So I've been thinking a lot lately how pregnancy is different from what I expected. Some things are exactly what I expected, but a lot of things totally caught me off guard. I will say that this was written on a good day, during a good week. If I re-wrote this on one of my bad days, it might be a little less optimistic haha. Luckily my bad days have been pretty rare lately though.
Things I expected pregnancy to be, but wasn't:
Cravings: I thought I'd be sending Tom out all the time because I NEEDED something. That all I'd be able to think about were certain things, especially pickles. Reality: No more cravings than I normally have. Tom will say "I could really go for a pizza right now" as often as I do, and honestly about 30 seconds after I think I want something, I've moved on and no longer want it.
Food aversions: On the flip side I thought there would be foods I couldn't stand and wouldn't be able to eat. I thought I'd smell something and be running to the bathroom to throw up. Reality: I think tomato sauce is the only thing I've avoided, and that's just because of heart burn. I still eat it from time to time, just not as often. Nothing else has been off limits to me though.
Balance: I thought I'd completely lose my balance and this belly would have me falling everywhere. All the books and apps warned about not being able to shave your legs, or stand up on the T. Reality: I'm totally fine, and even yoga hasn't been that hard for me. I feel no different and often am balancing on one leg just fine.
Missing feet: I thought the whole not seeing your feet would be a big deal. They'd be gone forever, and Tom would be putting my socks on. People always seem to talk about that moment in pregnancy when they're gone. Reality: if I lean forward I can still see them. If I need to put socks or shoes on I just have to bend a bit like I did before. No big change. I don't think I actually noticed a time where they became harder to see.
Peeing all the time: This seems to be a universal thing, that every pregnant woman needs to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes. I was pretty sure this was non-negotiable. Reality: Nope. Not even in the middle of the night. It's really not that bad. I've been told it's more because I'm stubborn and refuse to let anything mess with my sleep, but either way, this one is totally fine.
Pregnancy Insomnia: I think I was most scared about this, since I love my sleep. I've had friends who were just wide awake all night for months before the baby was born. Reality: Probably related to the fact that I don't get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I've refused to let anything else keep me awake. Give me my 8 uninterrupted hours please!!
Carpal Tunnel: From apps to my yoga class, this is mentioned all the time. Apparently there are woman who are in constant pain in their wrists and arms. I prepared for not being able to work or to be hurting all the time. Luckily I haven't experienced this one.
Feeling Different: I think I expected to feel totally different. Or feel pregnant all the time. Reality: I still feel like me. Sometimes I feel like a sicker version of me, but besides the fact that I'm slightly bigger and dealing with different symptoms, I'm still 100% like me.
Morning Sickness: I was so worried about how I'd get through the work day. The first thing I did after finding out I was pregnant was to order barf bags on Amazon to have in my purse and carry on the T. I was sure I'd be throwing up all day. Reality: I was lucky, and I still have not thrown up in this pregnancy. Yes I was nauseous a lot at the beginning, but that was different than I thought it would be too. It just felt like I was car sick, and I'm definitely used to that feeling.
Pregnancy Brain: I guess I thought I'd become an idiot over night? Forget where I lived, not be able to do my job, and lose general brain function. Reality: Is this really a thing? Or is it just because people are more tired? I've been totally fine.
Crazy Dreams: I was actually looking forward to this one! Crazy weird dreams every night? Dreaming about the baby? Sounded fun! Reality: Nope. I mean I have some weird dreams, but nothing different than what I had before I was pregnant. And I don't think I've had a single dream about the baby!
What I didn't expect:
Being out of breath: I guess I knew that babies would attack your rib cage and that it might hurt, but I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to breathe for so long. I feel like all day, every day, I can never get enough air. And then even odder, I've gotten used to that feeling.
Hiccups: Okay I knew babies got hiccups, but I wasn't prepared for how often or how violent they feel. They shake my whole stomach, at least once a day
Soreness: All over, but also certain body parts have just been in constant pain or on fire for months. I think I hate this the most. I was expecting achy feet or lower back pain, but the places I've been hit have surprised me I think.
Other Symptoms: There are definitely some other, not always talked about, symptoms that I didn't expect. I won't share them here, but I'll just say that not everything is like it is in the movies. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a pregnant person on TV dealing with constant nose bleeds or charlie horses!
What was true:
Creepy baby movement: I fully expected to hate this and have it feel like I had an alien creature inside of me, and this is definitely true. It's oh so creepy and I hate every second of it. The feeling of organs shifting and baby flipping is the worst thing ever.
Being tired: Yup. All the naps. It came and went, but there were times all I could do was sleep. And then there were times I was physically tired but couldn't nap. It was a little weird that I was more tired in my second trimester than my third, but overall I've just always been sleepy. Even with my constant and uninterrupted 8 hours every night.
Super Smell: More so in the first trimester, but oh the things I could smell. Maybe I still could if having a constant stuffy nose wasn't a second/third trimester symptom...
