Bigger nose during pregnancy: Does this mean you are expecting a baby boy or girl?

Is your nose getting bigger by the week, just like your pregnancy bump?

If the old wives' tale is to be believed, you must be expecting a boy.

The fact is, your nose could become bulbous too if you're carrying a girl.

"Pregnancy doesn't just change your body - fluid retention and swelling can affect the nose," Dr Goh Shen Li, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in S L Goh Women's Clinic at Mount Alvernia Medical Centre D, explains.

"Some expectant women may notice an increased roundness in the cheeks. Your skin also tends to look redder due to an increase in blood flow in the blood vessels."

Unfortunately, that's not all.

Pregnancy hormonal changes can cause an increase in pigmentation. Nearly one out of two mums-to-be show some signs, such as melasma (dark splotchy spots on the face) or new moles.

Thankfully, the pigmentation is likely to fade after six months, though it won't disappear entirely. So, wait till then before considering skin-lightening procedures.

How about your nose? Here's the assurance that you need.

"As for your chubby nose and cheeks, they will return to normal within six months after delivery," Dr Goh says.

This article was first published in Young Parents.