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

Original poster

What has been the hardest part of your pregnancy so far?

68 replies

owltrousers · 18/07/2017 12:47

So I was wondering about this when talking to my pregnant friends the other day, comparing notes.

I'm only 14+4 so nothing too rocky yet. Worst thing I can say so far is the back pain in my tailbone, thats a fairly new one. I'm guessing the worst is still to come. Prepare me?

What has been the hardest part of your pregnancy so far?

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10storeylovesong · 18/07/2017 19:11

The constant sickness from 6-16 weeks, which also lead to my already low blood pressure dropping even further so I spent days at work on my back in the toilets doing my work on a tablet as going for promotion and didn't want to jeopardise it (got it!).

The overwhelming anxiety as DS1 born at 27 weeks so very high risk pregnancy (now 29 weeks so fingers crossed!).

The tiredness from anaemia and despite asking several times for a blood test being refused as I was "a good colour". Finally diagnosed at 28 week bloods and on iron tablets.

Not being able to exercise as high risk - I need a good go of a punch bag!!

I love the baby stage and after ttc for 3 years am so very grateful - but pregnancy does not agree with me at all!

thatorchidmoment · 18/07/2017 19:17

Migraines, up to five a week, and somehow being expected to cope with three other small children at home. I have gone on beta blockers to try to stop them, which are only now starting to work after about 5 weeks, and have the side effect of flooring me. I have never had exhaustion like this in all my 3 previous pregnancies.

forfucksakejanet · 19/07/2017 09:22

Almost 36 weeks here, and being on holiday in Devon with DD1 who is 3. It's very hilly, she's on the go from the second her eyes open and I am a hot sweaty fat mess!

Thank the lord for DH who has done pretty much everything and gets me to go for a lie down at hourly intervals Smile

GlitterSparkles17 · 19/07/2017 11:59

28 weeks and can honestly say I cant wait for this to be over. 3rd pregnancy and I have bad SPD and really struggle to sleep as I just cant get comfortable. I hate struggling to do things, I feel very lucky to be pregnant but this is definitely my LAST pregnancy.

Amd724 · 19/07/2017 12:26

I'm 24 +2. I'd say its the exhaustion mostly. The fact that I have to slow down a bit, in walking, because of my SPD. I can't sleep very well at night. And my pregnancy brain isn't helping matters either.

I just can't wait to have a drink without guilt, not endlessly Google random food to make sure its OK to eat, and I want my boobs to go back to their normal size. I've gone up 5 sizes and I'm only 24 weeks!

Lovechild2016 · 19/07/2017 12:33

So far (27 weeks) it was the morning sickness and exhaustion of the first trimester. I couldn't cope with life, I was miserable, irrational, sick, exhausted and anxious. However! My second trimester has been a breeze, I've felt energised, glowing, my hair, nails and skin are great and all the sickness and food aversions have gone away. Slightly nervous as I head into third trimester that it's going to go down hill. Sorry for those who have had a hard time, I know I am very very lucky and not meaning to boast but just want people to know that actually pregnancy can be ok! Good luck!

KikiA · 19/07/2017 13:45

Hyperemesis and severe acid reflux followed immediately by SPD... basically the whole thing 😱

MrsCharlieD · 19/07/2017 18:25

27 weeks here and spd has been my biggest issue. I also found the trimester hard with the tiredness and having 3yo ds this time. I'm also struggling with breathlessness and finding doing everything day tasks tiring. My first pregnancy was a doddle in comparison.

Confuseddot · 19/07/2017 18:27

Swollen legs and feet and pelvic pain

Natsku · 19/07/2017 18:33

With this pregnancy, the sickness - have had to go to the hospital for fluids twice already and it just exhausts me.

With my previous pregnancy it was the beginning of the 3rd trimester when I was suffering from hydronephrosis (swollen kidney caused by baby pressing on the uritary tube) as it was horrendously painful and I had to be hospitalised for three weeks and to top things off my appendix decided that was a great time to try and burst. I have never experienced so much pain in my life and being pregnant just made it worse as they had to be more conservative with treatment and baby kept kicking where it hurt.

Zebra31 · 19/07/2017 22:03

Sickness and food aversion from 6/7 weeks until DD was born. It was like having continued sea sickness. Grim I would go through every minute of it again to get DD.

thiswillhavetodo · 19/07/2017 22:11

Sickness, heartburn, back pain (also tailbone!!!!) also, I was a bit unfortunate in that I had liver problems that made me itch... would claw at my legs and feet pretty much 24/7 so have huge permanent scars on legs and feet.... I also managed to pick up a nasty bug from my work (childcare) at around 34 weeks! Such bad luck!!! Also doing it alone as I split up with exH when I was 7 weeks pregnant! DS is 6 months now tho and he's so worth it 💙 hope the rest of your pregnancy is more enjoyable!!!

