“Today I will be sharing all the “not so pretty” sides of pregnancy that people didn’t warn me about. And I will be telling you everything. You always here the regular stuff like nausea, fatigue, cramps, etc. But no one really tells you the nitty gritty things of pregnancy. Maybe because it’s kind of embarrassing and most people don’t really want to talk about it, but I have finally come to realization that it is completely NORMAL and almost every pregnant woman has gone through this. So no more shame in my game, because I wish people told me about this stuff earlier!
Before I get into all this I want to make sure no one takes this post the wrong way. I am INCREDIBLY grateful and LUCKY to be able to experience such a beautiful thing such as pregnancy. I know there are many women out there that don’t have that wonderful opportunity because their body simply does not allow it. My pregnancy has been pretty “easy” for the most part. I use that word lightly, because everyone’s pregnancy is different and “easy” to me might be not so easy to other people. I don’t want to come off as complaining, because I am not. I have LOVED my pregnancy every step of the way, even though it has also been difficult at the same time. Every ache and tear is worth it, because I get the most precious gift of all – a son!
FIRST TRIMESTER:
Nausea: I was lucky enough to not have morning sickness during my first trimester, or at all for that matter. That is one of the main symptoms that most women suffer with, and I couldn’t imagine how my first trimester would have played out if that was also in play. I was nauseous time to time, but it was not a daily thing.
Fatigue: I had major fatigue. I don’t think I have ever slept so much in my life during this time. I was ALWAYS so tired, and didn’t have the energy to do anything. At the time, I was only working part-time, and I would get off at 12:30 everyday, yet when I got home I would go straight to bed for a nap! I think this was Zach’s favorite symptom of my first trimester, because he loves naps! LOL.
Bloating: I bloated SO much. This was the main reason I knew I was pregnant. I would eat one cracker and blow up. It was unreal. I looked 5 months pregnant after eating one meal when I was only 10 weeks pregnant. I would get “Wow, you must be having a boy” or “Are there twins in there!?”…. Luckily, the bloating goes down during second trimester.
Migraines: Oh. My. Goodness. I never suffered with severe migraines, but I sure did during my first trimester. This was the WORST part of my first trimester. I had a migraine almost EVERYDAY. And it lasted for about 6-7 hours. What do you do when you have a migraine? You take a nap and lay in bed all day. I felt like such a slug, because I was constantly resting. I am such a go-go-go person, that this had to take some getting used to. I LIVED off of Excedrin (aspirin free) and Tylenol (the only things you can take during pregnancy).
SECOND TRIMESTER:
My second trimester was a BREEZE! Seriously, what everyone says about it is true. I felt great! My migraines disappeared, I got this new bolt of energy, and I was in a better mood most of the time! At times I forgot I was even pregnant. Enjoy this part of your pregnancy, because third trimester is coming to kick your butt.
THIRD TRIMESTER:
Okay, here is where I get into the “not so pretty” side of pregnancy. Most of this stuff may be TMI, so if you are not interested in reading the REAL things that happen during pregnancy, just leave now. Some of this stuff came earlier than the third trimester for me and I will state which symptoms did. I am currently 33 weeks pregnant, and I am sure there will be more things added to the list as I get closer to birth, but here are the things that I went/am going through!
Body Image/Strechmarks: I won’t lie, there are times I look in the mirror and feel gross. It was hard for me to see my body change drastically in such a short amount of time. I tried my hardest to avoid stretch marks, using lotions and oils every single day since I found out I was pregnant, but at the end of the day I still got them. I started getting them later in my second trimester. A lot of it is hereditary. My mother had really bad stretch marks, therefore- I was going to get them also. I am learning to love and appreciate these tiger stripes, because they are housing my beautiful baby boy. They are here to stay, so there is no reason to get worked up about it!
Snoring: Probably my husband’s least favorite symptom of mine. I literally snore like a middle aged man. Zach has been sleeping on the couch since second trimester and still does. We tried getting him ear plugs, but they’re uncomfortable to him and sometimes don’t work with my snoring LOL. Weight gain has a lot to do with why you snore during pregnancy. Hopefully it goes away once baby boy is here, because I miss sleeping with my husband!
