Ten Things No One Told Me...

For someone who's been around about a bazillion pregnant women in her lifetime, I quickly found out a few things I didn't know about pregnancy. Most of them are not fun things, so I'm glad someone kept them a secret from me. Others, I heard about but didn't really believe. Still, others, are amazing that I wouldn't have believed even if someone HAD told me!

Oh, and I guess I should say that dudes probably shouldn't read this. :)

1. Snotty nose - I figured women who had issues with congestion during pregnancy just had a cold that never went away. Boy was I wrong! With increased blood flow and an increased intake of fluids, my nose has become a mucous factory. Occasionally, the drainage actually makes me nauseated in the mornings which is a whole different issue about which I can do practically nothing... except maybe invest in Kleenex.

2. Poor sleep - I thought you were supposed to sleep like a baby until your baby arrives!!! No one told me that problems with sleep could start in the first trimester. At first, waking up for frequent potty breaks was what did me in. Now I am just plain uncomfortable. But, it is a little blessing because I really do think I am being prepared for when Maleah arrives! It won't be such a huge shock to only get a few hours of truly restful sleep.

3. Constipation - I had NO clue about this one! Honestly. It started pretty early on, but got worse as I started taking Zofran. Thankfully it hasn't hit me as bad as some women, but it is still pretty darn annoying.

4. Struggles with gaining weight - I mean, I thought pregnancy was my golden ticket to the Smorgasbord of All Things Delicious. Wrong-O. From weeks 5-13, just eating a bowl or two of rice was a major accomplishment. Even though my appetite is back (and morning sickness is gone), I am still not putting on weight like should. I'm just going to try to alter my diet and hope I've gained at least four pounds by September 20 (my next appointment). Lots of women lose weight in the beginning, so that doesn't concern me anymore. It's just whether or not I can steadily put on weight. And most women laugh and say "What a nice problem to have..." except that it's not nice! So far Maleah is doing just fine despite my issues, so that makes me feel more at ease.

5. Heart palpitations - Another shocker! Had NO clue this was even common until it happened to me two days in a row and I finally allowed myself to google it! I was in bed one night and my heart went through three cycles of palpitations. There was no pain and they stopped after the third, so I just told myself not to worry. Then it happened again the next day. So, I looked it up - (which normally I try to avoid googling anything related to pregnancy b/c other moms like to freak  you out!!!) - heart palpitations are tee-totally normal! As long as they don't last too long and don't cause any pain, there's no need for alarm. I also didn't realize how HARD my heart would be pounding. Sometimes I can even hear the beats in my head!

6. In-N-Out Doctor's visits - You mean my OB doesn't want to spend 20 minutes talking to me about all the things I have experienced over the past four weeks?? And she doesn't even want to do an EXAM every visit!? (Honestly, this has been a huge relief!!!!)

7. Back pain - This one is similar to sleep problems - I knew this was coming, but I didn't realize it would be so soon. My back has been acting up since around 11 or 12 weeks - ever since I had to start sleeping on my side. I have scoliosis, so it's super uncomfortable to sleep on my side and leaves my back aching for the rest of the day. I can't use a heating pad and don't like Tylenol (Ibuprofen is usually my pain relief BFF!), so I just request a lot of massages. :)

8. Bella band - I didn't know this existed until my cousin Holly let me borrow hers!! It has been a budget-saver, since I really don't want to go drop loads of cash on maternity clothes. (Okay, I want to drop loads of cash on maternity clothes but I don't have loads of cash to drop on maternity clothes.) Now that I've "popped," it doesn't really work well on jeans b/c the pressure of the fabric pushes against my oh-so-sensitive tummy. Dress pants + Bella Band = me likey.

9. Forgetting I'm pregnant - There are times I totally forget I'm pregnant. It's so weird. I don't even know how to explain it!!!

10. Instantly in love - People definitely told me about this one, and I knew it was true... but I didn't know how true it was!!! At first, I was in love with those two little pink lines on the HPT. Then I was in love with the gray blob they told me was a baby. Then I was in love with a little creature that looked like an alien. And now I'm in love with a little girl I've yet to meet. It's amazing how much more in love I am with Blake, too. Knowing that he is our baby girl's daddy and knowing how much HE loves her just makes my heart swell!

So, there's my ten things no one told me about pregnancy. Did you have any surprises during your first pregnancy??