In less than 3 months, my sister-in-law/best friend, Jenny, will be giving birth to her first baby. I am so excited to meet my niece, and talking to Jenny makes me so nostalgic. I read my weekly blog posts over again here and there trying to remember what I felt like when I was in her shoes last year. This inspired me to start a little mini-series of blog posts over the next few months. "15 Things I Wish I Had Known About..." For my first one: pregnancy.
1. That I was going to feel like a beached whale my whole last trimester. I have been that girl who freaked all her life at a 5 pound weight gain. Petty, I know, but something I've never been able to shake is that fear of getting overweight. This being the case, you can imagine my horror watching the scale as my last few months of pregnancy progressed. My goal was to only gain 30 pounds and on the day I went into labor I had gained 45! Holy moly! I waddled and rolled everywhere. I was expecting to have a heavy belly, but I definitely was not expecting to be so large that I couldn't fit through two cars parked too close together! (True story!) Now I know for next time that it's normal, and that maybe I should take it a little easier when indulging those preggo cravings. ;)
2. That there are pregnancy symptoms that no one warns you about in advance. Everyone knows about the morning sickness, the cravings, and the feet swelling...its what they don't tell you that really gets ya! My big surprise was my constant nosebleeds! What the heck? Apparently rhinitis is a thing and it happens to a lot of women, but nobody talks about it. Oh, and hair growing on my belly?! Um...ewww! I swear no matter what happened to me, it would turn out to be a pregnancy symptom that I never knew could happen. Someone really should write a book on the untold stuff...hmmmm...
3. That morning sickness, is terrible, evil, and just the worst thing ever in life. Okay, I'm lying. Everyone really did warn me of this, but I wasn't expecting it to hit as hard as it did. I literally could not eat anything without puking until I was around 16 weeks pregnant. It was all day sickness...moring, noon, and night. I missed food; oh, how I missed food! After I lost around 10 pounds (10 pounds that I could not afford to lose) I got kind of scared, but the doc said it was no big deal and that baby would be just fine...which she was! Now I know what to expect for next time...bring on the preggie-pops and sprite!
4. That sciatica sucks. If you've never pinched your sciatic nerve, it's really hard to explain the pain. Basically it feels like someone stabbing you in your lower back and then the pain radiating down your leg. Some people feel it to the knee; I felt it straight out the bottom of my foot for 4 months straight. It was agonizing and a big reason why I didn't get enough exercise during my pregnancy. If I walked too much, it hurt. If I sat too long, it hurt. Then, finally at around my 8th month she changed position and I felt much better! I've heard that strengthening your back before getting pregnant can really help with sciatica pains, so that's my plan for future pregnancies.
5. That you can be in early labor for weeks. Two to be exact. I went to the hospital on June 30th having contractions. I was scared to death because 5 weeks early was just too early for comfort. It turned out that I was, in fact, in labor, but that it was false labor. Nothing a little rest and relaxation couldn't fix. Sounds fine and dandy except that my false labor pains continued all day, every day until I finally went in to active labor the night of July 14th! It was not fun at all, however it did get me used to the feeling of having a contraction and just dealing with it. I'm kind of convinced thats why I lasted until transition without having much pain. The nurses were like "How are you joking and talking right now? You're dilated to a 6...." Your guess is as good as mine! LoL
6. That you start to lose your marbles around 35 weeks. You're all pregnant and happy and then around 35 weeks you're like "no...i'm done!" I don't know if its the eagerness to meet your baby or the fact that you're just so damn uncomfortable all the time, but something just clicks and you become pregzilla. And honey, you have every right to be. ;)
7. That feeling the baby move is the weirdest feeling ever. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful, but at first it feels like you have an invader in there. One day you wake up feeling this little person tickling your insides, and if you think about it too long it can kind of creep you out! ("OMG...there's a human inside me...") Then at the end you start to realize what movements are hands, feet, and knees...and it's pretty dang amazing.
8. That the questions at the end are the most annoying of all the pregnancy woes. Maybe this is the actual reason for #6. "You're still pregnant?!" "When do you think you'll have her?" "How do you feel today?" "Do you think it will happen today or tomorrow?" or my favorite, "Can you hold her in until this day?" Yes. I don't know. Very pregnant. I have no clue. Hell no I can't. Honestly, they mean well, and they're all just very excited, but when you're feeling pregnant and miserable you can't rationalize that. You feel like a ticking time bomb who has lost their identity. You feel like everyone only thinks of you as the pregnant girl who could pop any day. I broke down at the end because I couldn't take it anymore. To avoid the risk of me committing a crime (kidding...lol) Brian got me out of the house. Neither of us talked about the pregnancy or the baby and it TOTALLY worked. Just answer the questions and move on...and then spend a day with someone who will help you forget the pregnancy even for just a few hours. :)
9. That if you're going to keep anything a secret, be prepared for it being very hard. Some people keep the pregnancy or the gender a secret; for us it was her name. We weren't going to reveal the name until her birth, but I was annoyed at not being able to not tell my friends and family. I finally caved in and ended up revealing it at the shower. In hindsight, it worked out perfectly, but keeping my mouth shut even that long was sooooo hard. I don't know if I will put myself through that again. Only time will tell.
