7 Funny and Infuriating Facts about Being Pregnant That No One Tells You about ...
By Jessica • 10 Comments
By Jessica • 10 Comments
If you've been pregnant or have known someone close to you that shared her pregnancy with you, then I'm sure you know some of the facts about being pregnant! There are some crazy things that happen during pregnancy that take you by complete surprise! While carrying a child is the most beautiful time in a woman's life, there are some unpleasant and challenging aspects that often aren't expected. Listed below are some funny and infuriating facts about being pregnant!
Morning sickness is a common symptom of pregnancy in the first trimester. The large increase of hormones being produced for the development of your baby can cause mega moods swings and bouts of nausea. Morning is when hormones levels peak so it's common to get sick after waking up. But did you know that some women have "morning" sickness throughout their entire pregnancy?! Some even have it all day long, which definitely is not one of the more pleasant facts about being pregnant!
Swollen hands and feet are to be expected with the additional blood flow to your uterus and water retention, but your legs can seriously balloon up! It was hard at times to sit or lay in certain positions because my legs were so swollen! Yikes! Fortunately it goes away the instant you deliver and luckily with a big baby belly, no one really notices.
You've heard it said that pregnancy gives you that radiant "glow". Well, for some this is true! But for others (like myself) you can have negative changes to your skin and hair. Acne and dry, brittle hair is a possible occurrence as well as having a dull looking completion. I've noticed that it also makes a difference if you're carrying a boy or a girl!
Growing a human in your uterus is nothing short of spectacular. It stretches your body in a very short amount of time. With that, comes the lovely stretch makes. Mostly we think of stretch marks on the belly because that's what's dominantly expanding, but did you know you can get stretch marks just about anywhere on your body while being pregnant? Your breasts, hips, thighs, and arms are all prime candidates for stretch marks. For instance, I have them on my hips and inner thighs but not on my tummy! Everyone's skin is different and reacts to changes differently. You can't do much to prevent them besides staying hydrated and moisturizing your whole body with something like cocoa butter. The good news is that they eventually fade and are a wonderful reminder of the miracle you took part in!
I was a little freaked out when this happened because it was such an unusual pain! It can be compared to working your ab muscles during exercise and being sore the next day, although this is more intense. When your uterus begins to expand, it presses against your abdominal wall, stretching and relaxing the muscle tissue. I felt it most intensely along my obliques! Once I looked it up and talked to my doctor, I was relived that it was a normal symptom of pregnancy.
When baby presses down on the bladder, especially during the last couple months of pregnancy, it's common to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes! Because of this constant compression of your bladder muscle, you lose some of the ability to hold your urine, thus accidents DO occur! It's best just to laugh it off if this happens. And when you're in the presence of a friend or family member who might have had an accident, try and make light of it and assure her that it's normal!
Food cravings are perfectly normal during pregnancy! A midnight snack of pickles and peanut butter would be considered the norm for a food craving! But, did you know some pregnant women experience cravings for non-food items? These are called Pica cravings and might include substances like chalk, dirt, clay and laundry starch. In some extreme cases substances such as charcoal, rocks, cigarette ash and sand are desired. It's shown that these cravings stem from a mineral deficiency like iron. It's important to talk to your doctor if this occurs because giving in to these unusual cravings can be toxic for both you and the baby!
Pregnancy is such a wonderful, miraculous experience. It's a lot smoother for some, but I think every woman can agree that there's something so fulfilling about growing a little life inside of you! I would love to hear some pregnancy symptoms you've experienced or know of others that were super surprising!