It's Science: Pregnancy Can Be Contagious Among Friends

Humans are social beings. That’s why our environment and interpersonal interactions have a huge impact on our decisions. When a woman sees a pregnant friend, she can easily get a subconscious message that pregnancy is a good thing.

Surprisingly enough, this “pregnancy contagion” thing doesn’t occur when it comes to siblings. Some scientists put it down to the fact that people have stronger emotional bonds to their friends than with their siblings. 

One study revealed that about 80% of expectant mothers have memory impairment. But what causes these mommy memory lapses still remains unknown.

Her heart also gets bigger because blood volume increases up to 50% to supply enough oxygenated blood to the baby. The heart has to pump all that extra blood around the body, which means double the work.

An expectant mother has a perfect excuse to go on a shoe-shopping spree because quite often, her regular shoes become too small! It happens because of a hormone called relaxin that’s produced during pregnancy.

An increase in estrogen and progesterone levels may result in swelling of the vocal cords.

Most women usually deliver within 10 days of their expected due date. But some of them get to carry their newborns much longer. There are cases of 10- or even 11-month pregnancies! 

Unpleasant odors may become more intense than before, and the smells a soon-to-be mom once liked can make her nose wrinkle.

Hormonal spikes can cause changes in her sense of taste as well, and that’s why she starts having food cravings that may seem weird to others.

A partner of a soon-to-be mom or even her close friend or relative can also gain weight, have morning sickness, and experience back pain during her pregnancy.