Anne Hathaway is discovering that every pregnancy can bring its own surprises. While expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman, the Oscar-winning actress has found herself dealing with an unusually powerful sense of smell — one that she jokingly described as feeling like a trip through different decades.
Hathaway, 43, spoke about her pregnancy during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, sharing some of the unexpected changes she has experienced while balancing pregnancy with a packed schedule of film promotions.
Anne Hathaway Was Pregnant Before Her ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Press Tour
Hathaway revealed that she found out she was pregnant only about two and a half weeks before the promotional tour for The Devil Wears Prada 2 began.
The timing meant she had to navigate the early part of her pregnancy while preparing for interviews, appearances, travel and red-carpet events connected with the highly anticipated sequel.
The actress is already a mother to two sons, Jonathan and Jack, with husband Adam Shulman. However, she explained that her third pregnancy has felt different from her previous experiences.
Rather than experiencing exactly the same symptoms she remembered from her first pregnancy, Hathaway noticed several new or particularly noticeable changes this time.
Her Sense of Smell Became Extremely Sensitive
One of the biggest surprises was the dramatic change in her sense of smell.
Hathaway described it as the “craziest” symptom she had experienced during this pregnancy. What made it particularly unusual was that smells did not simply seem stronger — they appeared to trigger vivid associations with different periods of her life.
“I went back to the 80s,” Hathaway told Fallon, explaining that pregnancy seemed to make her experience smells almost as though she could detect different eras at once.
Her description prompted laughter from the audience, but it also highlighted one of the stranger sensory changes that can accompany pregnancy.
Hotel Corridors Became a Sensory Challenge
The heightened sensitivity was particularly difficult during her busy promotional schedule.
While travelling for the press tour, Hathaway encountered a constant stream of smells in hotels and other public spaces. She recalled walking through areas such as service corridors, kitchens and elevators, where food, rubbish and room-service leftovers could all become unexpectedly noticeable.
Perfume and cologne were another challenge.
The actress explained that even people she liked could become difficult to stand close to when strong fragrances were involved. A normal greeting or conversation could suddenly become an exercise in managing an overwhelming smell.
For Hathaway, those experiences became one of the unexpected realities of continuing to work while pregnant.
From Surviving the First Trimester to Avoiding the Pregnancy Waddle
Hathaway also joked about the simple goals she set for herself as her pregnancy progressed.
During the first trimester, her main objective was essentially to get through public appearances without dry-heaving. Now that she is further along, her focus has shifted to another very relatable concern: avoiding the pregnancy “waddle” while out in public.
The comments showed Hathaway’s ability to laugh at the less glamorous aspects of pregnancy while continuing to handle an exceptionally busy professional period.
Anne Hathaway Embraces the Unexpected Side of Pregnancy
Although Hathaway has experienced pregnancy before, her latest journey has reminded her that no two pregnancies necessarily feel identical.
Between a heightened sense of smell, physical changes and the demands of an international promotional schedule, the actress has had plenty of unexpected moments to navigate.
Rather than presenting those experiences as complaints, Hathaway spoke about them with humour and perspective. Her story also offers a glimpse into how she has been balancing one of the most personal periods of her life with the very public demands of Hollywood.
As she prepares to welcome her third child, Hathaway appears to be taking each new change as it comes — even when that means feeling as though her nose has developed the ability to travel through time.
