Miraculous Facts about Pregnancy

Pregnancy still creates an aura of mystery and wonder for some. After all, how many people were once told that a stork was responsible for their existence? Many question why women who endure being pregnant give off an unearthly glow, make frequent trips to the lavatory, and enjoy strange cravings. Life is stranger than fiction, and there are definitely some weird and wonderful tidbits about the miracle of life.

That’s Mr. Mom to You, Buddy!

Seahorses are one of the only creatures on planet Earth where the males store fertilized eggs in a pouch and later give birth to thousands of fully-formed babies. The pipefish is the only other creature where males are the ones to give birth.

An Extra-Late Delivery

The year was 1945. At age 25, a normal healthy woman named Beulah Hunter didn’t give birth until after 375 days. That’s a little over year being stuck with a bun in the oven!


Test Tube Miracle
After trying to conceive a child unsuccessfully for nine years, a couple turned to science. The result was the birth of the first successful “test tube baby.” Louise Joy Brown was born in Great Britain in July 1978, after her mother Lesley Brown used Dr. Patrick Steptoe’s now widely accepted, experimental fertilization procedure. This is now commonly known as IVF, or In vitro fertilization.


A Surefire Way to Twins

Ladies be advised. Women who are overweight, very tall, or over the age of 35 are more apt to have twins. Also, the rate of twins being born is on the rise thanks to IVF treatments.

 Giving Meaning to Being Fruitful and Multiplying

The wife of a Russian farmer named Feodor Vassilyev, gave birth to an astonishing 69 children in the 18th century. 67 of their offspring managed to survive, and several medical journals were intrigued by the results. The mother successfully gave birth to 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets!

No Worries, Just Push the Pause Button

Kangaroos are one of the only animals on the planet that is typically, almost always pregnant. Luckily for these marsupials, they can pause their own pregnancies and delay birth. Guess that leaves some room in that pouch for other stuff, when a Joey isn’t around.

Eat This for Twins

Among the Yoruba people, who are found throughout Nigeria, Benin, and other West African countries, the consumption of yams leads to a greater likelihood of being pregnant with twins. Apparently, yams contain certain chemicals that encourage the release of more than one egg, and increase the overall chance of having twins. Benin has one of the highest rates of twin births in the world. There are 27.9 twins born every 1,000 births in the country. The town of Igbo-Ora, in Nigeria, is known as the Twin Capital of the world. Move over fertility pills, pass the yams please!

Baby to the Rescue

If a pregnant mom suffers damage to her organs, stem cells of the fetus can migrate to the mother and repair damaged tissue. Babies are a mom’s hero.

 Baby is not the Only One Growing

In addition to baby’s growth and development, a pregnant woman’s uterus increases up to 500 times its original size. Also, a pregnant lady typically gets an enlarged heart, increased breast size, and grows a size larger in their shoe size too. This is usually reversed after the baby is born, and things go back to normal. Some ladies do end up with permanently larger feet though. Don’t you dare call them boats or clown shoes.

 Talk to the Bump

Babies can hear and feel what is going on around them in the outside world, which means that they actually can respond to parents talking to the baby bump. Babies start picking up on their mother tongue as early as 6 months in the womb. Babies also enjoy moving around to music, and react to their mom’s movements too.

Oh-Dear! What’s That Smell

There’s a reason why women who get pregnant have an uncanny and seemingly over-developed sense of smell. No, that mom-to-be is not imagining things, that stinky cheese and fish sandwich smells really potent. This is a biological feature, ensuring that the mother uses her sense of smell to avoid food and other dangerous items, which could cause harm to her unborn child.

 Pass on the Pain Management Please

In the 1900s, doctors got the zany idea to put ladies to sleep during childbirth. This was to cut down on the amount of hysterics from pregnant ladies thrashing around when being strapped down during labor. It was a standard practice for the time. Unfortunately, the “Twilight” treatment had a downside. Sometimes the ladies and the babies being delivered never managed to wake up.

 Don’t Fear the Big O

It is perfectly normal and safe for most pregnant ladies to still get it on while pregnant. Having an orgasm can bring on contractions, but they most likely will not induce labor. Surprisingly, nipple stimulation is the only proven “soft induction method” to bring about a delivery.

 Please Excuse Me, It’s Just My Mommy Brain

The phenomenon nicknamed “mommy brain” is a real thing where hormones can actually cause a mother to forget things more easily. Even after giving birth to her child, a mom still might deal with fuzzy memory and rampant forgetfulness.

 Never too Old to be a Mom

Rajo Devi Lohan, of Hissar, India, used IVF treatments at the age of 69 years of age. She nearly died from delivery complications, but both she and her daughter survived. Rajo was determined to have a child, and she successfully gave birth to a healthy girl, named Naveen.

 Cravings for Paper and Dirt

“Pica” is the name given to describe the desire to consume non-foods. This happens a lot to some pregnant women, who may not realize that their craving for paper, shampoo, dirt, or another non-food item is because of a possible nutrient deficiency.

 Not Always an Arrival to the Finish Line

Sadly, 10 to 25% of pregnancies actually end in miscarriage. Usually, a woman may not even realize she was ever pregnant. A miscarriage can take place within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

 Milk on Tap and Busy Keeping it Moving

Pregnant ladies and mom’s who have recently given birth will almost always automatically produce breast milk at the sound of an infant crying. Mother Nature’s way of not making a baby have to wait too long for the food, right?

Babies don’t just spend their time eating, drinking, and sleeping in mom’s womb. Babies practice crying, wave, and even masturbate. Maybe Freud was on to something.