Enlarged areolas/sore boobs: Your boobs swell up like crazy, because there is milk growing in there! Your areolas get darker and bigger. A few weeks ago I’ve noticed that my nipples are constancy hard and my boobs itch all the tie. Say goodbye to your beautiful, perky, young lumps, because they will never look the same again.
Uncomfortable ALL THE TIME: As much as you try to get comfortable in bed, it’s almost impossible. I have been sleeping with a pregnancy pillow since my second trimester. As much as it has helped me in the past, I have come to a conclusion that it won’t for the rest of my pregnancy. I toss and turn every night, because it is so hard to find a position that is comfortable sleeping in.
Hemorrhoids: Yes girl, hemorrhoids. I said it. I was super embarrassed when I got my first one, but i’m over being embarrassed about natural and normal things. In fact, my first hemorrhoid, Helga, is the reason behind this blog post. So you can thank her later. (Yes, I named my hemorrhoid Helga). I got my first one during my third trimester, and WOW it freaking hurts. Probably the worst pain ever. It literally feels like glass in your rectum…. I thought this was something you got AFTER birth, because of all the pushing, but no… I probably get to experience it twice… Yay. Three main reasons you get hemorrhoids during pregnancy – your growing uterus is weighing down on all your lady parts, constipation, and hormones. My poor husband has to rub ointment on it for me, because it is hard to get down there, ya know? So find you a husband that rubs ointment on your hemorrhoid.
Discharge: Yuck. Most women deal with a lot of discharge during their pregnancy. Lucky ones hardly ever discharge. I started discharging I think in my late first trimester into my second, if I remember correctly. So. Much. Discharge. And it’s not the best smelling thing in the world either… One of the things I highly dislike of pregnancy, because it is non-stop and everyday. So make sure you invest in LOTS of new panties, because you’ll need it.
Bladder control: I have to pee ALL THE TIME. Especially during the third trimester as your baby gets bigger. He literally pushes on that thing like a punching bag, and when I finally go, it’s maybe 2 ounces of pee…. I used to be able to sleep a whole night without peeing, but I probably get up at least 4 times during the night to pee. And you always want to stay hydrated, so there really is no way around this. Just make sure you’re okay with peeing in public restrooms, because when you gotta go, you gotta go.
Constipation: I was never a person to suffer with constipation… until third trimester. I have to drink a cup of coffee everyday to go now. You can’t take laxatives during pregnancy, so make sure you always have coffee in the house at all times!
Insomnia: I hardly get sleep, mostly because its hard to get comfortable in bed. Sometimes, baby boy is kicking in the middle of the night too. But for the most part, I am up every hour of the night. So say goodbye to good sleep, because during your third trimester it is highly unlikely. I guess this is getting me ready for the real deal?
Shortness of breath: Walking at the mall for one hour is a work out for me. Hell, even going grocery shopping is a workout for me. I am out of breath all the time! Going up the stairs is a task, bending over and squatting is a task… all of it. Laying on your back is impossible, because you feel like you’re being suffocated, so laying on your side is an always. Even having a conversation with someone gets me out of breath LOL.
Sex: Sex is different in every pregnancy and for every women. I am not in the mood most of the time, and honestly, it’s really hard when your belly is as big as a basketball! Finding a good position may work for most people, but for me, it HURTS. It is not so much the position we are in, but it just really really hurts me. So sometimes you just have to lay on your side and be boring or pleasure your husband in other ways.
Swelling: I haven’t swelled up too bad (yet), but there is swelling for sure! My fingers, legs, feet, toes, face… Everything swells up. For me, my feet have grown a WHOLE size bigger. I am really nervous that they won’t go down after pregnancy. Every women is different and I knew some that did go down, and some that didn’t. I have also heard of some that their feet didn’t grow at all! But for Zach’s sake, lets hope they go back down… Otherwise, it looks like I’ll be going shoe shopping!
Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, it just comes with a price! LOL. I hope this post did not scare you, but instead educate you! There are a lot of untold things that a lot of women don’t talk about that I wanted to shed some light on. Hopefully you got a few giggles in there also, because let’s be real – some of this stuff is comical. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I can’t wait to keep sharing my journey with y’all! Let me know if you have ever gone through some of this stuff or if it’s helped you get a grasp of what you’re in for!
xx Mandy”
Read more: The Things People Didn’t Warn Me About During Pregnancy
Instagram: @accordingtomandy
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