3 Odd Pregnancy Symptoms (and How to Handle Them)!
i think we can all agree that obviously when you start growing a human inside of you, things are bound to change. that being said, i experienced 3 surprisingly odd pregnancy symptoms that are apparently pretty common amongst other pregnant ladies but i had no idea!
1) a stuffy nose
thankfully, this one hasn’t plagued me the whole time but for a while i thought a cold was just hanging on to me for way too long (much like that one ex-boyfriend of mine). thanks to pregnancy hormones, they make the membranes in your nose swell and your sinuses to clog up. isn’t that weird?!
moving to colorado mid-pregnancy definitely amped this up so we bought a humidifier and that seemed to help. it at least made me feel less dried out over all. when we bought it, my texan husband was like “i don’t get it. you want water in the air?!” my mom had a good explanation by saying that in houston, he probably had a DE-humidifier since the air there is so saturated with moisture. ha! another thing people have tried and worked for them is a neti-pot where you run water through your sinus or using a salt water nasal spray.
2) sensitive teeth and gums
this one took me by surprise. my teeth are generally low maintenance and my husband is the one that has to deal with extreme tooth sensitivity and receding gums, which sounds terrible for him. unfortunately tooth sensitivity like his is a lifelong condition but thankfully pretty easy to manage if you have the right stuff. i am of the firm belief that tooth pain is one of the very worst types of pain (i am sure i will cross this out and replace it with childbirth come august).
about two months into my pregnancy, i noticed that my teeth felt much more sensitive to cold air and sometimes sweet or sour things i ate. i also noticed that my gums were bleeding more but i hadn’t changed anything in my oral hygiene care. when i talked to my midwife about the symptoms of bleeding gums and more sensitive teeth, she said it was possibly thanks to the changing levels of those lovely hormones progesterone and estrogen. since pregnant women also create 40% more blood, there is more blood flowing through your body – including your gums. yet again, the “oh yeah, that happens when you’re pregnant” strikes again!
side note of a funny story from antarctica – someone from germany asked my husband and me if everyone in america whitens their teeth since our teeth are apparently “so white!” ha! we do not but i do make it a point to buy toothpaste with a whitening component because red wine is my drink of choice. apparently the sensitive parts of your teeth, dentin, could be eroded away by the abrasives found in many whitening toothpastes – the higher the abrasivity the greater your risk for dentin loss, and the more likely you are to experience increased tooth sensitivity.
if you’re a sensitivity sufferer but still want a whitening toothpaste, be sure to choose a low-abrasion formula that can help protect your sensitive teeth from further damage. there is good news because we have found something that manages to keep our teeth white (vanity is real) and more importantly manages tooth sensitivity (because pain is real). new Sensodyne® True White® has a proven active ingredient for sensitivity relief and an inactive ingredient that helps to give you whiter teeth with brushing your teeth twice a day. we should all be brushing our teeth twice a day…right? right! 
Sensodyne® True White® provides a gentle stain removal and active stain prevention that works to create a proactive shield to help prevent new stains*. what i love about the new Sensodyne® True White® toothpaste is that it’s perfectly 3oz and for us frequently travelers – we know that’s the magic number to be able to still carry-on your bag with liquids in it.
i bought one tube for our home and then my husband keeps one in his suitcase since he’s traveling almost weekly right now. this way he still gets the clinically proven ingredient to treat tooth sensitivity and keeps his teeth looking good! as we know, his nice teeth were one of the first things that attracted me to him. 
get your hands (and teeth) on this and try new Sensodyne® True White® toothpaste and save $1 on the new Sensodyne® True White® HERE! my friend actually said that her mouth changing was the first sign that she knew she was pregnant with her second child! so nuts.
3) change in vision:
this one is especially disconcerting because um…eyesight is pretty darn important! i found my eyesight getting a bit fuzzy and when typing on my computer or looking at my phone, things weren’t as crisp. sort of a big deal since 97% of my work is on a computer!
thankfully this symptom goes away on its own after pregnancy but how weird is it that by growing a baby your vision can change? it is also recommended not to get a new prescription for contacts or eye glasses when you’re pregnant (or Lasik!) since chances are it will change back to whatever your normal was before your had a baby in you.
when this got bad a few days in my first trimester, it was thankfully on the weekend. zoning out and watching TV weren’t an option because it made me feel sick since my eyes couldn’t focus. i downloaded an audiobook, which was perfect to help take my mind of other symptoms but still be engaged in something productive. i also found that my eyes were way more sensitive to light so i bought another pair of sunglasses to keep in my house for walks with the dog as well as a pair for the car.
those are my top 3 surprisingly odd pregnancy symptoms and hopefully some helpful tips on how to deal with them!
ladies who have been pregnant, did you experience these things too? people who haven’t – did you have any idea these things could happen? i was shocked!
