On Tiktok, a particular physical change related to pregnancy is talked about: the nose of pregnancy. What is it exactly? Is it dangerous for the pregnant woman or the baby? We take stock.
Pregnancy causes many physical changes in a woman. Over the months, certain parts of the body are transformed: the belly becomes rounder, the chest grows, the ankles swell, stretch marks appear and sometimes brownish spots appear on the face, also called pregnancy mask. These physical modifications are for the most part known to everyone, but some are, to say the least, unknown and surprising, such as the famous “pregnancy nose”. On the Tiktok platform, pregnant women, or who have been, have shed light on this phenomenon through the hashtag #Pregnancynosis.
What is the pregnancy nose?
In their videos on Tiktok, these expectant mothers revealed photos or short videos of their noses before and during pregnancy. Result : all have seen their noses grow and sometimes even double in size. the pregnancy nose therefore refers to a magnification of this part of the face.
Why does the nose widen when you are pregnant?
According to Dr. Shannon M. Clark, gynecologist and specialist professor of obstetric and maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Texas, interviewed by the media NBC Newsthe pregnancy nose is a fairly common phenomenon and normal in pregnant women. “There are typical physiological changes of pregnancy that occur in everyone, the first being basal dilatation, where you have dilation of the blood vessels of the body”explains the specialist. This is partly due to pregnancy hormones which lead to the relaxation of blood vessels (they will thus take on more volume), but also to increased blood flowwhich explains why the nose is sometimes sensitive and can swell in some pregnant women.
Pregnancy nose: when should you worry?
Seeing your nose grow and grow can be impressive, but this physical change is not neither dangerous nor painful for the pregnant woman and her baby. Furthermore, this does not lastusually the nose returns to its normal shape after childbirth. “After childbirth, there is a hormonal drop which means that these edemas actually disappear”assured the gynecologist Nasrine Callet to our colleagues from Loopsider. In contrast, Dr. Shannon M. Clark warns that other symptomswho declare themselves after 20 weeks of pregnancy (22 WA), are serious and must alert in particular: swelling in the face and/or hands, visual disturbances (hypersensitivity to light, “flies”, spots or shine in front of the eyes), headaches, high blood pressure, tinnitus, abdominal pain , vomiting or decrease or stoppage of urine. “These are all signs of preeclampsia“, warns the doctor. Pre-eclampsia is a severe pregnancy illness which provokes in France a third of very premature births and which is still today second leading cause of maternal deathindicates the website of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). If you notice these signs during your pregnancy, see a doctor quickly.