Sure, some moms-to-be exude a certain pregnant loveliness...until they fart in an elevator or snore like a foghorn in the night. The fact is, a lot of nasty stuff happens to your body when you're pregnant  -- stuff your friends may be embarrassed to tell you about, and your doctor may gloss over because they're not big health concerns, says Trish Booth, author of Pregnancy Q&A: Authoritative and Reassuring Answers to the Questions on Your Mind. "Pregnant women have questions about what's happening, yet they're just told, 'Oh, that's normal.' But when you've got excessive gas or find strange things on your skin, the last thing you feel is normal," adds Booth. Let us be the first to give you the straight dish.

"What just came out of me?!"
Symptoms: Sticky white or pale yellow discharge can be constant during pregnancy, leaving you feeling in frequent need of new undies. Talk to your doctor if it develops a foul odor, itches or burns, or becomes greenish-yellow or very thick or watery; you may have an infection.
Cause: Increased hormones and vaginal blood flow.
How to deal: Wear a lightweight sanitary pad, and use personal wipes for a quick cleansing. Don't douche or use vaginal deodorants; they can be irritating.

"I leak when I laugh"
Symptoms: You laugh, you sneeze...you leak.
Cause: Well, let's see. You're instructed to drink something like 64 ounces of liquid a day, and you've got an extra 10 or so pounds of baby and uterus sitting on your bladder. It seems pretty obvious.
How to deal: Give yourself permission to pee  -- a lot. The more you hold in, the more there is to leak. Use mini-pads (or thin maxis), and keep a spare pair of underwear with you. Finally, try Super Kegels to improve muscle tone: Empty your bladder, then tighten your pelvic floor muscles and hold (like you're holding your pee). When the muscles begin to naturally release, squeeze and tighten again, until you feel a tingling sensation. Hold and count to 20. Do about five Super Kegels a day, but not all at once.

Stephanie Wood is a Babytalk contributing editor.

Stumble Upon Facebook Del.icio.us Google Yahoo Digg it