Pregnancy 101
It is amazing when you are pregnant people think they know everything about you and YOUR pregnancy. The best part is these “people” are not in the medical field. In fact some have never even been pregnant. Yet they take it upon themselves to inform you on their vast knowledge on the topic, advise you on diet, nutrition, and exercise routines. Some even can predict that “because this is your first baby” you will definitely be delivering late. Um, no.
Here’s a little tip on communicating with pregnant women; unless she asks, NEVER give your opinion. Never. If we want to know what you think, we will ask. I promise. Other than that just flood us with compliments. Tell us we look amazing. Tell us we are glowing and wish us a happy, healthy delivery. That is it.
Another tip in pregnancy communication: If you ask her how she is feeling, do not be surprised if she responds honestly. Many women start off saying, “Oh, I am great- so excited!” However that gets old…fast. Especially when you are in your third trimester and so over it. I know, for a fact, this happens because it has happened to me recently. My response is more along the lines of “exhausted, bloated, fat, and over it” which is greeted by a look of shock. Most people are not fans when you tell them how you truly feel.
Now if you are a close friend or a close family member ask away because you most likely will be expecting an honest response anyways. If you do not fit into that category try saying something like, “you are looking awesome. You must be excited to almost be done?” And if she wants to continue the conversation with how she is feeling, she will.
This may sound a little harsh, and it probably is. But in all fairness I am 39+ weeks pregnant…so I don’t care.
What I have learned through this journey, is that every single pregnancy is unique. Even for one woman she may have two pregnancies and each completely different from the other. This is why I wish people would stop and think before they speak nonsense. Especially to a very pregnant, very hormonally charged woman. With that being said I put together a fun list of my pregnancy “loves” and “dislikes” for my all fellow prego mamas or for those planning to be pregnant soon! As I mentioned, EVERY pregnancy is different. This is based off of MY personal experience.
As always I would love to hear from you! Do you have something to add about your personal experience that may help someone or give us a laugh? Leave a comment below!
What I love about being pregnant…
People are a lot nicer to you. Everywhere I go, once people catch sight of my bump they almost always immediately look up at me with the warmest and friendliest smile. I live on the south east coast of Florida. I can count on one hand the number of times people have smiled at me in public. Men are even chivalrous! They open doors and offer to help you at all times. Now I am not saying this goes for all men, but I cannot remember the last time a male stranger exhibited any type of chivalry.
You can get away with a lot. Two months ago a cop pulled me over for speeding. When he took my license/info and saw my baby bump, he waived the ticket. I got away with a warning and that rarely happens around this town.
Food. FOOD! It is so much fun. I have thoroughly enjoyed eating and all it’s glory. I love food so this was a true joy.
Feeling the baby’s movements. By far the coolest moment of my life were those first few days I could feel baby Stella kicking around. It is so amazing to think that you are actually growing a human and helps you get through the hormonal ups and downs.
My hair has never looked so good. It is so thick, and grows so quickly. And the shine…
Baby registry. I enjoy registering in general so this was a fun task for me. I like to research all the products and narrow down which is best for us.
Buying baby clothes and goodies. This is obviously such a fun perk! I could get lost in baby stores online browsing for the cutest stuff.
Organizing/decorating the nursery: check out my nursery post here.
You can wear whatever you want. People don’t judge you if you want to wear sweatpants or the same pair of shorts every day. If they do then shame on them. I am so pregnant and exhausted that I literally wear the same damn shorts every damn day. The people at the grocery store definitely know. You are pregnant- do what you want!
Did I mention the food??
What I could do without…
Weight gain. It can be really hard seeing that number on the scale creep up. At one point it messed with my head a little. You can read about that here.
This is so BAD in the 1st trimester. The 2nd trimester I had so much energy which was awesome. The 3rd trimester is a whole new type of fatigue. It is constant and just plain awful. It also doesn’t help that you are up constantly peeing and for some the insomnia…ah.
Constant hunger. This does subside at the end of the 3rd Sometimes.
Breathlessness. The simple act of walking up my stairs at home leaves me winded. And I am in pretty good shape. Oh, and it only gets worse and WORSE.
Constant urge to pee. This also gets worse and worse AND WORSE. Some nights I have to go about 4 times before I can actually fall asleep only to have to wake up 3-5 more times throughout the night. Sigh.
Spider veins. I have heard these are hereditary. My mom got them with her pregnancies, so I wasn’t surprised when mine started popping up. They bothered me a lot at first, because they aren’t necessarily pretty to have on your legs. However when I am done reproducing I plan to get them lasered away. These days there is a fix for everything.
I thought I was in the clear when it came to swelling but then I turned 32 weeks and just like that it started. Ugh, I drink a lot of water and try to keep my feet elevated when possible. You cannot stop the inevitable though.
Skin breakouts. This happened off on and on for me- my skin has never “glowed”.
Hormonal rollercoaster AKA Mood Swings. There are days where I cant even stand being in the same room as my husband. I know it sounds awful but every little thing he does irritates me!
Sore feet. Comes with the swelling…
Low back pain. Mine isn’t as bad as it could be. I know some women who have awful sciatica pain.
Lack of balance and any type of agility or grace. I waddle.
Lack of wine, or any alcohol for that matter. It is truly a struggle for me. I wish I had an aversion for wine but I want it all. ALL the wine and ALL the cocktails.
Constant worrying: I am always worried something is wrong with her. I worried from the minute I received a positive pregnancy test and I have a feeling it is only going to get worse.
THE WAIT. Does this even need an explanation?