Every pregnancy is different. Whether you are having your first baby or your third, no two pregnancies are exactly the same. Some women experience a wide range of severe symptoms throughout pregnancy. Others do not notice many symptoms aside from weight gain, and the symptoms they do have are quite manageable. Often, it can seem like there is no real rhyme or reason to these symptoms - while certain lifestyle choices can sometimes alleviate them, this isn’t always the case.
If you’re dealing with confusing pregnancy symptoms, you might be wondering if these symptoms are normal, or if you should be concerned. Here are a few strange pregnancy symptoms, as well as whether they are cause for concern.
1. Nosebleeds and Bleeding Gums
Have you noticed yourself getting more and more nosebleeds since finding out you were pregnant? Maybe you had never had a nosebleed out of the blue before, but now, they’re becoming a somewhat normal occurrence for you. As annoying as this can be, it’s fairly common for pregnant women to get nosebleeds due to hormonal changes.
You might even experience gum bleeds, too, or have a metallic taste in your mouth. While this is frustrating, it is not a medical emergency, just an odd pregnancy symptom that many people do not discuss!
2. Severe Morning Sickness
Yes, morning sickness is normal. However, depending on the severity of your morning sickness symptoms, you may be dealing with something much more serious that requires medical attention. For example, if you cannot keep any food down, deal with serious nausea all day long, and have been experiencing constant dehydration due to frequent vomiting, you may have hyperemesis gravidarum.
While some women notice a reduction in symptoms around 20 weeks, others deal with HG symptoms throughout their entire pregnancies. If this sounds familiar, talk to your doctor immediately.
3. Food Aversions
Many people assume that women experience food cravings during pregnancy. It’s true that pregnancy cravings are a common experience for lots of women, and you might even crave foods that weren’t your favorites before!
However, food aversions are also a possibility, which many women don’t learn about until it happens to them. This could have to do with hormonal shifts, or it could be partially caused by your stronger sense of smell. Food aversions to coffee, onions, seafood, garlic, meat, and dairy are most common. While food aversions can be annoying, and you might end up avoiding some of your favorite dishes for a while, they are only temporary and are not a warning sign that something is wrong.
4. Gestational Diabetes
Some pregnant women develop a temporary form of diabetes known as gestational diabetes. Symptoms can include increased thirst, frequent urination, and, in more severe cases, blurry vision.
It should be noted that some women with gestational diabetes have little to no symptoms. Some can have quite severe symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life. But no matter how mild your symptoms are, it’s important to talk to your doctor about how to care for yourself properly if you receive this diagnosis.
5. Spotting
You may notice spotting at different points during your pregnancy. Spotting that occurs after conception is known as implantation bleeding. If you’ve seen spotting, you might immediately become alarmed. While spotting is not always an indicator of a problem, it can be. Ultimately, if you notice something, you’ll need to talk to your doctor to find out if you should be concerned or not.
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Are you struggling to cope with unusual pregnancy symptoms? In addition to talking to your doctor, working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for women’s counseling.