Comment below for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.
*With twice daily brushing.
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Nina @ Hugs and Lattes
July 6, 2016 at 8:04 am
I never knew about those pregnancy symptoms. Pregnancy sounds like a lab experiment of bodily functions. I can’t believe you only have one month left! Yay!! Also – whitening toothpaste is the bomb. I use Crest 3D white, but might get some of that Sensodyne for Pai. Since he’s become a coffee drinker (thanks to me) one of this teeth has a little stain on it.
Nina @ Hugs and Lattes recently posted…Cold Feet
chelsea
July 6, 2016 at 11:18 am
haha excellent description nina of it being a lab experiment of bodily functions! HA! it’s so true. yeah that sensodyne has really helped my husband with his super sensitive gums and makes those purly whites pretty again! i mean…coffee is a must so… 🙂
jenniferhastonsays
July 6, 2016 at 8:55 am
The bleeding. gums!! Man, that freaks me out, still. But we use Sensodyne as well because I already struggle with dental hygeine. Since getting pregnant, I have committed to being healthier, eating better (mostly) and doing all the things necessary to model good things (which I knew I was supposed to be doing anyway/ (stopping the cursing is the hardest and will be last to go) — The oddest thing to me is balance or lack thereof. I never thought of myself as a Rockette but I have some moves (well Used to) – I think all these changes are slowly but surely helping to remind us we have life growing inside and that comes with even more changes and adjustments when the life emerges. Thanks for this post!! I can’t believe how close you are to being due!
chelsea
July 6, 2016 at 11:20 am
glad you are already using Sensodyne, jennifer! it does seem to be helping alleviate some of the strangeness that comes with teeth and pregnancy. glad you are taking charge of your health, especially now that you are pregnant – that’s excellent! haha you are not alone in that cursing thing – i say we’ve got a year until they really start mimicking but i suppose it would make for a better environment 😉
oh that balance thing is wild too! sorry to hear you are experiencing that even more. i’ve never been good on my feet so now it’s just worst…ha!
Audrey
July 6, 2016 at 9:17 am
Ha… In Ohio we have humidifiers AND de-humidifiers. I seriously have both machines in my house for the different seasons. Lol.
I had no idea about the blurry vision, but I knew about the teeth sensitivity. My teeth are already SUPER sensitive so I dread that symptom someday, lol!
Audrey recently posted…The Holiday Weekend
chelsea
July 6, 2016 at 11:22 am
haha oh that is funny that you have them BOTH audrey! ohia isn’t messing around apparently.
ugh sorry to hear that you already have super sensitive teeth – maybe yours will stay just the same though! it’s crazy how everyone experiences things differently. i was so unprepared for the blurry vision – so odd and unhelpful!
Claudine Fritz
July 6, 2016 at 10:00 am
I remember the stuffy nose during pregnancy but I kept blaming it on my allergies. An odd side effect for me was my finger breaking out & reacting to my platinum wedding rings. Every time it healed, I would try again with the same effect. The doctor said it was uncommon since very few people are allergic to platinum but not for me. He said it was likely somehow related to the pregnancy hormones and after I had the baby I could wear them again. Thanks for sharing your finds!
chelsea
July 6, 2016 at 11:23 am
oof sorry you had that stuffy nose too, claudine! also really fascinating how suddenly you were reacting your platinum wedding rings! i’ve never heard of that with platinum but it sure doesn’t sound fun. hopefully all went back to normal and you could wear your rings again after the baby came 🙂
Jen L.
July 6, 2016 at 10:18 am
These are so fascinating! A section of my gums is definitely more agitated and noticeable within the last few months (gross, I know), so I’d be curious to hear at my dentist appointment next week if it’s actually related to being pregnant. I struggled with teeth sensitivity before getting pregnant, so I’m glad I was able to get on Sensodyne BEFORE then to avoid further discomfort.