10. That I was going to grow out of my maternity clothes. Sounds silly, but when the clothes cost so much money as it is, it's annoying when they stop fitting. At one point I was ready to just live in my bathing suit. Lesson learned...get a size too big in everything. There's really no way to predict how much your belly might pop at the end.
11. That you shouldn't compare your pregnancy to others. Everyone does it, but it's just not healthy. Every pregnancy really is different, just like every baby is different. I had to learn that what was not normal for some other women's pregnancies was normal for me and that was okay!
12. That you have to feel comfortable and trust your OBGYN. I was hesitant to change doctors in the middle of my pregnancy, but I am so glad that I did! My original doctor was never around (I met him at my first appointment and that was it) and a lot of the staff was on the rude side. Once I found the doctor that ended up delivering Baylee I was so happy! She was young, positive, and readily available...just what I needed! She understood how important it was to me to not have a C-section and was willing to do everything in her power to make sure I didn't. I plan on using her for future pregnancies because I had such a great experience. If I had kept my old doctor I don't think it would have turned out as well.
13. That I was going to be so in love with the little baby inside me. You're never prepared for the love you feel once you know there's a life inside you. As the baby gets bigger and you learn more about them (the gender, their name, etc) the love grows even deeper. Then when they finally arrive. Oh my goodness. There is no deeper love on this earth. I honestly can't even contemplate loving another baby as much as I love Baylee. I know I will when that day comes along, but it's so tough to imagine!
14. That I should have taken my time out to enjoy my pregnancy more. I really did complain a lot. Well, with reason...I really did have a rough pregnancy most of the time. Looking back though, I wish I had just breathed and taken it in stride instead of freaking out. Those 9ish months go by entirely too fast. I was so eager just to have her here that I definitely did not take enough time to just enjoy carting her around with me in my belly wherever I went. Next time I won't be in such a rush.
15. That I was going to miss it. When people told me I was going to miss being pregnant I was like "Uh huh...right..." At first I was just happy that it was over and she was here, and then a few months later as my belly started to revert back to it's original state (well...sort of...) I started to miss it. I miss taking my weekly bump pic and seeing her swim around on the screen during ultrasounds, but most of all, I miss the food! Food just tastes so amazing when you're pregnant, and I miss being able to eat virtually whatever I wanted without feeling like a guilty fatty! I wouldn't trade her actually being here for anything in the world, but at least I know that I'll be able to do it again one day knowing that it's going to be a great experience!
My next post in the series will be "15 Things I Wish I Had Known About: Childbirth" so be on the lookout for it! Other than that, my little pookie is turning 7 months old in only 11 days! What?! We will have our 7 month post on the 15th! Until then! XoXoXo
2. That there are pregnancy symptoms that no one warns you about in advance. Everyone knows about the morning sickness, the cravings, and the feet swelling...its what they don't tell you that really gets ya! My big surprise was my constant nosebleeds! What the heck? Apparently rhinitis is a thing and it happens to a lot of women, but nobody talks about it. Oh, and hair growing on my belly?! Um...ewww! I swear no matter what happened to me, it would turn out to be a pregnancy symptom that I never knew could happen. Someone really should write a book on the untold stuff...hmmmm...
3. That morning sickness, is terrible, evil, and just the worst thing ever in life. Okay, I'm lying. Everyone really did warn me of this, but I wasn't expecting it to hit as hard as it did. I literally could not eat anything without puking until I was around 16 weeks pregnant. It was all day sickness...moring, noon, and night. I missed food; oh, how I missed food! After I lost around 10 pounds (10 pounds that I could not afford to lose) I got kind of scared, but the doc said it was no big deal and that baby would be just fine...which she was! Now I know what to expect for next time...bring on the preggie-pops and sprite!
4. That sciatica sucks. If you've never pinched your sciatic nerve, it's really hard to explain the pain. Basically it feels like someone stabbing you in your lower back and then the pain radiating down your leg. Some people feel it to the knee; I felt it straight out the bottom of my foot for 4 months straight. It was agonizing and a big reason why I didn't get enough exercise during my pregnancy. If I walked too much, it hurt. If I sat too long, it hurt. Then, finally at around my 8th month she changed position and I felt much better! I've heard that strengthening your back before getting pregnant can really help with sciatica pains, so that's my plan for future pregnancies.
