OTHER STRANGE SIDE-EFFECTS OF EXPECTING…

SWELLING FEET: Some women, such as TV presenter Denise van Outen, claim their feet go up a size during pregnancy and never go back.

After giving birth to daughter Betsy in 2010, Denise, 44, said her feet swelled from a size five to a six — meaning she had to give away all her designer heels. This is due to the presence of the hormone relaxin, which can cause the feet to spread out.

SHRINKING BRAIN: You’ve heard of ‘baby brain’, but scientists say it’s a real phenomenon, which can permanently affect how women think and react. A 2017 study found that the brain gets smaller and more efficient during pregnancy, as it prepares to form bonds during motherhood. Other women report a change in personality and memory loss.

LOWER VOICE: Hormones can also change the pitch of women’s voices. The increase in oestrogen and progesterone may cause the vocal cords to swell, as well as affecting lung capacity and muscle control, causing voices to move to a lower pitch — and stay there.

CHANGING TASTES: Many women report a transformation in tastebuds, not just during

pregnancy but afterwards, with some developing a fondness for foods they previously hated, and vice versa.

Some also report food intolerances, as well as a stronger sense of smell.

These are all due to fluctuating hormones.

STANDING TALLER: It’s common for women to grow a few centimetres. This is thought to be due to the presence of relaxin.

As the pelvis stretches during birth, it’s thought it might twist, stretching the ligaments between the hip joint and the rest of the skeleton.