Things about pregnancy that no one tells you

[CBear6]

I'm starting to remember the weird things I noticed when pregnant with DS, mainly because they're happening again with this one, and at the time I wondered why no one ever mentions these things, not even the books (or at least the ones I read).

Things like:

• rolling over in bed becomes a test of strength, patience, and momentum. It's all about timing the pivot and the flop and using Whatever is in reach (sorry DH) for leverage
  

• your nipples get huge and change colour
  

• morning sickness isn't just in the morning, sometimes it's all day and all night too
  

• the random hormone-fuelled dreams
  

• the hair. It'll either stop growing and go all lank or it'll grow like weeds. And it's not just the hair on your head that's affected
  

• skin tags. For whatever reason they're common in pregnancy. I didn't know this until the doctor told me so when I got one on the end of my nipple, it turned black (the tag not the nipple)

[mathanxiety]

Oh yes, I gagged every time I tried brushing my molars. I dreaded it.

[no1childminder]

oh my gosh mathanxiety tell me about it!!! i gagged EVERY time. was soooo horrible, so i used to dread cleaning my teeth!

[CBear6]

With DS I ended up buying some strawberry flavoured toothpaste with Thomas the Tank Engine on the wrapper and fruit flavoured mouthwash. I thought I was the only one gagging on toothpaste and it's happening again this time round, DS's Milk Teeth toothpaste is starting to look good.

[no1childminder]

dont think mine was the toothpaste/mouthwash. just the toothbrush going to my back teeth. VERY sensitive gag reflex!

[Anythingwithagiraffeonit]

That there was something called SPD and it would absolutely kill me when I tried to turn over in bed!

That I would actually see my stomach moving!

That pregnancy would feel like it lasts for years!!

[Mumelie]

Skin tags, yuk, they all went once I'd popped
No spots for me which makes a change
Massive hair that took a few years to return to normal!
Horrible SPD from very early on
Bleeding gums and gagging when I brushed my teeth
Not being able to eat garlic

[KatieWatie]

The itching, oh my god the itching!
That I would wish I'd started an exercise routine about a year previously so as to feel fitter

What ARE skin tags?

[whatsoever]

This thread is amazing - skin tags, gaggign when brushing teeth - check and check.

I haven't had many bad symptoms so far (I'm 12 weeks) so have been very lucky but it's always handy to know you're not the first with weird sympotms.

[pipparoo]

What a great thread!

twit I'm glad I'm not the only one who irrationally hates resents DH for not having to go through the suffering!

This is my second preg and I know it is worth every single symptom/niggle but it's so lovely to know there are so many others in the same boat, especially when I constantly hear from my own mother how amazing her pregnancies were (i.e. no sympathy at all!)

Good luck all!

[CBear6]

KatieWatie, skintags are vile little things that exacty match their name. It's like a dangly tiny little piece of loose skin but they get caught in clothing and irritated so they can be painful - speaking from experience it is no fun having one right on the very end of one's nipple.

I advise against looking on Google Images.

The freaky dreams have started with a vengeance this week. And can I also add dry mouth? I have serious cotton mouth when I wake up each morning. I've started to snore too, loudly and with great enthusiasm (poor, poor DH)

[Indiadele]

rachyaimeelou - try eating a piece of apple as soon as you start getting the heartburn. It doesn't make it go away completely, but it really toned it down for me :-)

[Indiadele]

Am I the only one that got tinnitus? Weirdly only in one ear. But it drove me mad to begin with, thinking I'd developed super-human hearing that was picking up some weird electrical hum.
And some seriously big clots plopping out in the week after birth. Nice.

[JennyW1]

I'm 9 weeks along with my first, and love this thread. It's great to know that I'm normal(ish!).
The super-sensitive nipples are driving me crazy, getting dressed is sometimes painful. Hair growth has gone to extremes, and not just on my head, and my skin is horrible :(
I've also been having weird dreams, some are pg-rated weird and some are shockingly filthy, which I can't decide is a good or a bad thing!

I've not really been surprised by the morning sickness or extreme tiredness as I got plenty of warnings about that, but I was surprised to go off chocolate, tea and coffee. I've also been getting really hungry really suddenly - when that happens everything else is dropped and I HAVE to eat.

[firsttimer84]

yeah the sudden hungriness is so annoying! full to starving in 60 seconds. And then thinking im so hungry i could eat a huge amount of food and then only being able to eat a quarter of it before beng really uncomfortable (22 weeks now so i dont think its baby pressing yet). Low bp and not being able to do my job properly and being dependent on people for stupid th mornings. Running out of enegy in the middle of the morning and having loads to do. Sudden attachment to by Dh, to the point of tears at the thought of him going on a business trip next weekend. (i was very independent before this- extremely annoying!) On a positive note though i love being kicked (still a novelty!) and being able to see it through my skin.

