Pregnancy might be accompanied by anxiety and bewilderment. We spoke with a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences to get the specifics.
- Women only need to eat about 300 more calories a day during pregnancy. “Eating for two” is a bit of a myth.
- The act of sᴇx won’t induce labor. However, semen, which is rich in ᴘʀᴏsᴛᴀɢʟᴀɴᴅɪɴ, can contract ᴜᴛᴇʀɪɴᴇ sᴍᴏᴏᴛʜ ᴍᴜsᴄʟᴇ. This reaction may feel similar to labor.
- Speaking of sᴇx, the baby does not get poked while you’re doing it. The ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx remains closed until the very end of the pregnancy. So the baby is basically ғʟᴏᴀᴛɪɴɢ in an ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ғʟᴜɪᴅ ʙᴀʟʟᴏᴏɴ. If anything comes toward the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs, the “balloon” will bounce it away.
- A male ғᴇᴛᴜs will get erections in the ᴡᴏᴍʙ. It will not make sᴘᴇʀᴍ though. A female ғᴇᴛᴜs forms its eggs in ᴜᴛᴇʀᴏ.
- Girls have their highest number of eggs in ᴜᴛᴇʀᴏ. By the time they are born, they’ll have lost some of their eggs.
- The length of a pregnancy is typically measured from the first day of your last ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ – not from the date of conception. You usually conceive about two weeks into your ᴍᴇɴsᴛʀᴜᴀʟ ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ.
- In ᴜᴛᴇʀᴏ, a baby’s ʟᴜɴɢs are filled with ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ғʟᴜɪᴅ. By the second ᴛʀɪᴍᴇsᴛᴇʀ, the ғʟᴜɪᴅ is mostly their own pee. A number of stimuli cause newborns to clear most of this ғʟᴜɪᴅ naturally. Suction may be used as well.
- Babies pee in the ᴡᴏᴍʙ. A small percentage pass their first poo, called ᴍᴇᴄᴏɴɪᴜᴍ, while still in the ᴡᴏᴍʙ.
- Some women experience increased sᴇx drive during pregnancy.
- Babies can hear inside the ᴡᴏᴍʙ. After birth, newborns can even recognize songs heard frequently while in ᴜᴛᴇʀᴏ, according to a 2013 University of Helsinki study.
- Pregnant women pee a lot for a number of reasons. One is hormonal changes during pregnancy. Another reason is the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs ᴘʀᴇssɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴀᴅᴅᴇʀ.
- Moderate exercise is very safe during pregnancy. It’s even recommended for women who are usually active. Just don’t overdo it to where you’re ᴏᴠᴇʀʜᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ, ᴜɴᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪɴɢ.
- It is possible to be pregnant for over a year. This can happen through a process called sᴜᴘᴇʀғᴇᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. It’s where a woman gets pregnant while still being pregnant. It’s extraordinarily rare.
