Aussie Olympian reveals bizarre 'crumbly' pregnancy side effect

Sharing a pic of her brittle peepers on Instagram, the mum-of-2 explained:

"Well that’s officially something I didn’t know could happen during pregnancy.. ???"

(Same here ?)

She then added a few appropriate hashtags just to drive home how weird she found the situation: "#byebyebigtoenails #27weekspregnant #randompregnancyweirdness #whydonailsjustfalloffthough #likewtaf #notfungusiswear"

Indeed, we've always known that nails, especially fingernails, are often expected to strengthen and grow quickly at around the 28th week of pregnancy.

So, how does that explain the exact opposite as a side effect when you're expecting?

The Daily Mail Australia asked obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Gino Pecaro, who revealed:

"There are different conditions within pregnancy that sensitive or broken toenails can be a sign of - namely iron deficiency which is super common due to the demands on the iron reserves to make the baby and the placenta.

"During the pregnancy women need more iron and if you are iron deficient before you even start this can lead to all kinds of issues including brittle nails and Koilonychia, a sign of iron-deficiency anemia, which leads to thin nails."

He also noted the importance of wearing the right size shoes for your newly-swollen feet, to protect the nail, especially if you're walking long distances.

That's no reason to panic, though - if you're experiencing the same brittle and broken toenail symptoms and you're pregnant, just mention it to your GP or midwife ?

Image: Instagram/Libby Trickett

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