As for the vision thing – that is REALLY interesting. I just got fitted for a new round of contacts yesterday, and the prescription’s a little bit off from what it was last year…yet another thing that I’d be curious to see/hear if it’s related to this baby. Awesome post! 🙂
(I also haven’t been able to access the sweepstakes rules link – maybe it’s just me?)
chelsea
July 6, 2016 at 11:25 am
yeah i bet your dentist will agree it’s part of pregnancy (at least mine did). so bizarre how pregnancy hormones seem to pick and choose what to disrupt and when! glad you are finding Sensodyne to be helpful because tooth pain = *shivers.
oh interesting about getting new contacts! yeah you should ask them next time you are in!
thanks also for letting me know about the sweepstakes rules link – i have an email out to get that fixed! 🙂
chelsea recently posted…3 Odd Pregnancy Symptoms (and How to Handle Them)!
Natalie
July 6, 2016 at 2:40 pm
I know that pregnancy changes your body, but I had no idea that it can impact your vision! My coworker is 8 months pregnant right now and very uncomfortable.
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:45 pm
oh no, sorry your coworker is uncomfortable that’s never fun! isn’t it wild all the strange things pregnancy does?!
Natalie
July 6, 2016 at 2:43 pm
tweet https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/750791237842722817
Mami2jcn
July 6, 2016 at 6:59 pm
Yes, I definitely had these same pregnancy symptoms…my baby is now 9 months old but I remember them well.
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:45 pm
hopefully all those symptoms went away now that your sweet baby is here 🙂
Mami2jcn
July 6, 2016 at 7:00 pm
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/750856976003899392
Cindy R
July 6, 2016 at 7:58 pm
When I was pregnant I commented to my doctor that is was nice that the hair on my legs stopped growing because it was becoming difficult to bend over and shave them. I told her that nobody had ever mentioned that neat fact to me. She said in all of her years of taking care of pregnant women and delivering babies, I was the first one who had ever mentioned that to her. Go figure, but I wasn’t about to complain!
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:50 pm
what! that is pretty nuts – my hair is still growing crazy allll over – including my legs! that is awesome cindy!
Julie Wood
July 7, 2016 at 6:18 am
I had very sensitive teeth and gums when I was pregnant. I was so glad that a year before I was pregnant, I had my teeth all fixed! I had to keep an eye on my teeth and gums when I was pregnant because sometimes my gums would bleed!
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:51 pm
sorry to hear that julie – i have noticed mine getting worse in this last trimester! glad you got your teeth fixed before you were pregnant because i bet that would be even worse!
Julie Wood
July 7, 2016 at 6:19 am
tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/751027682834456576
Kate
July 7, 2016 at 7:03 am
I had the stuffy nose too! In fact, I had it almost the entire pregnancy, and I stilllllll have it now 🙁 I keep it at bay with allergy meds, but I’m hoping these issues will finally stop whenever I stop breastfeeding.
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:56 pm
ohhh so sorry you had it almost your entire pregnancy, kate and not even fair that you still have it now! i really notice it bad at night and mornings but thankfully it hasn’t been the whole time. fingers crossed yours goes away soon!
Jessica To
July 7, 2016 at 2:45 pm
I didn’t have any of these symptoms but I had heard that your vision could change.
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:57 pm
glad you avoided most of these symptoms jessica!
Steve Weber
July 7, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Nope.. and I had no idea things like this happened!
groogruxking40 @ gmail dot com
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 3:59 pm
you and me both 🙂
chelsea recently posted…I Can Do Hard Things
Jessie C.
July 8, 2016 at 1:43 pm
Definitely SENSITIVE TEETH AND GUMS symptoms to me at that time.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 4:01 pm
ugh i have heard that gets really really bad for many women, jessie!
Jessie C.
July 8, 2016 at 1:43 pm
tweet-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/751501534769258496
Lisa Brown
July 9, 2016 at 7:10 am
Not surprised over those symptoms, and especially not surprised over the teeth symptoms. I knew a woman who lost most of her teeth because of one of her pregnancies.
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 4:01 pm
she lost her teeth?! what! i have never heard of that – that’s crazy and thankfully that doesn’t seem to be a common one. whew
Lisa Brown
July 9, 2016 at 7:11 am
tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/751765503069204480
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
Elena
July 9, 2016 at 12:11 pm
I didn’t experience these symptoms
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 4:02 pm
lucky lady!
