Now that I am nearing the end of my first trimester (holy crap!) I wanted to share a few thoughts I have on this whole pregnancy business. There are a lot of things I just didn’t know going into this. What’s funny is that a lot of these things I HAD PEOPLE TELL ME WOULD HAPPEN, but in the case of a lot of things in life, I simply had to experience them for myself to fully understand. So, here goes.
1.) I had no idea how exhausted I would be:
Whenever a pregnant friend would tell me about the fatigue, I would feel bad for them, but at the same time, never really thought it was a big deal. I have had PLENTY of times in my life where I have been super tired. I run marathons for crying out loud! I just thought I had seen what “tired” looked like. Falling asleep at the table, crying because you don’t want to get off the couch to go to the bathroom, and you can forget working out. Now that is exhaustion. The thought of running those first few weeks made me ball up into the fetal position and bury my head like an ostrich. It’s real folks, and it sucks. I am still sleeping ten hours a night, but my need for a daily nap has gone, I only take them on days that I workout hard or do things like, go to the grocery store. Also, the exhaustion made the crazy hormones way worse.
2.) I had no idea how much I would worry:
I knew that people had miscarriages, but I never really realized just how many, or how scary the thought was until I was pregnant. I will admit it has been very difficult for me to accept this pregnancy because I keep thinking at any moment it can be gone, because it’s still early….Every little cramp, ache, or odd feeling sends my heart into palpitations, and I constantly worry if baby M is alright in there. I am a control freak, and don’t like that I can’t “see” what’s going on and if everything is on track.
3.) I didn’t realize there are so many symptoms:
You hear of the common things like nausea, fatigue, and boob soreness/growth… but I didn’t know I would be constipated, have SO MUCH acne, be astonishingly forgetful, or be really moody, or have a ton of excess saliva. Gross, I know. This is of course just the tip of the iceberg, but really, I had no idea.
4.) I didn’t quite understand food aversions:
I knew that most pregnant women get nauseated, and that certain smells and foods can make them sick, but what I wasn’t prepared for is having nearly the thought of EVERY food make me sick. Or, that I would simply have no appetite for 99% of the foods on this earth. I’m 13 weeks tomorrow and still can only stomach a handful of things. I cannot wait until the day I CRAVE food again! This girl loves to eat, so it’s no fun.
5.) I didn’t think I would gain weight in other places so early:
I was of course expecting a little bump to start forming, but what I wasn’t expecting so early is for my thighs to grow and my hips to spread. This scares for for when I am much further along! I am hardly eating from the nausea and I am working out as much as I can, but it just won’t stop. I guess I can’t fight genetics on this one.
Hopefully this didn’t scare any future moms to be, but it’s been my truth, and I wanted to share, mainly so I can look back and remember one day and possibly compare my (hopefully) next pregnancy to this one. I realize that even though a lot of these (who am I kidding, all of these) things are unpleasant things, I also know how blessed I am, and that these things are just temporary!
QOTD: What is something you didn’t know going into pregnancy? If you have never been pregnant, what scares you the most about it?
Heather,
Are you having any true heart palpitations or funny beats in your heart that you can feel sometimes in your chest (like a thud, or hiccup feeling) from the new extra blood flow? Just curious. I unfortunately get heartbpalpitations on occasion and I’ve heard they’re really common in pregnancy.
No I’m sorry I didn’t mean to confuse anyone I was saying that as a joke, I haven’t had any actual heart palpitations yet 😉
I haven’t been pregnant, but I honestly think that the thing that would scare me the most about it is 1) Possible early miscarriage, and then 2) All the body changes…like every single one of them. I can handle it for 9 months I think, but the thing that scares me is if I can’t get my normal body back afterwards! I hope that doesn’t sound too horrible.
It’s not horrible, but just look at healthy women you know that have been pregnant and look great now 🙂
You make a fantastic point!! I do admit my fears of body changes have lessened significantly after following so many bloggers who look amazing post-pregnancy!
