6 strange things that can happen when you're pregnant, from craving cement to your nose growing

• A TikToker is collecting strange pregnancy side effects in what's dubbed "The List."
• Unexpected changes can include mouth tumors and dough-like skin.

When that second line appears on a pregnancy test, a million thoughts could rush through your mind, from excitement that you're starting a family to anxiety about morning sickness.

You probably wouldn't think about developing an intense urge to eat cement — but craving inedible objects is just one of many little-known potential pregnancy side effects, which people have been sharing in TikTok videos.

In one video, a pregnant user's skin is pressed after giving birth, leaving behind indents that make her leg look like uncooked bread dough. In another a woman shares photos before and after she got pregnant, showing a noticeably bigger nose.

Comments on the videos tell people to alert "the girl with The List": a TikToker who is documenting the pros and cons of pregnancy, from morning sickness to back pain and beyond, by collecting people's stories shared on the platform.

To learn more about the unexpected side effects of pregnancy, Insider spoke to Dr. Zahra Ameen, consultant gynecologist and obstetrician at the Cadogan Clinic, UK.

Pregnancy nose

Pregnancy nose is when a pregnant person's nose swells up, generally during the final trimester of pregnancy, Ameen said, and it's relatively common.

She said the volume of blood circulating around the body increases during pregnancy, in turn increasing the amount of blood flowing to the nose, which can cause swelling that can be made worse by hormonal changes.

In the final trimester, there is an increased amount of water retention in the face and so the nose can swell further, Ameen said.

The changes in shape and size are generally temporary and things should go back to normal around six weeks after pregnancy, according to Ameen.

Changes in skin color

Pregnancy hormones can cause changes in skin color, Ameen said, and it's quite common for people to get the linea nigra: a dark line down the stomach through the belly button. Others may notice their freckles or the skin between their thighs darkening.

This can be more noticeable for those with fairer skin tones, Ameen said.

Mouth tumors

During pregnancy, around 5% of women will notice small "tumors" on their gums, Ameen said.

The tumors are nothing to worry about, however — they are not cancerous, but simply due to swelling in the gums caused by hormones, and will disappear after birth.

Mosquitos bites

Research suggests that pregnant women are twice as likely to be bitten by mosquitos.

One potential reason that mosquitos could be more attracted to pregnant women is because they breathe out slightly more breath than non-pregnant women, and mosquitos are attracted to the extra moisture and carbon dioxide.

Mosquitos might also be able to detect pregnant women slightly better as their abdomens are a little warmer.

Luckily, most mosquito repellents are safe to use while pregnant.

Craving inedible objects

An estimated 50 to 90% of pregnant women will experience food cravings of some sort. However, some are extreme, like craving inedible objects with no nutritional value, Ameen said.

What is known as pica usually lasts a month or so, involving cravings for dirt, clay, or coal.

When this happens, the patient might have to be counseled to keep the cravings under control, but there's not a lot else that can be done, Ameen said.

This is very uncommon, however, and Ameen said she's only seen a couple of people with this condition during her whole career.

"One patient told me she had a craving for cement," she said.

Dough-like skin

Pitting edema is when there's a fluid buildup in the body that causes swelling, causing the skin to dimple if pressed.

Dr. Deborah Lee, a sexual and reproductive health specialist, told Cosmopolitan UK that pitting edema is caused by fluid leaking out of the veins and getting trapped under the skin. Normally muscles pump the fluid back into blood circulation but in pregnancy, there is so much fluid that it accumulates.