I really love these articles about all the really embarrassing (and supposedly common!) side effects of pregnancy, that no one wants to discuss.  Well, except for the nausea one.  Most women I know are happy to share their morning sickness stories. I had a friend who had to carry bags around with her everywhere she went; vomiting into them became a kind of second nature (for her at least, probably not for the people around her, say, in line at the post office). 

And we all know that pressure on the bladder makes control of certain functions a bit more challenging… but most people won’t admit it: “Sorry, boss, I must be excused from this meeting, I need to run out and buy a new pair of panties… Ya, well, I sneezed, and you know how it is… What’s that?  You think I should pick up a new skirt too? Hmm, yes, I see what you mean….”

Then there are strange smells coming from places you don’t want smelling that way, and swelling of areas you don’t want swelling that way either. There’s gas. There are memory lapses. There’s that hypersensitivity that makes you want to weep when someone looks at you the wrong way.

Not that any of these things ever happens to me, personally, but I have, er, heard that things like this can happen to a pregnant woman…

WebMD has compiled an article in which experts offer tips for coping with everything from excess gas to forgetfulness… Read all about it here: 6 Embarrassing Pregnancy Symptoms. Yes!  You are not alone!