Women know very well what to expect when they are pregnant: sore breasts, swollen ankles, nausea and fatigue are common.
But did you know that a facial feature can change unexpectedly and dramatically during pregnancy?
Browse Pregnancy TikTok and you’ll find advice for expectant parents and the trials and tribulations you can expect each trimester.
But you’ll also likely see a new trend sweeping the platform: “pregnancy nose.”
It is not known how many women are affected by the phenomenon in which a woman’s nose expands and changes shape before childbirth.
Browse Pregnancy TikTok and you’ll find advice for expectant parents and the trials and tribulations you can expect each trimester. But you’ll also likely see a new trend sweeping the platform: “pregnancy nose.” According to Professor Adam Taylor, director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Center and professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, the facial change “may be more noticeable for some women.”
In a video that has been viewed more than 13 million times, TikTok user @tyreecewood1 shared photos of herself before and during her pregnancy and added: “I’m sorry I’ll never get over this.”
In another video, which has been viewed more than 4 million times, @kellieamartinez said: “It was six months before I got pregnant. Never had a big nose, everything is fine.” After revealing pictures of herself when she was pregnant, she added: “Who is this?”
The facial change will be “more noticeable” for some women, according to Professor Adam Taylor, the director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Center and professor of anatomy at Lancaster University.
He explained: “The reason for this is the significant increase in hormone levels during pregnancy, mainly due to the increase in oestrogen, which relaxes blood vessels in all tissues of the body.
“This allows more blood to enter the tissues of the nose, causing it to expand and change shape – making it appear larger and swollen.”
However, this is also “not a cause for concern” as nasal growth “usually disappears on its own within six weeks after birth” once hormones return to normal levels, Professor Taylor said.
In a video that has been viewed more than 13 million times, TikTok user @tyreecewood1 shared photos of herself before pregnancy when her nose looked narrow and small and during her pregnancy when it looked much wider, adding: “Sorry sorry ‘never get over this.’.
In another video, which has been viewed more than 4 million times, @kellieamartinez said: “It was six months before I got pregnant. Never had a big nose, everything is fine.”
After revealing pictures of herself with her nose looking swollen, she added: “Who is this?”
The significant increase in hormone levels can also cause nosebleeds and a stuffy, runny or itchy nose, known medically as rhinitis of pregnancy, Professor Taylor said.
It usually affects about one in five pregnant women.
A 2013 study published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology found that 39 percent of 117 pregnant women had rhinitis of pregnancy.
But Professor Taylor warned that “pregnancy nose” is not the only strange physical change women can experience.
He added: “The heart also develops thicker muscles and changes size during pregnancy.
“This is because the heart has to work much harder at this stage – compared to beating up to eight times a minute before pregnancy – to pump the extra volume of blood through the body and to the baby.”
“In some cases, the amount of blood a woman circulates through her body doubles during pregnancy. This ensures that enough oxygen reaches the baby to support its development.”
Other differences may also include changes in skin color and oral health, and increased hair growth.
Professor Taylor said: “Increased levels of estrogen and progesterone can make the gums more susceptible to bleeding, infection and damage.
About 70 percent of pregnant women get gingivitis [inflammation of the gums].
He added: “Teeth are also at greater risk of damage and tooth decay during pregnancy, especially if a woman has had morning sickness.
“This is because stomach acid can dissolve the gum barrier.”
Altered estrogen levels and increases in the hormone relaxin can also cause teeth to feel “wobbly”.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
