Pregnancy can get weird sometimes. And I don’t just mean seeing an alien-like foot poking out of your stomach. Some of the symptoms I’ve had have felt totally out of the blue. And the other day when I asked for your strangest pregnancy symptoms on Instagram Stories, I heard everything from excess saliva (to the point of needing a spit bucket!) to craving kitchen sponges, to growing an extra molar.
Today, in partnership with Philips Sonicare, I’m sharing 5 of the pregnancy symptoms I’ve had that no one warned me about!
1. Cavities.
True story for you: I never had a single cavity until my late 20’s. I had one. Then I got pregnant with Amalia and by the end had EIGHT cavities. EIGHT! I’m very very meticulous with my oral care and always have been so I sobbed when my dentist told me. Getting them filled while pregnant was not a fun day. Actually, it was two days. He did one side of my mouth on one day then the other side the next week. I asked him what changed and he said that pregnancy hormones can lead to gum disease and tooth decay and that he sees this all the time.
I asked him if there was anything about my routine that I could change to help and his only tip was to swap to a Philips Sonicare toothbrush (I use the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean). I did just that and have never turned back. I also have not had a single cavity since and haven’t had any in this pregnancy either!
The Sonicare is for every kind of brusher, not just the pregnant brusher like me. Anel also uses one and we both swear that our teeth don’t feel clean if we use anything else. And it’s not just in our heads. It removes up to 7x more plaque than a manual toothbrush and is the number one brand recommended by dental professionals (my dentist included).
My current pregnancy brushing routine consists of doing 25 squats with my morning brush and 25 squats with my nighttime brush. It’s kind of hilarious to see.
Sidebar: For this campaign, they also sent us a UV sanitizer that sanitizes our brush heads for 10 minutes each day.
Thank you to Philips Sonicare for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.
2. Snoring. Ok, this one has really been an issue. I didn’t snore in my last pregnancy but in the last month, apparently, I’ve become an aggressive snorer… to the point where Anel has to move to the guest room on really bad nights! I’ve even woken myself up which is just so embarrassing because I sleep with earplugs. I bought nasal strips to see if they would help and they actually did. I still snore, just less. What scares me is that I’ve heard from a bunch of moms that this never went away after they had their baby!
3. The Dropsies. I drop everything everywhere I go. I broke a bottle of juice at the grocery store yesterday just picking it up. It’s like things just slip out of my fingers! My mom noticed it when she was here and said the same thing happened to her. I hadn’t equated this to pregnancy but it feels similar to the “mom brain” forgetfulness that I also have. Is this just me and my mom or has anyone else experienced the prego dropsies?
4. Night sweats. I got these postpartum with Amalia but this time around I’ve had them for the last few months every single night. I have to change my PJs 2-3x each night because they end up soaking wet! And I wash my sheets pretty much daily now. It’s a whole thing. I hadn’t ever heard of this in pregnancy but when I asked my doctor he said it’s fairly common. And when I talked about it on IG stories, I heard from a bunch of moms saying that had this too.
The weird part is that it isn’t smelly or sticky, it’s just water but as if I took a shower! Then of course, I wake up super thirsty. Fun times, I tell ya.
5. Charlie Horses. Leg cramping hasn’t been an issue this time around because I’ve been diligently taking magnesium citrate (300mg) before bed every night. But with Amalia, I would wake up screaming in pain from cramps in my calves until I started on magnesium. It was so weird and so painful!
What are some of the weird pregnancy symptoms you experienced? I want to hear them all!
to be clear: i am NOT complaining about this, but when i was pregnant, my leg hair just…didn’t grow? i only had to shave my legs a handful of times while i was pregnant because my legs basically just stopped being hairy. it was such a treat, especially when i stopped being able to bend down all the way in the shower 🙂 i’m sorry to say that the leg hair did resume growing back postpartum, but it was so nice while it lasted!
A few people have mentioned this one. I am so jealous! What a great pregnancy symptom… especially because it’s virtually impossible to shave my legs now. I had to put a stool in the shower haha.
I love my Philips Sonicare, makes such a big difference!
I’m a hygienist and love that you’re highlighting a quality electric toothbrush. They make a HUGE difference. One product I recommend to all patients is Rx fluoride toothpaste. It will have 5x the fluoride of OTC paste and helps prevent decay. Note that you should spit and never rinse after brushing. Let the fluoride stay on the tooth surface.
Interesting! Is that pregnancy safe?
I would confirm with your OB, but I have always recommended to my pregnant patients (the dentist does too). It’s topical and you use such a small amount and don’t ingest it, that it is generally accepted as safe. Little kids don’t get fluoride toothpaste because they have a tendency to use too much toothpaste and swallow paste. If you can control spitting, you are good to go.
And yes, apply with your finger to problem areas- just a small amount!
I’ve used Rx fluoride toothpaste (~$15 a tube) for the past ten years and no cavities! Highly recommend. My dentist also said you can put a little bit on problem teeth after brushing at night and that will help remineralize the enamel.
100% apply to trouble areas!
There are several varieties of Rx fluoride toothpaste- sensitive formulas, whitening, etc. I love and use Clinpro brand because it is the least abrasive option. You don’t want to use abrasive products as they can remove enamel. Once enamel is gone, it’s gone forever.
With my second who I had last year, I had really bad restless leg syndrome. I don’t remember it happening with my first born. I was so relieved when it went away after I had him.
So strange! Glad it went away.
Omg same! I’m 30 weeks now and I can’t even sit on the couch at night because my legs bother me so much… luckily once I get into bed and lie down with a pregnancy pillow it seems better.
My gums started to disintegrate when I was pregnant, and switched to get cleanings every 3 months for my pregnancy and during breastfeeding. I have always had terrible night sweats, and so I just sleep naked and have for the past 20 years. It saves me from having to change PJs. I hate when I am somewhere where sleeping naked isn’t cool because I have to change several times a night as well.
I’m a hygienist- your hormones increase blood flow to your gingiva, increasing risk of bleeding gums. This can also correlate with your menstrual cycle if not pregnant. I’m so glad your dental team helped shift your care plan! Individual care is so important!
Would love to know where your towels are from!! Just ordered Weezie but the blue is too light for the wallpaper I picked and yours look more cornflower/royal-y than theirs. Hope you’re planning a full bathroom share bc your lights are also fantastic!!
You look great, hope you’re feeling just as good!!
Ours are Annie Selke. They’re super super soft and fluffy and I love them!
Moles doubling in size or skin tags, all totally benign. Itchy skin from my belly button stretching out.
A really frustrating one – loss of elasticity or collagen in my face from the weight gain followed by weight loss! This is my third pregnancy, so we’ll be done after this one.
I totally feel you on the Charlie horse thing..happened all the time! I knew I was pregnant with both kids (because of the pregnancy before them when I miscarried) I mixed up the order of words when I spoke..Literally 3 or 4 times a day, I would say a sentence like “I think for bed it’s time).. def was preoccupied!