Pregnancy is something we have all heard about. The heartburn, the stretch marks, the pain of labor, all things we've heard about a billion times before. What you don't know, is there are a ton of other things nobody tells you until AFTER you are freaking out wondering if something is wrong. Since I'm not that cruel, I am giving a list of things that most people do not know about pregnancy before they are pregnant.
1.) Your nasal passages will swell, making you a mouth breather, and also giving you nose bleeds. Why? The amount of blood in your body increases while you are pregnant to make sure your little bundle of joy is getting enough oxygen. Unfortunately, our bodies tend to go a little overboard and make so much that it had no place to go, causing the veins to swell, and sometimes, bust.
2.) You will itch. Everywhere. As your body stretches, your skin doesn't have time to give. If you are prone to stretch marks, they will be very evident, and they will itch all the time. Think about that the next time you get grossed out at the pregnant lady scratching her stomach in public.
3.) Think you don't start producing breast milk until after the baby is born? Well, you're only partially right. Your body can begin making a liquid called colostrum as early as 16 weeks. Sometimes earlier for the lucky few (sarcasm). Because you have colostrum, you may as well break out the nursing pads, unless you want to be walking around with a wet shirt. Don't wait. Buy nursing pads during your second trimester.
4.) You will get something called "round ligament pain" starting usually in the second trimester. Particularly when you do more than you ordinarily do. For the first time mom who has no idea what this is, it can be kind of scary! Your first thought will probably be "oh god I'm cramping I must be bleeding" as you run to the bathroom to make sure everything is Ok. Breathe. If the pain is close to your hip bones, you are probably fine. Running does not help this pain. Trust me.
5.) Your eyesight may act funny. Don't go to the eye doctor, its pretty much pointless, because they will tell you that the culprit is your little bean. Remember me mentioning that your blood increases? Yeah. Once again, you can chalk this up to swollen blood vessels.
6.) Yeast infections and uti's are more common during pregnancy. Our good old hormones keep our body in check, and keep a certain balance that prevents these two annoyances from being a problem. Well, unfortunately, during pregnancy, our bodies decide that it is going to completely forget how to function. Keeping yourself hydrated and drinking cranberry juice, or blueberry if you're like me and can't stand cranberry, can help keep the uti's under control. Pro biotic yogurts and keeping vagisil (or whatever brand you use) around helps with the yeast infections.
7.) Morning sickness does not always end after the first trimester. Ignore the books. Seriously. Speaking from experience. Keep food and drink on hand that helps you with your morning sickness, and ask your doctor what prescriptions might be right for you.
8.) Everything tastes a little different. Example? Before I was pregnant with my son, I LOVED twix bars. They were my favorite candy bar. During my pregnancy with him, I didn't like them. Guess what. That doesn't always change after baby is born either. I don't hate twix, but they definitely aren't my favorite anymore. Prepare yourself! You never know what it's going to be for you. Oh, and you will also crave things you previously hated. Have fun!
9.) Once you start to feel the baby kick, the real panic sets in. If they baby doesn't move for an hour or two, you will find yourself squishing them, poking them, and drinking juice or other sugary beverages just to get them to move. I swear, this is the reason they keep us up at night after they are born. As revenge for all of the times we woke them up while in utero all because we are panicking because their kick count was low.
10.) Last (for now), but not least. When everything is said and done, when you're in the hospital holding this tiny little person that everyone expects you to keep alive, you won't remember any of these terrible things that no one told you about. Until, that is, you get pregnant again. Then you have to think to yourself "I think I may be insane!"
