6 Things that I wish I knew about Pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a breeze – I don’t care what anyone tells you. There are the obvious things that you hear about like morning sickness and nausea. Plus, there is talk about not being able to get your manicure or pedicure which you can get, research the shop you’re going to. And, there are things you need to avoid like sushi and caffeine but the list is a little bit longer than that, or you’re limited in intake throughout the week – it sucks because I’ve been all about red meat and you can only have it twice a week.

I know no one ever said pregnancy was all rainbows and sunshine but no one talks about the cons. I mean, why would you? You’re blessed with this opportunity to grow a human and no one should take that for granted. Like, it’s a cool experience. I won’t lie, I’m twenty-five weeks in and just feeling the kicks is crazy to me. It’s just like woah, this is a real thing going on.

But, I still would have loved to know the pros and cons of this baby stuff. It wasn’t planned, so I probably wouldn’t have researched for another two years but it’s happening, and it’s been a whirlwind. You hear about the typical things like mood swings and a swollen chest. And most of the time if you haven’t been through this, you’re not overthinking about it. Like, you’re not sitting there thinking about morning sickness and how to maneuver your mornings before and during work. It just doesn’t cross your mind until it’s finally happening.

And for me, the road hasn’t been smooth, but it hasn’t been a terror either. Most of this is experience from my first trimester.

That’s what I’m sharing the six things that I wish I knew about pregnancy:

Heartburn lasts 24/7

People talk about heartburn and pregnancy, but they don’t mention that anything can trigger it. I have had heartburn a lot before pregnancy, and I usually knew what foods would set it off, but with pregnancy, water or bread can set it off. I could have eaten two hours ago, and it will randomly flare up. Also, there is a limit on the medicines you can take so waiting for those few weeks for your first appointment is dreadful. Absolutely dreadful because you don’t want to take anything that is bad for you or the baby (and deal with a significant other that does his research and double checks when you try to make or eat something *insert a sigh*) Also, you realize that there will be times when your heartburn medicine doesn’t always fix your issue.

Just the other night, I took some before bed with water and as soon as I laid down, my throat was on fire… from water. It can happen whenever and wherever with any food so my take has been not to avoid spicy and to enjoy the foods that might trigger it.

Morning Sickness happens whenever

The name is misleading. They say morning sickness, but it occurs at any time of the day, so there’s no preparing unless you’ve been through this. I did not know morning sickness could happen at any time of the day and when I felt nauseous and sick, it was usually the evenings. So, I didn’t have it bad; I will say that. It was at the point where I knew from 7 pm to 9 pm on Saturday that I would be getting sick. It never failed. I would get sick on Saturday evenings which sucks because people like to do things with you on Saturday and I can’t imagine putting myself through being sick while hanging out with friends. So just a heads up, you might feel nauseous or vomit whenever. It doesn’t matter the time of day so you can be anywhere but always be prepared.

Tired all the time

Your body is changing, and your hormones are fluctuating. The first trimester is full of naps. Naps are great – there’s no hate from me, but they can get in the way when you have things to do and lay down for a minute on a Saturday afternoon and wake up two hours later. The sleepiness comes over you whenever it wants, and I have yet to find the solution but if you do, let me know. The first trimester was full of me just passing out without knowing that I was tired. Make time for naps but make sure you get things done before you snooze away your day.

Insomnia becomes your friend

Insomnia happens all the time. You go to bed on time and still wake up in the middle of the night for no reason. There’s a lot of that going on. It’s random, and I don’t know why it happens. There is probably an explanation out there, but I’ve always been too lazy to look it up. It’s a lose-lose situation because you’re tired, but waking up in the middle of the night.

Luckily for me, I found a simple solution – deep sleep essential oils for my pillow. I’ve been using this for the past two nights after waking up for weeks out of my sleep and laying there for an hour or so as I try to go back to sleep. This spray is impressive, and I sleep through the night to the point where I’m surprised when my alarm goes off because I’m expecting it to be like 2 am or 4 am when I’m waking up. Get yourself some, trust me.

 C o n s t i p a t i o n

I didn’t believe it when my book first talked about it until it happened to me. You’re not going number two for days because your insides are relaxing and not doing their job. Not cool when you’re in your first trimester, and you think you have this cute bump that goes away as soon as constipation leaves your life. It’s wild out here. You can take stool softeners and whatnot, but I chose not to as I didn’t have a doctor-approved recommendation. It does get better for some, at least for me. Just load up on the water all the time and some veggies. I’ve learned that water and green beans are my best friend through this whole thing.

Constant Fear

I found out I was pregnant at like six or so weeks, but that left me with six weeks of wanting to make it to twelve weeks. Why? Miscarriage. The first trimester is filled with cramps and not feeling pregnant every other day, so you worry. You’re wondering if this pregnancy is viable because we will live in a society that doesn’t talk about miscarriage. You can get a positive test and still have a miscarriage. A miscarriage is something that you can’t control and can happen at any time. I didn’t tell anyone outside of my family and a few friends until I hit fifteen weeks because of that fear. Many women don’t want to jinx the pregnancy or be left with the duty of telling people that they lost their child. I still have the fear to this day because anything can happen.

Keep that in mind when you’re wondering why your friend or someone you know didn’t open up right away. These are the things you don’t want to talk about.

To be completely honest with you, pregnancy has not been terrible for me.

There are a lot of women out there that have had it bad. I’m here for you, ladies. I might not have the same symptoms but I’m here for you, and I hear you.

I could complain and complain, but I choose not to because I know there is someone out there that has it worse than me. Some people have morning sickness all day, or to the point where they can barely keep food down so they lose weight rather than gain it. There is so much to growing a human. You don’t see it in movies that are celebrating life, and I get it – you don’t want to show the negatives, but sometimes, it needs to be realistic.

And to my ladies that are trying or want a child in the future, don’t take this as a negative. Pregnancy has been a wonderful experience. It’s crazy the things that our bodies can do – they can give life, and it’s wild. Feeling the tiny kicks and movements is when you realize it’s happening.

Pregnancy has not been a breeze, but it hasn’t been a train wreck either. It’s been a change.

Outfit details: You can find my outfit at PinkBlush. I’m all about the maxi dresses. This dress is probably one of the most comfortable dresses that I’ve been able to get my hands on. I like to wrap myself up in it when I wear it to the office. Maxi dresses are my number one recommendation during pregnancy. So much room to breathe and they are always long enough. Make sure you stock up on your maternity dresses, my friends. They will be your best friend.