Current:Home > Contact-us‘Pregnancy nose’ videos go viral. Here's the problem with the trend.-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
‘Pregnancy nose’ videos go viral. Here's the problem with the trend.
View Date:2025-01-13 02:25:58
When Dara Natale, known as “Mama D” on TikTok, was pregnant with her first child, comments started flooding in on her posts: “I can tell you’re pregnant because of your nose.”
Natale was confused and told her followers, “I just have a big nose, which I’ve known my whole life, and that’s fine.”
But when she and her husband were looking through old photos from her pregnancy, they realized her followers were right — her nose was a completely different size.
Natale posted their revelation to TikTok last week, writing, “When you and your husband were blind to your pregnancy nose and can’t believe that’s what you looked like.”
The video has accumulated nearly twenty million views, and negative reactions like, “Pregnancy nose is (one) of my top reasons to not getting pregnant” have populated the comments section.
What is 'pregnancy nose'?
“Pregnancy nose” describes swelling that can alter the appearance of a person’s nose during pregnancy, according to Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, a board-certified OBGYN and author of “Let's Talk About Down There.” People may also notice that their nose runs more frequently, according to Dr. Franziska Haydanek, an OBGYN and online health educator.
Lincoln and Haydanek say this is completely normal, and occurs due to the natural increase in body fluid in your blood cells that accompanies pregnancy.
“It’s about a 50 percent increase from our nonpregnant baseline,” Haydanek says. “So that causes all of the tissues in our body to swell.”
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can also cause the blood vessels in the nose to dilate, according to Lincoln, and can cause your nose to look broader or larger.
When does 'pregnancy nose' occur, and how long does it last?
It's unlikely that pregnancy nose will have permanently change your face, as bodily swelling will decrease after pregnancy, according to Hydandek.
“It can be noticeable in the third trimester as this is when lots of pregnancy-related changes peak,” Lincoln says. “And it almost always gets better after giving birth.”
While pregnancy nose is not a cause to worry, Lincoln advises “checking in with your healthcare provider if you notice swelling in other areas like your entire face and hands, or if it’s associated with symptoms like headaches, vision changes or pain where your liver is.”
These can be signs of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication related to high blood pressure.
However, Haydanek says other symptoms, such as leg or vaginal swelling, can be normal during pregnancy.
Body shaming and pregnancy
Natale was bullied for “having a big nose” growing up, but she "grew thick skin” and feels unbothered by it now. However, it was “triggering” to have people comment on her appearance during her pregnancy.
After posting about her "pregnancy nose blindness," she got “pretty beat up in the comments” by people saying her “nose is still a big size.”
Strangers also told her that her husband had been lying to her and “wasn’t blind to it.”
What bothered Natale more than comments on her own appearance was the thought that other women may take them to heart. She hopes that they can find comfort in her attempts to normalize the bodily changes that occur during pregnancy.
“Whether it’s a negative or positive aspect, we’ve created a beautiful little human being,” Natale adds. “If my nose had to be big for three of the nine months that I was pregnant, then that’s what it is, and then it goes back to normal right after.”
Meanwhile, she also shared that her husband would tell her that he had “never been more attracted” to her throughout her pregnancy.
“I’m glad he was supportive and I’m glad he didn’t call out negative things on my body,” she says, adding that she hopes all women can get the same type of reaction from their husbands or partners.
Haydanek also says it's important for people to be vulnerable about their experiences.
"A lot of people make pregnancy seem like this beautiful, happy time. In reality, a lot of people are very uncomfortable," she says. "Helping normalize the discomfort or those changes in their bodies that they don't like makes people feel less alone."
The fixation on 'pregnancy nose' is rooted in idealized beauty standards
In another video, TikToker Becky Hathaway shared before and afters of her pregnancy nose and received similarly negative comments. One user called for the “girl with the list,” referencing a viral account that documents hundreds of reasons to remain childfree. Other users shared that their normal nose looks exactly like the pregnancy noses this trend seemed to be shaming.
“Pregnant or not pregnant, women are always held to those types of body standards,” Natale says.
The “typically accepted, idolized nose” is small and “very European,” according to Lincoln.
“Historically, a broader or larger nose has not always been considered beautiful and that can lead to pregnant people with a pregnancy nose feeling distressed or undesirable,” she says.
“I hope that we can reframe this and understand (that) we don't have to subscribe to outdated ideals of beauty,” Lincoln adds. “Especially when we are busy growing a human.”
veryGood! (87116)
Related
- Repair Hair Damage In Just 90 Seconds With This Hack from WNBA Star Kamilla Cardoso
- Reports: 1 man dead from canyon fall at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois
- Watch: How to explore famous museums around the world with Google Arts & Culture
- How can we end human trafficking? | The Excerpt
- Lions QB Jared Goff, despite 5 interceptions, dared to become cold-blooded
- Kiss and Tell With 50% Off National Lipstick Day Deals: Fenty Beauty, Sephora, Ulta, MAC & More
- 2024 Olympics: Gymnast Jade Carey Shares Why She Fell During Floor Routine
- Krispy Kreme: New Go USA doughnuts for 2024 Olympics, $1 doughnut deals this week
- NFL Week 10 injury report: Live updates on active, inactive players for Sunday's games
- She took on world's largest porn site for profiting off child abuse. She's winning.
Ranking
- Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin’s libel claim against The New York Times
- The latest stop in Jimmer Fredette's crazy global hoops journey? Paris Olympics.
- USDA moves to limit salmonella in raw poultry products
- She took on world's largest porn site for profiting off child abuse. She's winning.
- Giuliani’s lawyers after $148M defamation judgment seek to withdraw from his case
- Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on Monday?
- Canada appeals Olympic women's soccer spying penalty, decision expected Wednesday
- Swarm of dragonflies startles beachgoers in Rhode Island
Recommendation
-
Real Housewives of New York City Star’s Pregnancy Reveal Is Not Who We Expected
-
The latest stop in Jimmer Fredette's crazy global hoops journey? Paris Olympics.
-
Jessica Springsteen goes to Bruce and E Street Band show at Wembley instead of Olympics
-
7 people shot, 1 fatally, at a park in upstate Rochester, NY
-
DWTS' Sasha Farber Claps Back at Diss From Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader
-
Starter homes are worth $1 million in 237 U.S. cities. See where they're located.
-
How long are cats pregnant? Expert tips for owners before the kittens arrive.
-
Phaedra Parks Officially Returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 16