Elena
July 9, 2016 at 12:13 pm
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/751841619553300480
Janice Cooper
July 9, 2016 at 9:24 pm
I never heard of knew of these symptoms. A co-worker who was pregnant noticed her senses were stronger like her sense of smell.
chelsea
July 11, 2016 at 4:02 pm
yes that’s a very fascinating one that totally could have made the list! it’s bizarre how quickly your sense of smell changes!
Janice Cooper
July 9, 2016 at 9:26 pm
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/751980698496540672
Janice Cooper
July 9, 2016 at 9:28 pm
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40
latanya
July 17, 2016 at 5:34 pm
I have experienced a stuffy nose
latanya
July 17, 2016 at 5:35 pm
https://twitter.com/sweetums82/status/754821773556748288
Madeline
July 23, 2016 at 6:58 pm
I’ve been using Sensodyne lately and it helps when I’m eating cold watermelon or peaches from the fridge. My teeth don’t get as sensitive.
Madeline
July 23, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/757017436923109376
kjasus
July 23, 2016 at 7:51 pm
fortunately i had an easy pregnancy. no real sickness or cravings, just a little weight gain. 😉
kjasus
July 23, 2016 at 7:53 pm
https://twitter.com/raggammuffin/status/757030708292493312
Jeffrey
July 24, 2016 at 4:45 pm
Both of my wife’s pregnancies didn’t have any of those symptoms but she does have teeth sensitivity now. She could benefit in that department and I could use some whitening!
Jeffrey
July 24, 2016 at 4:46 pm
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/757345938881085440.
Anastasia Falling
July 30, 2016 at 1:10 am
It’s seems like everything was unexpected! I don’t know -what- I was really expecting, but I didn’t think it would be so drastic! 🙂
Anastasia Falling
July 30, 2016 at 1:10 am
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/759284543736188928
Margaret Smith
July 31, 2016 at 11:16 am
Never had any of these symptoms when pregnant, however I was very sensitive to smells.
Margaret Smith
July 31, 2016 at 11:18 am
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/759800264819867649
Judith V
August 2, 2016 at 9:26 pm
I went through 6 pregnancies with absolutely no problems. Lucky
Judith V
August 2, 2016 at 9:28 pm
https://twitter.com/sodahoney/status/760678564958056448
shelly peterson
August 14, 2016 at 8:48 pm
I don’t recall having any of these symptoms but I never had a day of morning sickness with all 4 of my pregnancies.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
shelly peterson
August 14, 2016 at 8:49 pm
tweeted https://twitter.com/cshell202/status/765017339960057856
cshell090869 at aol dot com
liz
August 16, 2016 at 12:45 pm
pregnancy makes everything go crazy! lol
Amy Tong
August 19, 2016 at 2:01 am
wow, I didn’t know pregnancy can cause all these things. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and information
amy [at] uTry [dot] it
Amy Tong
August 19, 2016 at 2:02 am
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/766545738180419584
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/766545738180419584
Amy Tong recently posted…Sakura Raindrop Cake (櫻花雨滴凍糕)
Elle
August 23, 2016 at 8:52 am
I didn’t know about all these different symptoms but I am not that shocked given how many changes your body is going through.
Elle
August 23, 2016 at 9:03 am
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/768101266455162880
Tamra H
August 23, 2016 at 1:06 pm
I did not realize these could be symptoms! Very surprising!
Tamra H
August 23, 2016 at 1:07 pm
tweet: https://twitter.com/Twenteries/status/768162623263080448
Cynthia C
August 28, 2016 at 6:32 am
My dentist warned me about bleeding gums when I was pregnant, but I never experienced it.
Cynthia C
August 28, 2016 at 6:33 am
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/769875435270332416
donna
August 30, 2016 at 4:03 pm
I had no idea those things could happen
Susan Smith
September 3, 2016 at 7:22 pm
I have sensitive teeth. Sensodyne helps me enjoy my cold summer food like ice cream with no pain!
Susan Smith
September 3, 2016 at 7:24 pm
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/772243624981438464
OFG
September 8, 2016 at 1:03 pm
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/773959432745123840
OFG
September 8, 2016 at 1:05 pm
I never experienced these, thankfully!
