What I Didn’t Know About Pregnancy – Miss Write

This self-indulgent post came about from a chat with a friend of mine. She hasn’t had kids, and this is my first – it dawned on us how little we knew and what odd expectations we had/have of what being pregnant was going to feel like.

Before getting pregnant, I imagined I would be a puker. I imagined significant weight gain, and, yay, the freedom to eat what I want (the causing factor the weight gain, but hey, I’m pregnant!). I did not expect to be so tired I fell asleep at my desk at work. I didn’t puke til I got a stomach bug (twice), and actually am losing weight due to the limited diet of Gestation Diabetes kicking in. There has to be some up-sides, even if it means I would kill for a bowl of granola right now!!

I appreciate every woman’s journey is different – my mother-in-law swears she had ZERO symptoms bar a growing belly – but here I am, just for fun and because I’m a little bored, in cartoon form, 31 weeks in. Two months to go!

EDIT: 2 WEEKS LATER… Now I can add fainting spells, heartburn, pelvic girdle pain (bum cheeks, hips, ‘undercarriage’ – mainly at night), bleeding gums and constipation to the list!

You can see, it’s been a fairly un-enjoyable ride so far! And I’m not even a ‘complicated’ pregnancy.

Some symptoms really don’t bother me (e.g. the caffeine deprivation headache – it only lasted 3-4 days), and some are some bonuses (e.g. good hair), but most of pregnancy is just plain hard work. There’s been two occasions (admittedly before anyone realised I had Gestational Diabetes and that something was up) when I’ve slept night-day-night. And yeah, ‘belly growth’ is an obvious side-effect, but I hadn’t realised how soon I’d need maternity jeans and how tight my belly would feel – constantly. It’s a big job, growing a human!

What’s surprised me in a positive way is that I’m totally not freaked out by having a little being inside me. Pregnant bellies used to make me feel a bit grossed out, and I thought I’d be horrified seeing my belly move when little one does her acrobatics, but actually it’s pretty amusing. And the size of my bump is ‘tidy’, I’ve been told; I’m kinda proud of it, really. As hard work as it’s all been so far, my daughter is doing amazing, even if I feel a bit rough most days.

I’ve also felt a lot less emotional that I imagined. Hormones are a ‘Bee with an Itch’, causing everything from acne to diabetes, and I’ve been pretty consumed with PMS in the past, so I was preparing for the worst… with no need. Sure, I’ve had a handful of days when I’ve cried for no reason, but luckily it’s not been in public! I’ve generally felt a lot more chilled, probably mostly due to the fact I’m tired/sleeping (i.e. silent) more. El Husbandio has got off lightly there, I think!

It’s not good to compare, but whenever I feel a bit miserable about not sleeping due to hip pain, or I’m dying for a massive piece of chocolate tiffin, I remember my friend’s mum’s story. She was confined to a hospital bed for both her children’s gestational period. I can still work, meet with friends, and I’m well looked after at home with a husband who likes to cook and is ever-so-slightly obsessed with cleaning and DIY. We’re truly nesting!

It’s totally got to a ‘means to an end’ situation in my world, and I can’t wait for Baby to arrive.

Lou x

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