The body changes surprised me the body changes the most. I stayed active for me, and had a healthy pregnancy. This is the one time in your life that gaining weight is not only ok, but exactly what you are supposed to do. Your Dr will tell you if you are gaining too much, until then don’t worry about it or you will stress yourself out. As for miscarriage, I had to stay away from stories, and pretend to listen but not really when people randomly decided to give that information in places like Target. BTW random people will come up to you all the time, and it doesn’t stop after you have the baby… Then they will come up to the baby.
haha people in Target crack me up. I’m sure I will have some stories, too!
I’m only about 3 weeks ahead of you, and I was totally shocked at how much they’re moving around in there before we can feel them! The exhaustion and constipation blindsided me too 🙂 Dried apricots are a new staple. I was also shocked at what a major lunatic I become when I am hungry or tired 🙂 AND my hips are starting to spread too!
yes! At the last u/s I couldn’t believe how much baby was moving!
Lol! I know it’s not funny but I so remember all of this! No one told me how gross I would feel that first trimester! And no one told me how brushing my teeth would make me gag and almost throw up! :-/ It’s all worth it though when that precious baby gets there! 🙂
I haven’t gagged brushing my teeth but at the thought of certain foods I do!
No one told me how terrifying it was. I thought it would be all yay! Positive test! Baby soon! I had no idea that you live in terror of a miscarriage until (I assume) the baby is here. I also didn’t know that during those long stretches between doctor appointments it would feel like you were getting punked and be really hard to believe there’s really a baby in there. I’m still skeptical, actually.
yes! Every time I go to the dr. I feel so much better but then as time passes I get more and more worried until I go again!
I honestly kept a mental calendar while pregnant, like, ok, after 12 weeks the odds of miscarriage go down. After 20 weeks, even less. And as I would hit each milestone I would worry a little less.
Food aversion, bleh. I still can’t stomach the smell of a certain coffee one of my co workers uses. HAve you noticed you’re more sensitive to smells?
Next thing to be prepared for…heartburn! I have never had heartburn a day in my life until I was pregnant. Talk to your doctor or a nurse at your ob’s office and you should get the all clear to use Zantac. It was a life saver!
No heartburn yet, but def sensitive to smells and everything seems amplified
And, the exhaustion only continues after the baby arrives and you already feel like absolute crap. I felt as big as an elephant. And you have to care for the baby!! Way worse afterwards for sure. And you’re still constipated and hopefully you don’t get hemorrhoids! My friend and I were just talking about all the things your friends forget to tell you about AFTER you have the baby!! Did I mention the heavy bleeding for a long time after baby? Enjoy your sleep and the pregnancy now!!
I actually still would rather have the baby out and have all those symptoms! It’s hard to embrace all these symptoms when you don’t even know if you will for sure get a baby in the end. But looking into my child’s face while I am exhausted will make it all worth it! Def can’t wait till that part. 🙂 i know it will be hard for sure but pregnancy and me are just not mixing. I’m still nauseated all the time ug.
hahaha…AFTER you give birth, if you have a vaginal birth…do not, I repeat do NOT look down there. Your eyes will be scarred for life. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Do. Not. Look.
Yup the worries that come w/pregnancy are the worst! Hence why I can’t bond w/my babies until they’re out. And the fatigue is evil during pregnancy bc you’re 100x more tired once baby comes. So not cool!
For me so far, the exhaustion, nausea and aversions to random things have been the most unexpected! You hear these things over and over, but until it happens to you, you don’t really understand how it feels! 😉 For someone who was severely addicted to coffee (and Starbucks, specifically), I can’t even walk into a coffee shop without gagging at the smell. So strange! At least giving up caffeine has been easy 🙂
sad! I have been ok with coffee (half caff) thankfully!
I’m only a few days ahead of you and I agree! Luckily you haven’t been sick, but I knew my mom and sister had been, but I didn’t know how sick until it happened to me. Once I had been to the ER (twice), throwing up in the double digits everyday, THEN I got the honest stories!! Still hasn’t stopped, but maybe soon.
I don’t know about your food aversions, it does it make you sick to hear food listed? My husband will list things for him to make or go out for and just hearing the names makes me sick! Ugh. Are we there yet?!
Thankfully I haven’t been sick like you but I have been intensely nauseated every day since 5 w 6 days and have zero appetite. hearing certain foods listed makes me want to gag yes, as well as smells. I ahven’t cooked in two months! The intensity is going down with the nausea but it’s still hanging around. Hope you are feeling better!