5. That you can be in early labor for weeks. Two to be exact. I went to the hospital on June 30th having contractions. I was scared to death because 5 weeks early was just too early for comfort. It turned out that I was, in fact, in labor, but that it was false labor. Nothing a little rest and relaxation couldn't fix. Sounds fine and dandy except that my false labor pains continued all day, every day until I finally went in to active labor the night of July 14th! It was not fun at all, however it did get me used to the feeling of having a contraction and just dealing with it. I'm kind of convinced thats why I lasted until transition without having much pain. The nurses were like "How are you joking and talking right now? You're dilated to a 6...." Your guess is as good as mine! LoL
6. That you start to lose your marbles around 35 weeks. You're all pregnant and happy and then around 35 weeks you're like "no...i'm done!" I don't know if its the eagerness to meet your baby or the fact that you're just so damn uncomfortable all the time, but something just clicks and you become pregzilla. And honey, you have every right to be. ;)
7. That feeling the baby move is the weirdest feeling ever. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful, but at first it feels like you have an invader in there. One day you wake up feeling this little person tickling your insides, and if you think about it too long it can kind of creep you out! ("OMG...there's a human inside me...") Then at the end you start to realize what movements are hands, feet, and knees...and it's pretty dang amazing.
8. That the questions at the end are the most annoying of all the pregnancy woes. Maybe this is the actual reason for #6. "You're still pregnant?!" "When do you think you'll have her?" "How do you feel today?" "Do you think it will happen today or tomorrow?" or my favorite, "Can you hold her in until this day?" Yes. I don't know. Very pregnant. I have no clue. Hell no I can't. Honestly, they mean well, and they're all just very excited, but when you're feeling pregnant and miserable you can't rationalize that. You feel like a ticking time bomb who has lost their identity. You feel like everyone only thinks of you as the pregnant girl who could pop any day. I broke down at the end because I couldn't take it anymore. To avoid the risk of me committing a crime (kidding...lol) Brian got me out of the house. Neither of us talked about the pregnancy or the baby and it TOTALLY worked. Just answer the questions and move on...and then spend a day with someone who will help you forget the pregnancy even for just a few hours. :)
9. That if you're going to keep anything a secret, be prepared for it being very hard. Some people keep the pregnancy or the gender a secret; for us it was her name. We weren't going to reveal the name until her birth, but I was annoyed at not being able to not tell my friends and family. I finally caved in and ended up revealing it at the shower. In hindsight, it worked out perfectly, but keeping my mouth shut even that long was sooooo hard. I don't know if I will put myself through that again. Only time will tell.
10. That I was going to grow out of my maternity clothes. Sounds silly, but when the clothes cost so much money as it is, it's annoying when they stop fitting. At one point I was ready to just live in my bathing suit. Lesson learned...get a size too big in everything. There's really no way to predict how much your belly might pop at the end.
11. That you shouldn't compare your pregnancy to others. Everyone does it, but it's just not healthy. Every pregnancy really is different, just like every baby is different. I had to learn that what was not normal for some other women's pregnancies was normal for me and that was okay!
12. That you have to feel comfortable and trust your OBGYN. I was hesitant to change doctors in the middle of my pregnancy, but I am so glad that I did! My original doctor was never around (I met him at my first appointment and that was it) and a lot of the staff was on the rude side. Once I found the doctor that ended up delivering Baylee I was so happy! She was young, positive, and readily available...just what I needed! She understood how important it was to me to not have a C-section and was willing to do everything in her power to make sure I didn't. I plan on using her for future pregnancies because I had such a great experience. If I had kept my old doctor I don't think it would have turned out as well.
13. That I was going to be so in love with the little baby inside me. You're never prepared for the love you feel once you know there's a life inside you. As the baby gets bigger and you learn more about them (the gender, their name, etc) the love grows even deeper. Then when they finally arrive. Oh my goodness. There is no deeper love on this earth. I honestly can't even contemplate loving another baby as much as I love Baylee. I know I will when that day comes along, but it's so tough to imagine!
14. That I should have taken my time out to enjoy my pregnancy more. I really did complain a lot. Well, with reason...I really did have a rough pregnancy most of the time. Looking back though, I wish I had just breathed and taken it in stride instead of freaking out. Those 9ish months go by entirely too fast. I was so eager just to have her here that I definitely did not take enough time to just enjoy carting her around with me in my belly wherever I went. Next time I won't be in such a rush.
15. That I was going to miss it. When people told me I was going to miss being pregnant I was like "Uh huh...right..." At first I was just happy that it was over and she was here, and then a few months later as my belly started to revert back to it's original state (well...sort of...) I started to miss it. I miss taking my weekly bump pic and seeing her swim around on the screen during ultrasounds, but most of all, I miss the food! Food just tastes so amazing when you're pregnant, and I miss being able to eat virtually whatever I wanted without feeling like a guilty fatty! I wouldn't trade her actually being here for anything in the world, but at least I know that I'll be able to do it again one day knowing that it's going to be a great experience!
My next post in the series will be "15 Things I Wish I Had Known About: Childbirth" so be on the lookout for it! Other than that, my little pookie is turning 7 months old in only 11 days! What?! We will have our 7 month post on the 15th! Until then! XoXoXo
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