Mum-to-be Arabella Chi admits some pregnancy symptoms have taken her ‘by surprise’, including a HUGE change to her boobs
She's also noticed a massive difference in the condition of her hair
EMBARKING on pregnancy for the first time means experiencing a whole load of symptoms you probably never predicted.
At least that’s the case for former Love Island star Arabella Chi, who recently announced she’s expecting her first child with her businessman boyfriend Billy Henty.
In a , Arabella – who’s due to give birth to a baby girl in May 2025 – explained there are several changes to her body that she wasn’t expecting.
“I probably should have been told some of them, I’m not gonna lie, because some of them have definitely taken me by surprise,” the 33-year-old said.
“I’m gonna start off with probably the one that shook me the most is my boobs.”
Arabella said that while she was expecting her breasts to get bigger during pregnancy, she “honestly didn’t realise” that her nipples would change so drastically.
“I honestly did not realise that they enlarge a massive amount and go extremely dark in colour too,” she marvelled.
“I’ve heard it’s a logical reason. It’s because the baby can’t really see when they’re born so they can see the darker colours easier, which all makes sense.
“However, not gonna lie when my nipples started enlarging getting quite dark. It was quite shocking.
“They just like splats, my nipples right now.”
Arabella also admitted she had no idea just how much she would need to use the toilet in the night now that she’s pregnant.
“I’m very well aware that this is only gonna get worse,” she said.
“Like I know that as I go into the third trimester I will probably be up a million times the night.
“I wake up in the middle of the night, almost the same time every night, needing the toilet.”
Arabella has also found she gets so much thirstier now that she’s expecting, noting her mouth feels “like the Sahara desert” by night time.
The last pregnancy symptom she wasn’t aware of was how much it would affect her hair.
“At the start of when I found out I was pregnant, my hair was amazing,” she said.
“But let me tell you, my hair now – I’ve basically got no hair.
What does the NHS say about exercise in pregnancy?
The NHS states: “The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour.”
It tells women to keep up with exercise for as long as comfortable and that this is not dangerous for the baby.
The NHS tips are:
- Do not exhaust yourself. You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses or if your maternity team advises you to. If in doubt, consult your maternity team.
- As a general rule, you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise when pregnant. If you become breathless as you talk, then you’re probably exercising too strenuously.
- If you were not active before you got pregnant, do not suddenly take up strenuous exercise.
- If you start an aerobic exercise programme (such as running, swimming, cycling or aerobics classes), tell the instructor that you’re pregnant.
- Always warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards
- Try to keep active on a daily basis – 30 minutes of walking each day can be enough, but if you cannot manage that, any amount is better than nothing
- Avoid any strenuous exercise in hot weather
- Drink plenty of water and other fluids
- You might like to try swimming because the water will support your increased weight. Some local swimming pools provide aqua-natal classes with qualified instructors.
- Exercises that have a risk of falling, such as horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics and cycling, should only be done with caution. Falls carry a risk of damage to your baby
“So yeah, well, I hope she’s got a lot of hair because I don’t know where my hair has gone!”
Despite the negatives, Arabella added she’s experienced a fair few positives as well – namely that her skin has improved so drastically.
She also hasn’t experienced any nausea or sickness, and has even been able to keep up with her workout regime too.
“All in all I’ve had a blessing, but there have been some quite shocking ones – the nipples being the most – that has definitely taken me by surprise!” she concluded.