Wow — I feel like I can relate to 100% of this post! I really didn’t know a lot of these things either, or I “knew” them, but really didn’t totally understand them. Congrats on nearing the second trimester!
thank you!!!
It has been a while since I have been pregnant with my son (he’s 6). But I agree with you on all of those things!
There’s a great book that someone gavee when I was pregnant called The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. You might enjoy it! There’s do much you don’t realize will happen to your body and this book shares all in an entertaining way. 🙂
Thanks for the tip!
We rented a fetal doppler and recorder from http://www.babybeat.com/ while pregnant with Baby Z. It really helped with the fears all the way up until 9 months. I could whip it out and hear the heartbeat anytime I wanted. Plus it records and you can download it as an .mp3 on your computer. We have recordings of his heartbeat in the womb saved on our computer.
I thought aboutt that, but my fear is through user error of my own I wouldn’t do it right and wouldn’t hear the HB and would freak out!
I’m a few weeks behind you and the nausea “morning sickness” (laughable since it is virtually all day) and thought of certain foods and/or restaurants and certain smells is something serious. Especially for things that wouldn’t bother me or that I loved just a few months ago….can’t wait for this part to be over.
I hear ya! Mine is getting better but still not gone!
Two words that you have to look forward to in the second or third trimester: Sex Dreams. Most of the moms I know will admit to this too, I dreamt about sex a lot when I was later in my pregnancy. Maybe it was because it was getting too uncomfortable or maybe it was just the excess hormones but I would wake up blushing at my dreams!
I have never head of this!
THANK YOU for posting this today. I’m 6 weeks, and every part of this really hit home for me! Today has been an awful day for me. My nausea is nonstop, I wake up with heartburn and indigestion, stomach aches, and head aches. Never mind the constant need to run to the bathroom. I keep telling myself that it will get better, and that this is the best blessing ever. You’re honesty really helps me to feel like I’m not alone in feeling what I’m feeling! Thank you!
I am so sorry you are feeling bad! I know it feels never ending but it WILL end I promise!
The four things that I remember from pregnancy (I have a 22 month old girl):
1. You will never do jumping jacks as part of a workout routine again. Peeing your pants is not fun 🙂
2. Just wait until food cravings hit. It’s a “I need to eat this now or I’ll die” kind of feeling and mine was Maple Syrup on everything!! (Confession: including pizza!)
3. Your body is incredible strong and can withstand so much! Totally blew my mind what I was capable of and never thought I could do!
4. I would totally do it all over again… And again. Most incredible feeling in the world to hold your baby for the first time!!
Congrats!!
I cant wait for cravings, right now all food sounds so gross!
Yes, jumping jacks are a no-no evermore. Also, you will be scared to cough. lol. Fun times.
You scared me, lol!
how so?
First off, congrats!!! SO exciting! Having a baby is the best!
And yes, not having an appetite & being SO.TIRED. were two things I had no idea about & man did they hit hard! Don’t worry about the body changes though–I mean it is hard not to of course, but I promise it all goes back into place at some point –and besides, you’re creating a fantastic home for baby! 🙂
Thank you! I am SO ready to have my appetite back!
Don’t worry about the weird weight gain. Seriously. 9 months on, 9 months off. I would do it again in a hearbeat, as you know.
Stock up on compression socks. I wish cute running compression socks were widely available 5 years ago. I had HORRIBLE pitting edema…my legs and feet were so swollen. I cut back on salt and drank 100+ oz water a day, but still, the water retention. If I had the compression socks I have today, I’d have worn them every day… The swelling lasted from the second trimester until about a week after I gave birth.
Yes! Man I didn’t have the constipation but the nausea all day and food aversions were bad! I’m still struggling with chicken. (9 months AFTER the baby was born) I never really had many actual cravings. But the exhaustion sucked. I did do better when I could get up and lift weights early in the morning. its not easy, but you do feel better. Also, I had the issue of a lot of nose bleeds. From the extra blood. That was NOT fun!.
And huge congrats by the way!! Just try to enjoy as much as you can – it goes by SO fast!
Just did the Disney Fantasy 7 nt cruise and thought about you and Baby M while I RN the 5K on Castaway Cay…an awesome trip…For sure!