SHannon
September 9, 2016 at 10:23 am
I had a dry nose instead of a stuffy nose…with nose bleeds, which NEVER happens when I’m not pregnant. Amazing what happens!
Normally, my teeth can be sensitive to hot or cold foods/beverages. My mom recommended I use Sensodyne and it really helps with my sensitivity!
SHannon
September 9, 2016 at 10:27 am
https://twitter.com/shiebs24b/status/774282895003422720
maria cantu
September 11, 2016 at 11:16 am
No idea!
Denise L
September 13, 2016 at 4:26 pm
I did not have any of those symptoms. Honestly, I’ve never heard of these things happening in pregnancy. Learn something new everyday!
Denise L
September 13, 2016 at 4:26 pm
tweeted – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/775822511145684992
rebecca
September 18, 2016 at 9:01 am
https://twitter.com/rthomasrd/status/777522675170340866?lang=en
rthomasdtr@yahoo.com
Kristen
September 21, 2016 at 3:57 pm
I never heard of any of these happening, but it’s no wonder…the whole body is going through so many changes at that time!
Kristen
September 21, 2016 at 3:58 pm
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/778714862444609536
Tabathia
September 22, 2016 at 9:07 am
My teeth and gums were sensitive when pregnant but I also gagged every time I brushed my teeth. I was constantly sick, throat felt swollen, had to sleep sitting up
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tabathia
September 22, 2016 at 9:08 am
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/778971202903834624
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tarissa
September 22, 2016 at 9:10 pm
I had no idea about these symptoms… not looking forward to any of them myself. But a stuffy nose, really?
Tarissa
September 22, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/pixel_berry_pie/status/779155845636501504
Stephanie Phelps
September 24, 2016 at 10:33 am
Wow I had no idea. I had four and never experienced anything like that!
katherine
September 24, 2016 at 5:26 pm
I did not have any of these symptoms Thanks God
katherine
September 24, 2016 at 5:26 pm
https://twitter.com/mkjmc/status/779824107928027136
Debbie B
September 26, 2016 at 7:25 pm
its been too many years since i was pregnant – sorry i can’t remember
Debbie B
September 26, 2016 at 7:27 pm
i posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/purplepanda1966/status/780579280304545792
Ellie Wright
September 28, 2016 at 6:41 pm
I had sensitive gums with all 3 pregnancies. I wish Sensodyne had been around when I had my kids.
Ellie Wright
September 28, 2016 at 6:42 pm
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/781292463713640448
Betty Curran
September 29, 2016 at 8:47 am
I’ve always had sensitive teeth and gums and pregnancy didn’t change it at all. I didn’t have anything unusual.
Betty Curran
September 29, 2016 at 8:48 am
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/781505699427692546
Erica
September 29, 2016 at 4:42 pm
i have never had a baby
Erica
September 29, 2016 at 4:43 pm
I have never had a baby. I like your blog post
Erica
September 29, 2016 at 4:44 pm
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/781624362529095680
Kathryn C
September 29, 2016 at 10:33 pm
#SweepstakesEntry – comment
wow no I never knew of these symptoms- I will pass this info to my brother & his wife, they are expecting their first child
kacor7@hotmail.com
Kathryn C
September 29, 2016 at 10:35 pm
my #SweepstakesEntry tweet:
https://twitter.com/thrincor/status/781713761497415680
kacor7@hotmail.com
Tina W
September 29, 2016 at 11:03 pm
I have 14 nieces and nephews so I learned all kinds of strange pregnancy issues thanks to my sisters!
Tina W
September 29, 2016 at 11:05 pm
tweeted: https://twitter.com/tinawoo21/status/781721342899023872
Thomas Murphy
September 30, 2016 at 1:58 pm
I had no idea these things could happen.
Jerry Marquardt
September 30, 2016 at 3:33 pm
It is impossible for me to ever be pregnant, so I did not have any idea the things could happen with toothpaste. I feel fulfilled that a product like Sensodyne is safe.
Jerry Marquardt
September 30, 2016 at 3:34 pm
I publicly Tweeted this giveaway: https://twitter.com/versatileer/status/781970466932158464
Birdiebee
September 30, 2016 at 7:46 pm
I never experienced the stuffy nose but had a change in vision, in my skin, in my hair and my teeth.
Birdiebee
September 30, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Tweeted-https://twitter.com/birdiebee52/status/782034108520083456