you're pregnant! HPTs are so sensitive these days that you will get a + or - on one of them long before most of these symptoms (apart from implantation spotting - but that's actually quite rare).
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Definitely sore boobs!
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Yep! My boobs were bigger within a couple of weeks - hormones hit hard in that region lol! I'm very pleased to be permanently back to my normal size - forever - yayhoo!
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Good to know the signs of pregnancy. I've still got a few years before I think about pregnancy!
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Nausea was my first symptom at about 12 weeks gestation. A lot of the other symptoms dont start (if at all) until late in the first trimester.
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I didn't get nausea at all with my first pregnancy, but with my second child I had it 24/7 from when I conceived until I gave birth. I found the smell of any kind of food repulsive. Consequently I lost weight and had various other problems ( low immune etc.)
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Ten symptoms that I would do anything to experience at the moment.
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I got the fatigue, swollen tender breasts and afternoon sickness! Mums advice to combat sickness is to have black tea by the bed in a flask, drink some first thing before you get out of bed and eat ginger biscuits with the tea. It worked amazingly. Thank u mummy!! Now got just over two weeks till Im due. So excited!! Ive left the sex a surprise. Think Im having a boy though
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Good to know about the signs. Hope they prove helpful ;
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Definitely had the nausea & spotting with pregnancy number one, so initially didn't think I was pregnant, but had a stomach bug combined with my usual cycle. So it was a bit of a surprise a few days later when it was confirmed I was pregnant! And I agree that morning sickness is a completely wrong name. Should be 24/7 sickness...
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Some great tell tale signs on this list. I think if your in tune with your body you will know, and these signs are definitely good pointers also.
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Yep all the signs i remember having with my girls, just hoping my sister gets to experience these signs soon, my sis has been trying for years and no sign yet :(
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I remember all of these. I even though it may sound terrible to some I didnt care I just loved being pregnant.
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What a traumatic experience pregnancy is!!
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