Things no one tells you about pregnancy...

[Zamaz]

Was thinking in the car this morning about stuff no-one ever told me about being pregnant, which I am discovering for myself as the weeks go on! I know everyone's different, but here are some of my observations, in no particular order:

• Bumps (mine at least) take ages longer to 'properly' appear (i.e. other people congratulating you, rather than just assuming you've piled on the pounds) than I thought.
• A bra which fits today will not fit tomorrow. Or possibly ever again.
• More body hair, dammit.
• Nice strong nails (very welcome!)
• My ahem lady parts look totally different, even though I've not squeezed anything out of them yet!
• Baby brain really is a thing. A terrible thing.

Am really interested to know what others would add to the list?!

Oh and the swelling that comes on so fast you don't have chance to take your wedding ring off and the next thing you know your finger is bleeding because it's split the skin

Ha I thought about starting a thread like this the other day! I was wilfully ignorant about pregnancy, it's quite a boring topic unless you are actually pregnant (or have been). Didn't want to know about it until it happened to me, so was a bit unprepared!

I remember last October having a month off booze because I was really worried I wasn't going to be able to give it up for a whole pregnancy (and I didn't even drink that much!) - what I didn't realise that the minute I knew I was pregnant I felt so ill that the thought of booze was the last thing on my mind, and then when the nausea eased off the heartburn started....

And oh the heartburn! Didn't realise it could rage like the fires of Mount Doom. Now I'm swigging prescription Gaviscon of a night... lovely.

And pelvic pain! Hardly anyone I know seems to have suffered this but I feel like I can hardly walk now without being in pain. I've also had that weird 'heavy' feeling low down in my uterus, from around week 19, which has been really horrible.

I haven't really enjoyed being pregnant, I like watching my stomach ripple, but I can't wait to get this baby out and get my body back!

I've been beaten to it. I came on to say "morning" sickness should be renamed "all day queasiness" - bordering between hunger and nausea. Half starving, half repulsed by food. Eugh.

The other day I was desperate for a wee in a public toilet.unfortunately the smell in there made me retch and piss myself simultaneously before I got my knickers down.

Yes to throwing up and peeing yourself 11 weeks to go and counting constant heart burn and acid indigestion the pregnant waddle you get

No one warned me of SPD- which I nicknamed Lightening Crotch. It's like someone shoved a hot poker in my pelvis and walking is agony.

Also the gas is crazy- I do not understand how I get so much air in me?

I know people go on about hormones.. but I always thought it was just some kind of exaggerated joke. Nope- it's not funny at all. I went from hating poor DH and throwing a toy at his head to being so out of control horny I practically carried him up the stairs to the bedroom myself! Poor guy didn't know if he was coming or going I'll refrain from making a bad joke here

Also I don't know why I am barely keeping myself awake during the day but somehow when it's time for sleep I find myself tossing and turing for hours. Why? How am I still a functioning human being?

• How it can make even a usually chilled, relaxed person worry a lot.
• How nice most people are to you, including strangers. I've really liked that part tbh.
• How feeling the baby kick is incredible.
• How quickly you 'get used' to the idea of being pregnant after spending years thinking how strange it must be.

I forgot one that shocked me when it first happened - nose bleeds! Had them on and off since the beginning of second trimester, with another small one last night.

Oh and how scary brackston hicks are the first ever time you have them.....

The third tri snoring, I woke myself up many a time, oh and drooling, waking up with your head in a wet puddle is the height of glamour!

I'm so glad dc4 (and most certainly the last one) is sleeping peacefully in her cot at the side of me

The insatiable hunger, feeling marginally better as I eat then ten minutes later feeling nauseous again.

The constant headache and tiredness.

A new one this time, breathlessness! If I have to even slightly exert myself then I'm panting like an old lady.

Trying to look pleased when you are congratulated, but all I can think is 'I feel like shit'.

The god awful taste in my mouth all the time I'm not eating.

The bloating and horrific smelly farts.

I could go on, I'm only bloody 10 weeks! Last time I felt a lot better at about 13 weeks, so I'm praying that happens again.

Boob leakage!! Not a drop with DS, but this time they're like Niagra Falls. I had a warm bath tonight so they're twice as bad as usual.

Getting out of breath by:

1.Walking up the stairs

1. Putting on your socks
2. Anything else that used to require little or no effort at all.

Also, the non-existent glowing. I've certainly not glowed. Hair - crap. Skin - crap. Sweating like a pig, and sometimes smelling like one too.

And they don't tell you about the shit you have to put up with from dickheads other people.
"ooh you're so big, you having twins?"

"oh look at your feet all swollen"

"putting on the weight there aren't you?" .

There should be a pregnancy book on how to deal with these fuckers!

That you'll need to change your parking habits. There isn't enough room to squeeze out anymore!

I'm just waiting for some prat to park too close for me to get back in ??

That the things you thought would suck the most (giving up booze) don't even register a blip because everything you didn't know about is so awful.

That I could ever wake up to pee 6 times in a night and still function the next day.

That you are stronger than you think and that it's amazing how you can tolerate physical discomfort, when there's no other choice.