3 Weird Changes You Need To Expect When You're Pregnant

If you think about it, pregnancy is a pretty amazing thing. After all, you actually grow a whole new human in just forty weeks!

However, for many women, the amazement that goes along with the miracle of pregnancy ends up a bit obscured by other things. After all, the physical changes that go along with pregnancy can be a bit uncomfortable, or even downright weird. Here are some of the unexpected but totally normal things that can happen to your body during pregnancy:

1. You suddenly get clumsy.

Women who have already been through a pregnancy will probably tell you that suddenly feeling like you've lost the ability to walk without tripping over your own two feet is normal. That feeling isn't an illusion, either.

During your pregnancy, your body starts to secrete hormones that actually stimulate the muscles and cartilage in your pelvic area to relax. This loosens the bones in that area so that you can more easily deliver the baby. Unfortunately, it also relaxes the cartilage and muscles in your other joints as well,  which leads to a general sense of clumsiness. In addition, your center of gravity shifts a little as your belly swells, so it's no wonder you suddenly can't walk straight.

2. Your feet can get bigger.

Those same hormones that relax the cartilage in your joints do a number on your feet, too, by causing your arches to flatten out. For many women, the end result is feet that are suddenly longer and wider than they used to be, and you may not be able to count on them returning to normal. Fluid retention during the pregnancy itself may increase your foot size even further. The best thing you can do is buy inexpensive shoes until the pregnancy is over and you're sure the fluid is gone, then figure out what shoe size you now need.

3. You can't think straight.

"Pregnancy brain" isn't a joke. According to neuropsychologists, many pregnant women experience a type of "brain fog" that affects their memory while they are pregnant. Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly what causes the brain fog to happen, although it's speculated that a lack of sleep and hormones (again) are the cause. The good news is that it won't last long after the baby is born!

Whatever physical changes you experience, your obstetrician-gynecologist can help you determine if they're normal or not -- and whether or not you really need to be concerned. Click here to continue reading more about pregnancy and your gynecological needs.