A women’s health expert has listed some of the most unexpected pregnancy symptoms and why they occur.
From vivid dreams, congestion, insomnia and changes in taste, there has been a major increase in chatter online about the lesser-known symptoms of pregnancy.
This follows a recent rise in interest around the topic, with Google searches for ‘uncommon pregnancy symptoms’ seeing a 350 per cent rise over the last 12 months, whilst the TikTok tag #pregnancysymptoms has accumulated a whopping 703 million views so far.
READ MORE: Irish parents warned to throw out children's soft toy due to risk of choking
The experts at Flo Health have analysed data behind the most-viewed TikToks to identify which of the unexpected symptoms users are most intrigued by - and go on to reveal why they occur.
The findings show that the most-discussed symptom was vivid dreams, which were mentioned in 22 per cent of the TikToks.
Creators also touched on the content of these dreams, explaining they dreamt of things like baby animals and running water in 'high-definition.'
According to Claudia Pastides (MBBS), Director of Medical Accuracy at Flo Health, it’s normal to experience intense dreams. She said: "Although it’s an unexpected symptom for many, it’s often normal to have particularly vivid and more frequent dreams when pregnant.
"Dreaming occurs during the REM stage of the sleep cycle, and typically we experience four or five episodes of dreaming a night.
"However, pregnant women may frequently wake up throughout the night and are more likely to remember their dreams, as their REM stage is repeatedly interrupted."
The second-most discussed symptom was heightened smell, where mild odours become strong and pleasant smells become suddenly unappealing.
Despite pregnant women often saying they experience an increase in their sensitivity to smells, this phenomenon - termed hyperosmia - has not been confirmed by research. However, one possible reason behind changes in smell is changing hormone levels.
The altered smell was mentioned in 16 per cent of the analysed uploads, whilst rounding out the top three surprising symptoms was pelvic pain, also referenced in 16 per cent of the videos.
Claudia says: "Referred to as ‘lightning crotch’ throughout the TikToks, people often describe it as a sudden sharp vaginal or pelvic pain. It’s most prevalent in the third trimester, which could be due to increased pressure on the pelvic nerves as your baby grows bigger."
Top 10 most-discussed surprising pregnancy symptoms, according to TikTok, are:
Vivid dreams
Heightened smell
Pelvic pain
Bigger nipples
Bleeding gums
Congestion
Hot flushes
Tearfulness
Insomnia
Changes in taste
Rounding out the top five symptoms were bigger or darker nipples (16 per cent of TikToks) and bleeding gums (14 per cent) - also known as pregnancy gingivitis.
Meanwhile, vivid dreaming wasn’t the only type of sleep disruption that expectant mothers experienced, with one in 10 TikToks mentioning insomnia - largely due to hormone changes, pregnancy discomfort and increased stress - according to the Sleep Foundation.
When it comes to which type of symptoms expectant mothers were talking about, sensations proved the most surprising (nausea, itchiness, pressure), followed by health issues (acne, acid reflux, congestion) and sleep disruptions (insomnia, vivid dreams).
Commenting on the Flo Health findings, Claudia Pastides added: "Pregnancy can be a time full of unexpected surprises, and TikTok trends like this provide a space for expectant mothers to share their experiences with others.
"However, it’s important to remember that TikTok shouldn’t be used as a source for medical advice and any unexpected pregnancy symptoms should be discussed with your doctor."
READ NEXT:
Biden in Ireland: Everything you need to know about US president's visit
Tears flow as sister of teenager killed after being hit by bus in Longford speaks at funeral
Grand National 2023: Irish-trained winner odds-on in betting as more domination expected
Vogue Williams reveals the reason why she's never asked to star on Strictly Come Dancing
Get news updates direct to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here
