There are certain things people don't tell you about pregnancy. Believe it or not a lot of things you just forget about pregnancy after the baby comes. Sometimes, the ugly side of pregnancy is easier to just ignore or sweep under the rug. But for anyone who is thinking of having a baby, or just plain curious, or if you just want a laugh, here are 10 things NO ONE TELLS YOU about pregnancy!
1) You Will Smell Different
Seriously, your sweat, your skin, your hair, everything will smell different. Part of this is due to your olfactory senses being heightened during pregnancy (i.e. every smell makes you sick). Another part of this is the fact that changes hormones will affect the way your body smells. For some women, the new smells are horrible, and for others they are just different. For me, my change in odor wasn't unpleasant.
2) Your Nose and Gums May Bleed (Especially During Allergy Season)
This one caught me off guard. My gums didn't bleed, but my nose??? Oh boy! I've never had nosebleeds in my life and suddenly my nose was constantly bleeding and staining my clothes, my car, my bed, etc. So why does your nose and or gums become red fountains during pregnancy? Increased blood volume in your body causes small capillaries to agitated and burst. Allergy season can also agitate capillaries in your nose so combined with pregnancy it makes for a perfect storm.
3)Your Skin Will Breakout
Once again those pesky hormones your body needs to grow your little one have some unpleasant side effects. One of the side effects of increased estrogen is breakouts. Usually this starts in your first trimester and continues until birth. Oh and did you think this was confined to just your face?? Nooooooo. These breakouts are everywhere? Ever had back-acne? Boob-acne? Welcome to it...it's glorious. Use a scrubby in the shower with exfoliating body wash every day to help mitigate the breakouts.
4) Some Prenatal Vitamins Will Cause Constipation
Yea, constipation is a way of life for the pregnant woman. Once again those hormones are to blame. Nausea with vomiting also contributes to constpiational woes. But did you know that your prenatal vitamins can increase your chances of experiencing constipation. Why is this? Well, some prenatal vitamins contain a substantial amount of iron--which causes constipation. How do you avoid this? Look at the back label on your prenatal vitamins. You probably (unless told be a doctor) don't need more that 30 milligrams of iron a day. While that may sound like a lot, it really isn't. Those 30 milligrams add up fast and taking more than that can induce constipation.
5) Your Ab Muscles Will Become Strained
As your baby bump grows, your body will have to adjust to accommodate. Part of this is what is known as Round Ligament Pain. Basically, as your uterus grows the ligaments that attach your ab muscles to the rest of you are stretched and strained. Round ligament pain can present as a sharp or dull pain on your side. Sadly, there isn't a whole lot you can do for this pain. It will get worse as your bump grows. There are a few ways to help, which include: a belly band, over the counter pain medication (Not Ibuprofen), a heating pad or warm bath. Unfortunately round ligament pain is just one of those things that pregnant women have to suffer through.
6) You May Experience Lightening Crotch
This doesn't sound as painful as it is. By the name you might think it's some sort of infection etc, but no. Once again it's caused by that growing baby bump. As your uterus grows things get pushed out of the way, and nerves end up pinched. Lightening Crotch can be the result of all your internal organs being pushed around. So what does it feel like? The name would imply a sharp pain, something akin to lightening? Try worse! Think someone with a sharp dagger stabbing you in your vagina over and over at random intervals. Like no warning, STAB!! Enjoying dinner... STAB! Walking...STAB STAB STAB!! Just over and over.
7) You May Feel Disconnected From Your Bump At First (Or Until Birth)
If you are pregnant and you don't feel super bonded with your bump--don't despair, a LOT of moms experience this. The experience is different for every mother, and some mom's don't feel super bonded or connected to their baby at first. This is especially true if this is your first child. Don't worry, it's okay. Not every mother immediately goes into the nurturing, all consumed, Disney version of motherhood. Some of us feel weird, disconnected, and honestly like the first victim in the Alien franchise. However, this feeling is perfectly natural. You may even feel disconnected after birth. The biggest thing is to talk to others about how you are feeling. Trust me, you are not abnormal!
8) You May Have Vivid Dreams
Last night I dreamt that I gave birth to a talking cat after my husband left me for Henry Cavill. No, seriously. I don't really blame him for leaving me for Henry Cavill, I mean, it's Henry Cavill. But the talking cat thing? No idea.
So why do you have such vivid and frequent dreams? Well like everything else on this list, hormones, hormones, hormones. The pregnancy hormones will affect your moods and anxiety as well as the way your brain processes information. Part of the way your brain processes your day is by dreaming, so with all these new hormones raging your dreams will become more frequent and vivid.
9) You Might Have Implantation Bleeding
Usually starting around the time your missed period would have been, implantation bleeding can be either light or severe. But what is implantation bleeding? Well, it's what it sounds like--it is when the growing embryo buries itself further into the uterus lining0--which can cause bleeding. Most of the time this isn't something to worry about. Always consult your doctor if you experience bleeding of any kind.
10) You May Have Increased Vaginal Discharge
Not something you want to experience for sure, but as your blood volume increases, more blood will be provided to the reproductive organs. The increased blood flow can cause an increase in discharge, often referred to as Leukorrhea (odorless and clear discharge). While this increase in discharge may mean you have to wear a panty liner, it is nothing to be concerned about. Leukorrhea is your vagina's way of keeping everything safe and healthy. However, if you notice a severe change, blood, or discomfort you should contact your doctor immediately.
I could go on and on about all the things people don't tell you about pregnancy. These are just the top ten that caught my attention after becoming pregnant. If you have any unexpected symptoms or realities, leave them in the comment section below!
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