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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Things nobody ever really mentions before you get pregnant then they all nod in unison and it obviously happens to every pregnant woman ever

244 replies

Pruni · 14/08/2006 22:32

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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JessaJam · 15/08/2006 10:49

HopingCat - yes! odd conical stomach when you 'tense' the muscles...really really distrurbing!

Also, slightly off topic, wish I'd been warned that for the first few weeks after birth I would be a zombie-psycho-woman, but that everyone goes through that and it (usually) gets better

oliveoil · 15/08/2006 10:58

A craving for Pickled Onion Monster Munch

and those Licquorice (sp?) Sherbit dip things

Dh was always being sent on evening missions to find them.

mawbroon · 15/08/2006 11:14

Blimey OO. I craved pickled onion Monster munch and liquorice as well Not at the same time though.

Constantly being starving and meals not even touching the hunger.

Swelling of wrists and ankles. Sometimes so bad that you can't hold things.

Chronic exhaustion in the early days and a different kind of exhaustion later on.

An inability to stand any other way than with your hand on your bump

oliveoil · 15/08/2006 11:30

I used to have two breakfasts, one at home, and one when I got to work and still be hungry!

Mishee · 15/08/2006 11:34

Constipation! I have discovered the cure though -A wine glass of Sunsweet Prune Juice every day. This would be my 'Can I just give you one bit of advice...' to all pregnant friends!

MrsAnthonyKiedis · 15/08/2006 11:45

Restless leg syndrome. Truly awful.

liath · 15/08/2006 12:00

Once through morning sickness you will want to eat from morning to nightfall and still get up at 2am to raid the fridge.

And does anyone else get permanent nipple erection most disconcerting....

Amelya · 15/08/2006 12:12

An amazing and yet horrifying sense of smell which meant that I completely went of my husband - even across the room I could smell whatever he had eaten on his breath (especially alcohol) which mixed with sickness made him repulsive

MichMoo16 · 15/08/2006 12:19

My nipples turned black and were so painful & cold no matter what the weather that I thought perhaps I had frostbite!!

Gaviscon became my best friend (for heartburn, not the nipple problem!)

No one warned me about SPD and the fact that it might not go away after the baby is born.

Also prob TMI but hey no-one said how much the lochia would smell - so gross, i became paranoid that people would be able to smell it if i sat next to them.

mawbroon · 15/08/2006 12:20

Yes Amelya same with my DH. He used to kiss me cheerio in the morning before going to work and I could still smell the milk from his cornflakes even though he had brushed his teeth!! It used to make me gag so we settled for a kiss on the cheek instead.

DollyP · 15/08/2006 12:22

Liath, the nipple thing is dreadful! Even when it was 35 degrees a few weeks back, mine were standing to attention.

MS all the time. Even waking up at night and feeling sick. Tiredness like you have been hit by a bus. Insomnia mixed with tiredness. Bad hair. Can't do a thing with it.

Raunchy dreams but no desire to bonk for months.

clairemow · 15/08/2006 12:24

has anyone else mentioned how brushing your teeth makes you vomit. I had to give up cleaning mine except with those gum things. Yuk.

Thell · 15/08/2006 12:42

fingers swelling up before you notice anything's changing and trapping your rings so you have to have them cut off

Polgara2 · 15/08/2006 12:51

How I wouldn't be able to lie down, anywhere anyhow, from about 4 months onwards, without pain. Spent rest of pregnancy sleeping (or not, I should say) sitting up!

lotussister · 15/08/2006 12:56

Really acute sense of smell.
Going off some of your favourite foods/drinks.
Hormones relaxing ligaments meaning it's a REALLY bad idea to do any stretching - can hurt yourself incredibly easily (wish somebody had warned me of that)

dyzzidi · 15/08/2006 13:06

Mine were

Feeling so hot I went out in a vest top in November.

Knickers never quite fitting right even maternity ones.

SPD! SPD! SPD!

having to Pee every 25 minutes day and night.

Heartburn like my chest was on fire.

Leaking breastmilk from Nipples at 4 months.

Pins and needles in both feet in the night.

Desperate hours spent worrying the baby hasn't moved followed by hours when the baby won't stiop moving and you can't sleep.

doggiesayswoof · 15/08/2006 13:08

Nose blocked all the time
More vag discharge all the time
Feeling v horny all the time right up to 40 weeks (that might just be me though)
Leg cramps at night
Insomnia in 3rd trimester - waking up STAAARVING
Weird taste and smell even after morning sickness wears off (burnt toast still makes me want to vomit)
And the pointy stomach when you sit up - my midwife had never heard of it and luckily someone at work had the same thing
Sore kicks from baby!
Weird shaped bump when baby moves around later on - I used to feel like she was all over to one side, then next day it would be the other side
Seeing tiny little elbows/knees poking out and moving around!

Swizzler · 15/08/2006 13:39

'pointy stomach' thank God I'm not a freak

horseshoe · 15/08/2006 13:58

Not really pregnancy but certainly AFTER PAINS following a subsequent labour!!!!

Indith · 15/08/2006 14:03

Finding that you still need to pee all the time even when the book says that the annoying early symptoms like that will have gone away (ok it does say it comes back when the baby starts to get bigger but it NEVER went away!)

Still wanting to take naps all the time when all around you people say 'oh so you must have your energy back by now'

The farting, all the time farting, brought on by pasta, too much red meat, tomatoes and a million other things besides

2 days of constipation making you feel like your food must be piling up into your throat by now followed by a sudden 'i need the loo NOW!' when in town and away from all public loos.

That no matter how many people and magazines say you can just wear normal clothes a couple of sizes bigger you really really can't.

The back pain, even when the bump is still really small when you sit at your laptop writing essays/messing online too long.

The brain turning to mash just when you really really need to write that stupid essay!

Original poster
Pruni · 15/08/2006 14:06

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OP posts:
Indith · 15/08/2006 14:13

Oh God yes the clothes, maternity stuff is either very very expensive or cheap and frumpy and in any case what about those months when you can't wear normal stuff becasue your bump means it only reaches your navel but maternity stuff is too baggy because its made to fit you up til 9 months?

(Dorothy Perkins currently have some great long tops in their normal section actually, short sleeves with layered effect, I bought my normal size and they fit the bump great)

Mercy · 15/08/2006 14:30

People not offering you their seat on the bus/tube, or barging past you and knocking your bump

The utter exhaustion when you also have another young child to look after.

sweetkitty · 15/08/2006 14:37

SPD! No one told me about that ever!

heartburn - ouch and gaviscon takes foul

Braxton Hicks - never had them with DD1 loads with DD2

squishy · 15/08/2006 14:40

Sense of smell (and paranoia about own smell!); forgetfulness; needing to pee all the time (I had about 2 weeks respite when I was only going twice a night!); feeling drugged with tiredness; vivid dreams (but not of the raunchy kind; kept waiting for increased libido to kick in, but it had the reverse effect on me, much to my - and DH's - disappointment!); and people telling me (unsolicited) horror stories about birth/tearing/sex of the baby/pain relief (and how I won't be able to do without!) - seems everyone is an expert on 'you' when you're pregnant, even those who don't know you!