19 Things You Didn't Know About Pregnancy That Will Really Surprise You

The human body. It's weirdly amazing.

Ah, babies, what beautiful creatures. But what's even more beautiful (and crazy, really) is pregnancy. BuzzFeed spoke with Mary Jane Minkin, MD — a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine — to find out what really happens to your body during pregnancy.

1. The amniotic fluid inside you — the stuff your baby is living in — is actually pee.

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A few weeks after conception, amniotic fluid starts forming with your own bodily fluids. But, when the baby's kidneys start producing urine (usually around 11 weeks), it builds up to cushion and protect the baby. At about 20 weeks, the amniotic fluid is almost completely urine. Dr. Minkin said, "The baby is sitting in its own pee, and breathing in its own pee."

2. Your vagina may turn blue.

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"A blue vagina is more varicose veins than anything else due to increased blood flow in pregnancy," said Minkin.

3. Speaking of blood flow, your total circulating blood volume increases by 50% during pregnancy.

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Dr. Minkin said, "You end up with preferential blood flow to your uterus because the kid is sucking it up. Lots of blood goes to that kid."

4. Some of your baby's DNA will be in your bloodstream.

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"Does it stay there forever? No, it doesn’t. But, it is harder to identify a female baby's DNA because she has two X chromosomes and the mother has two X chromosomes. It’s easier to identify a male baby's DNA because he has the Y chromosome floating around."

5. You will be hungrier, but you really shouldn't "eat for two."

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"You are more hungry during pregnancy, but I always tell people that eating for two is nice — but don’t. The typical caloric intake during pregnancy is about 300 extra calories a day."

6. Your feet will grow during pregnancy.

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Sometimes they shrink back, but a lot of times they do not. "I tell all my patients who have not had a child yet to not buy an entire collection of Jimmy Choos or Pradas because they’ll probably need bigger ones later on," said Minkin.

7. Your hips actually get looser and that's why we see pregnant women waddling.

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"The pubic symphysis, the middle bone that's right at the top of your vagina, actually separates a little bit. It’s called pubic symphysis separation. For some people it’s symptomatic; they waddle, and it becomes painful. Some women have to wear corsets to hold it together. We believe it’s caused by a hormone called 'relaxin.' For some people it takes awhile for it to go back, so they still waddle after the pregnancy."

8. You have a mucous plug, and you might lose it at some point during your pregnancy.

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Some people don’t lose their mucus plug. Some people have a lot of mucus, some don’t. You don’t have to expel your mucus plug to go into labor.

9. Your skin will change pigmentation very easily.

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"We regularly see pregnant women get pigmented. I always tell patients they’re more sun sensitive when they’re pregnant, so when they go out into the sun, please wear sun block."

10. And you'll likely get very sweaty, very easily.

"This is caused by hormones and increased blood flow. Progesterone is actually a thermogenic hormone. Women who are pregnant usually have a higher temperature."

11. "Pregnancy brain" is a real thing.

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"I think there’s something real to 'pregnancy brain.' Why you get it, we don’t know. We think it is because women tend to be much more tired during pregnancy, and they’re not sleeping, or the quality of the sleep is bad, particularly towards the end your pregnancy."

12. Most people grow more hair during pregnancy.

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"Some people do notice more hair during pregnancy. I think it’s related to higher levels of estrogen. The other thing that’s scary for some is postpartum – many women will lose hair. It’s probably related to the estrogen levels going down."

13. Your boobs will hurt and swell, and they may leak.

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"Often times, a pregnant woman's breasts will secrete a clear fluid called colostrum. The nipples will start leaking, so many women wear little shields in their bras to keep them from leaking onto their shirt."

14. There could be small changes to your voice during pregnancy.

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"If you’re a singer, or someone who relies on their voice, your lung volume goes down in general because your diaphragm is pushed up by the baby which makes it harder to breathe. Singers will notice changes because of your lung capacity."

15. About halfway through your pregnancy, you will see a dark, vertical line on your stomach.

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"The linea nigra is from the hormones of the pregnancy. It’s pretty common and most women will get that."

16. Your nipples may change color.

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"The nipples changing colors goes with the linea nigra. It’s related to higher levels of estrogen."

17. Your stomach will get itchy.

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"Itchy stomach is common because the skin is stretching. I always tell patients to use a lot of moisturizer to try to get the skin stretchier."

18. You might bleed during pregnancy.

"Women can bleed during pregnancy, but it technically won’t be a period. Some women will have natural bleeding while they’re pregnant. That being said, any bleeding should still be reported to the doctor."

19. And — you probably already know this — but YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO PEE.

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"Some of the hormonal changes in pregnancy give people the feeling that they need to pee. Their progesterone levels go up. Early on, it’s not necessarily pressure from the uterus, it’s more of a hormonal change than the sides of the uterus pressing on the bladder. But, as the pregnancy progresses, the uterus does start pressing on the bladder. The bladder is actually attached to the uterus."