[Lisaklf]

ok new poster and 25 weeks pg so here goes;

People constantly telling me 'its going to get worse than this' - I KNOW

An odd numb/ horribly tingly spot top of bump/below left boob

the 'i don't need a wee' - 'omg i'm not going to make it!'

Going off my very favourite (and expensive ;p) perfume

People commenting on how lovely it is for me to have my 'first' child (I have two step sons who I have raised and adore)

Bloody fat feet =(


The good stuff - my step sons feeling their little sister move for the first time, feeling a little bit special all of the time ;p, I m experiencing the glow and OH keeps telling me how lovely I look (i feel exhausted and heifer like).

Thanks -feels nice to spout =)

[CBear6]

How awesome it is to balance things on your bump and watch them bounce as the baby kicks :)

[tyler80]

That I'd develop a dark line on my top lip so that it looked like I'd been sneakily scoffing chocolate 24 hours a day

[mathanxiety]

People touching the bump, uninvited.

[Mum2be79]

I'm 7 weeks + 2 and finding this thread very, very funny - albeit probably at some people's expense!

Seriously though, it gives me comfort to know that, whilst pregnant with my first, my symptoms are entirely normal and gives me an insight into what I could end up like later on in the pregnancy.

I've got:
sore boobs - all the time. Worse at 2am?!?
nausea - no regular pattern to it. Some days none. Other days horrid.
abdominal twinges - mild cramps now just aches.
tiredness - not as bad as I thought. Will it get worse?
hormonal - go from angry to weepy at the click of my fingers.

[zambooloo]

Hi, love this thread, very funny. Someone mentioned eating an apple - I decided that is just what I need as have horrible dry mouth! Enjoying one as I type. I'm 10 weeks tomorrow, here are my symptoms...

• sore boobs, very tingly nipples
  
• extremely emotional - I cried for about a hour when my OH said he was going to stay at a friend's overnight (very unlike me!) Also cry at almost any advert containing dogs or babies.
  
• horrible cold, very runny nose!
  
• just developed thrush (does anyone know what I can take?) Lovely!
  
• so tired it is a massive effort to get up off my bottom where I spend most of the weekend. I've been in bed by 8pm every night this week.
  
• very hungry approx every hour - when it gets to about 5pm though I can't eat anything much - I feel so sick!
  

I've decided being pregnant you get almost every ailment possible but no one wants you to take anything to make you feel any better! As you can probably tell, the tiredness is getting to me today, I'm a bit grumpy! Been cheering myself up by looking at prams!

[Icelollycraving]

Well for me it's the tiredness from early on to the sitting up trying anything to drift off eventually at 5am after sitting up since 1am.
Skin tags,I'm prone to them anyway but had a giant one grow on my neck which I removed with cotton.
Pregnancy mask,my skin has always been v clear & pale. I'm slathering on lots of product to reverse it.
Aching swollen stinging bits.
Constipation early pregnancy,
But it's all worth it to feel the baby doing somersaults :)

[angeljefferson]

Hahahahaha......I'm normal!!!!
I've been having almost pornographic dreams, its great to see other people do too!
I'm bloated 'like a pregnant pig' (my words) and i'm only 5 weeks
very very very sensitive nipples
and nausea already kicking in....epecially when I get hot or exercise!
I had very positive pregancy tests early on (1 week before my period was due) so I'm either futher ahead, or I've got a big one in there!
Oh what joy.......I can look forward to incontinence and skin tags!
and I'm going to enjoy every little minute of it! ;)

[mojoawol]

Snoring so loudly, if DH doesn't wake me with a prod or kick, I wake myself up
Huge puffy feet and swollen ankles - can't fit shoes on any more, so permanent flip flops, but can't reach to paint toenails! DH did it once, but made such a mess, had to get kind relative to clean up the mess all over my toes.
Now it needs removing, but can't reach to do that

[HoneyBee80]

Very vivid random dreams (being in charge of national security, crashing a gigantic truck into Covent Garden market, being congratulated on the pregnancy by the Queen!!! )

[somewherewest]

"I've been having almost pornographic dreams, its great to see other people do too!"

Yep, me too. Our sex life has ground to a halt thanks to early pregnancy tiredness and nausea so I assumed it was justt frustration...