Mothers Share Things About Pregnancy They Wish They’d Known Before Getting Pregnant
Pregnancy is nothing new: without it, there wouldn't be any people walking this Earth. However, despite being one of the most common experiences shared by women, most expecting mothers don't really get a lot of info about what the process will be like ahead of time.
Of course, we've heard the basics—morning sickness, the big belly, the water breaking—but those barely scratch the surface of the experience. These mothers decided to share the things they wish they had known about pregnancy before getting pregnant.
You Start Off Motherhood Already Being Sleep-Deprived
"The sickest joke of all: you stop being able to sleep way before the baby gets here.
"Everyone loves to tell me to 'sleep now while I can,' but pregnancy leads to unexplained insomnia and I'm a total wreck already."
Nosebleeds Might Become Common
"I got nosebleeds every few days during the first and second trimesters."
The intense hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy tend to cause pregnant women to experience a lot of nosebleeds. It's perfectly normal, so long as the bleeding isn't too profuse.
You're Not Going Bald!
"Hair loss! After I had my kid I lost a ton of hair. I would pull fists full of hair during my showers. I thought there was something wrong with me because no one told me about this. I went to Google and found out it's totally normal and it happens to many women. It grows back eventually and you'll go through an awkward baby hair phase."
What happens is that, when you're pregnant, your hair follicles don't shed. Once you give birth, all of the hair that would have naturally shed over the past few months suddenly comes out.
It Can Be An Intensely Painful Experience
"Your body produces a hormone called relaxin that helps loosen your pelvis in preparation for birth.
"Some women get way too much too soon and it loosens everything to the point you lose mobility and every day all day is painful."
Your Cravings Might Get...Bizarre
"That cravings aren't just for food. I craved dirt, particularly beach sand. The smell of the beach was excruciating, I just wanted to shovel handfuls into my mouth. I never ate dirt or sand, and the craving went away when the baby was born.
"A friend of a friend told me she craved freshly poured asphalt, so in a way, I'm glad my craving was just dirt."
It's Not All Rainbows And Butterflies
"Baby kicks don't feel like butterflies. They feel like something crawled across your skin quickly; but from the inside."
Baby kicks normally start to occur between 16–25 weeks of pregnancy—often closer to the 25th for first-time moms.
There Can Be Very Confusing Complications
"From my mom: I paralyzed her from the waist down for a few hours because I decided to take a nap on her spinal cord in the third trimester.
"The doctor's response was, 'Yeah you'll be able to move again once the baby wakes up.'"
It's Not As Rare As You Think
"Miscarriage is ridiculously common."
Miscarriage is actually the most common complication of early pregnancy. For women who are aware of their pregnancy, the rate of miscarriage is 10–20%. For mothers over 35, the rate is 45%.
Your Water Breaking Is Not Like In The Movies
"During labor, the 'water breaking' is not a singular rush of liquid. It's continuous and can occur for several hours. It’s horrendous and messy and awful to deal with.
"It feels like peeing but you have zero control over anything and if you tense up, it's painful. No one ever told me that, and I was very surprised to find out for myself."
There's No Real "Normal" For Pregnancies
"Each pregnancy is different, even with the same person. I have three kids.
"The first pregnancy was very typical and followed the normal timeline. The second pregnancy was awful. I was miserable and sick the entire time. The third pregnancy was easy peasy and I finally understood why some women liked being pregnant."
Be Prepared To Have Trouble On The Toilet
"I wish someone would have warned me about the constipation. Also, I wish someone would have warned me that 'fiber supplement' does not equal 'stool softener.'"
Constipation and irregular bowel movements occur when your progesterone levels start to rise somewhere around the second or third month of pregnancy and can get worse as the pregnancy continues.
Sometimes There Are No Real Answers For Why Things Happen
"You can 'do everything right' and have an 'easy' pregnancy, but baby is born prematurely. The kicker is you may never get a reason as to why."
The most important thing is not to blame yourself when you have a pregnancy complication since most times it is out of your control.
There Can Be Lifelong Complications To Pregnancy
"No one mentions the stuff that stays with your body afterwards.
"I developed allergies after I gave birth to my second child. My feet definitely got bigger. Hormones are no joke."
There Is No Shame In Having Post-Partum Depression
"That no matter how much you planned and wanted your baby, postpartum depression can happen to you and it is very, very real.
"It is not something you can control. Hormones are liars. Partners of new moms please pay close attention. Get help. Do not try to tough it out. Get. Help."
The Kicking Might Be Worse When You're At Rest
"This is mostly a third trimester thing, but that when you are active and moving, it kind of rocks the baby to sleep.
"But as soon as you lay down to go to sleep, baby wakes up and starts kicking and spinning. It might not be super common, but I knew a lot of other mothers who complained about this, too."
Once Again: The After-Effects Can Be Very Strange
"I went partially blind in one eye. Apparently, temporary blindness can happen in pregnancy, but my eyesight never returned."
An increase in blood pressure can cause blurry vision or spots while a woman is pregnant. Having very high blood pressure can even cause retinal detachment.
It's Not Just A Little Puking At The Beginning
"That morning sickness isn't in the morning, and that I would be puking the whole time, not just in the beginning."
Pregnant women may start experiencing morning sickness as early as six weeks in. However, for many women, the nausea mostly occurs in the first trimester.
Breast Pain Is Very Real
"My boobs hurt so bad. I hit one in my sleep and woke up in excruciating pain.
"I knew they would get bigger with pregnancy, but the pain was a surprise."
People Are Going To Be Really Judgy
"That everyone has an opinion on what you do whilst pregnant and how you want to raise your child."
The reality is that people always think they have a right to voice their opinions and criticisms to people in many situations, but since pregnancy is so visible, you're likely to get a lot of talk from people you do and don't know well.
There Is A Very Lengthy Healing Process
"I wish someone had told me that your body does not magically go back to normal once the baby is out. You have weeks of healing and have a whole new set of problems now: pooping is terrifying, depression risks are higher, and just a lot of stuff continues on after the baby.
"I don't know WHY people insist on visiting right after delivery. I am tired and busy with this baby; please come in a month when I can at least have some sort of a routine."