Smitff · 19/07/2017 22:20

DS who resulted from it Grin

user1498055568 · 19/07/2017 23:56

The hardest part for me was the morning sickness. I literally felt terrible most the first and part of the second trimester, which is especially difficult when you can't tell anyone you are pregnant yet.

I also found I had backache and for this what helped was going to pregnancy Pilates every week. It helped wonders.

During the last few weeks I kept my self working and reading up on what to do when my baby came. There are lots of great blogs and websites out there you should checkout. Such as babyconfused.com, www.bump-to-baby.com, themummyadventure.com

Xxx

MenorcaSunrise · 20/07/2017 06:22

Anxiety about movement all the way through, right to the end of pregnancy. I ate way more sugary things than I should have, just to get the baby moving to treasure myself.

Not being able to get out of bed or off the sofa easily. Otherwise I tried not to feel like an invalid as everyone seemed to be treating me.

Weeks 41 and 42 of pregnancy - medics ramped up pressure for an induction, lots of anxious indecisive arguments with hubby on what to do.

anchor9 · 20/07/2017 08:46

i got nosebleeds and a very cery bad stuffy nose!!

i got very mild lower back ache if i walked around for more than an hours..

my pregnancy was a breeze Grin

Ikabod · 20/07/2017 08:56

Exactly the same as Bear2014. My mantra is "it's only temporary" but right now (32+4) it feels a bit relentless. And so much harder with a toddler this time around! At least there's a baby at the end of it all!

kingfishergreen · 20/07/2017 09:20

I was lucky to have a relatively easy pregnancy. I felt quite awful for the first trimester (nothing serious, just exhausted, nauseous and bloated), and fine for the second trimester.

The worst thing was my sheer scale. By the time DD was 11 (ELEVEN) days overdue, lugging my enormous self anywhere was a massive drag. That and the, almost literally, permanent need for a wee (I worked until 38 weeks, and in that last week of work I had to stop three times for a wee on my way to get lunch (approx. 20 minutes)).

There is some truth that one of the best things about having the baby is not being pregnant anymore.

LadyoftheLake123 · 20/07/2017 12:31

Telling work!! They were nice about it, but made it a bit of a palaver, making me individually 'break the news' to about six different managers in separate meetings before I was finally able to officially give notice of leave and tell team. And I'm still relatively new in post so couldn't help but feel guilty (silly, I know).

And general anxiety - I was always a bit of an anxious person before but it seems amplified now, and lots of anxiety-induced 3am wakes...

LittleWingSoul · 20/07/2017 16:57

Feeling generally just pissed off all the time and being a bit crap with the other DC. First day of school hols and so far we have done... Nothing. Oh but I've had a 2 hour nap Hmm

Missing booze and fags, even though I haven't been smoking since Sept 2016!

Notlostjustexploring · 20/07/2017 17:28

The antenatal depression and anxiety that knocked me for six during the second trimester. Although my hair was shiny and skin glowing and looked the part of "glowing pregnancy", I spent a solid three months sobbing and barely holding it together. Especially as I was so looking forward to the apparent boundless energy and pizzazz.
The vomiting several times a day, dry retching the rest of the time, for four months, the heart burn, the aches and pains, the giving up of contact sports, no coffee, no longer being seen as a person in your own right, merely an incubator, no gin, shitty sleep, exhaustion, using the same 8 items of clothing on repeat...all pales in comparison. Oh, sorry, you wanted just one item....Grin
Oh well, the kid is cute, and I plan to do it again at some point! It's just not an experience I relish!

Ginlinessisnexttogodliness · 20/07/2017 23:32

Rest. Lack of.
Children have turned into Duracell bunnies and I can't cope.
Restless legs.
Heartburn.

No gin
No gin

No gin

Chloris33 · 21/07/2017 14:43

Looking after our toddler while having horrible morning sickness & fatigue, then going through major bereavement. I've nearly got through it all - last 4 weeks! I've also had a lot of tailbone pain OP & stiffness around hips & glutes. Google (pregnancy) yoga stretches for it - cat/cow can help X

Sasmac2017 · 22/07/2017 10:16

I'd have to say the weight gain tbh. Might sound shallow but is has really annoyed me considering how well I eat and exercise still 5-6x a week @ 36 weeks. Up almost 40lbs ..... Arrrgh

AccrualIntentions · 22/07/2017 16:27

The worrying and anxiety has been by far the worst thing for me. I've been lucky enough to have very few symptoms, but that comes with its own stress, when you don't feel any different to usual and people are amazed when you tell them you haven't been sick/in pain/whatever it's really hard to trust that there's a healthy baby growing inside you. I'm starting to feel marginally better about things now at 22 weeks because I have a visible bump, but not feeling movement yet (anterior placenta) brings a whole new set of worries. I'd love to be one of those women who are carefree and unconcerned enough to post their pregnancy test all over Facebook at 5 weeks pregnant but as it is I don't think I'll relax about this until the baby is born safely.