Uncommon pregnancy problems

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Perplexing problems
Just think of them as the Rodney Dangerfields of the pregnancy world: pregnancy-related aches and pains that quite simply "don't get no respect." While complaints like morning sickness and Braxton-Hicks contractions manage to attract the lion's share of attention, you could make more than a few trips to labour and delivery before ever hearing as much as a whisper about palmar erythema or restless legs syndrome.

Unfortunately, the fact that you're never heard of these types of complaints doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be able to avoid them. (As you've no doubt noticed by now, Mother Nature has a rather nasty sense of humour when it comes to these sorts of things!) So, in the interests of preventing you from hitting the panic button at 3:00 a.m. when you find yourself confronting some new and unexpected symptom, here's a list of the pregnancy symptoms that seem to get left out of the pregnancy books.

Belly button soreness
I know, I know. It sounds like the most frivolous pregnancy complaint in the world, but it can actually be quite painful. Belly button pain is caused by the pressure of the expanding uterus on your belly button. It is most annoying at around the 20th week of pregnancy. After that, the tenderness starts to subside.

Increased vaginal secretions
Convinced that you've developed a vaginal infection because your secretions have suddenly become much wetter and more abundant? Chances are you're dealing with a little-talked-about side effect of the hormonal changes of pregnancy. It's normal to experience an increase in the amount of leukorrhea (the odourless clear or white mucous discharge produced by the female body) during pregnancy. (Of course, if you're experiencing soreness or pain or if your discharge becomes greenish-yellow, foulish-smelling or watery, you'll want to seek medical attention. You may have developed an infection or be leaking amniotic fluid.)

Palmar erythema
Have the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet suddenly taken on a reddish hue? You may be experiencing palmar erythema -- skin changes that are triggered by that unique hormonal cocktail called pregnancy. The good news is that palmar erythema is fully reversible. The bad news? You'll have to wait until after you give birth for your skin to return to normal.

Skin tags
As if palmar erythema wasn't enough to deal with, you may also develop skin tags -- tiny polyps that occur in areas of the body where the skin rubs up against your clothing or against itself (in the folds of your neck, along your bra lines, and so on). If these skin tags end up causing you a lot of discomfort, you might want to talk to your doctor about having them removed. If they're just mildly annoying, you may just want to wait for them to go away on their own -- something that typically happens a couple of months after you give birth.

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