When I got pregnant, I wasn’t naive to think that it would be the quintessential fainting – you’re pregnant-minor morning sickness – craving random things – eating for two -cute maternitywear- suddenly water breaking – screaming labour – ending with a cute perfect baby – and makeup and hair still on point; that is so prevalent in what we see in Bollywood/Hollywood.

However, these are some of the following things as a first time mom, I had no idea I would experience in my pregnancy:

 

1. You are pregnant, even if the line is faint. When you pee on the stick, and wait the three minutes, if the second line is there, no matter how light, you my dear have a bun in the oven! Woot! The line appears because the hormone that the test is looking for is present in your urine! You are able to get a false negative (say, you took your test too early), but the likelyhood of a false positive is very rare.
2. Morning sickness can be all day sickness. Sorry ladies. And sometimes, it can be severe like in my case (read about it here).
3. Some women don’t look very pregnant well into thier pregnancy and some women get bigger much quicker. Don’t worry too much with the way you are carrying your baby. Your body knows best how to house your bun. Just make sure you are healthy and eating a well balanced diet and drinking loads of water and let your body do what it was made to do.
4. Cravings don’t hit a lot of pregnant women. I love eating. So when I got pregnant, I thought “bring on the cravings!” And nothing happened… Except maybe two or three times… It was a complete bummer!
5. The doctor doesn’t care even if you’re excited. The OB’s office won’t even give you an appointment till you are 10-12 weeks into your pregnancy. I tried calling, leaving messages, but the OBs don’t really want to see you till you’ve progressed enough for them to care about your pregnancy. So make good friends with your family doctor or go the midwife route. At least they will give you appointments that are more then 3.5 min long!
6. Interesting bodily fluids always escaping. I know TMI but that is the point of this kind of a post… So there is pee, which seems to leak when you laugh too hard, sneeze too hard, or even sit too long. Then there is discharge. It’s mucusy. It’s not fun.
7. You feel bloated very early on. Sitting becomes difficult.
8. You feel like it’s the end of the world if you don’t get to pee. But as soon as you get to the bathroom, it’s just a few drops. It’s actually the most annoying thing when you have to get up several times at night.
9. Even if you aren’t showing, chances are your pants won’t fit. This is not because you’ve grown, but rather because your uterus is getting hard.
10. Constipation happens and it hurts like hell. I don’t mean to scare anyone but – holy hell! When it gets bad, it feels like you are about to die. It’s hard to sit up or lie down or feel any sort of comfortable. To avoid this religiously drink water and make sure you drink a fibre supplement or even prune juice.
11. You want to eat for two but can’t. Not only do you not need to “eat for two, large meals are not easy to consume because your uterus pushes up against your stomach. This causes you to not be able to eat large portions. It’s a better idea to snack and have smaller meals.
12. Your man won’t get it till much later in the pregnancy.  Every guy is different, but from what I have seen, it doesn’t hit most fathers till much closer to the time of delivery. It’s hard for guys to bond with a baby they can’t see/touch/feel. Be patient and guide him through how you need him to treat you.
13. Unwanted hair/acne in unwanted places. Because of hormonal imbalances, you may end up having unwanted hair growth in peculiar places or  breakout on your face and back. This too shall pass.
14. Your feet may grow a full size bigger and never go back. I grew a half a size. Some of my prettiest shoes have now been abandoned.
15. Vivid and crazy dreams. This believe it or not is a pregnancy side effect. You will have dreams that will make you blush in your sleep and the worst part is, you will remember it in great detail when you wake up!
16. Your lady parts will get swollen. As you prep for birth, it can get very sensitive and swollen below. This is totally normal and nothing to worry about.
17. The baby’s movements can feel like indigestion. In the beginning, you will feel a fluttering sensation that almost feels like indigestion. That’s your little peanut having a dance party!
18. Preggo brain is real. You forget. You forget where you put your keys. You forget your best friend’s birthday. You forget the thought you started with by the end of the conversation. Don’t sweat it! Take this as an opertune excuse to not do something… Say you forgot because you have preggo brain!
19. Getting your pre-pregnancy body back is hard. Most women don’t bounce back to thier original bodies. I wish I had been able to exercise during my pregnancy. If your body allows you to remain active, then do so because then “bouncing back” is not as much work. However, know that after you give birth, it will be an uphill climb. Mentally prepare yourself for that.
20. It’s okay to not LOVE being pregnant. Some women have perfect pregnancies. But a lot of us have a few unpleasant side affects that make it hard for us to enjoy our pregnancy. This in no way makes us ungrateful for the baby we have the privilege to carry. Remember that this is a brand new process for your body to be undertaking and for a lot of people this means that the hormones are going crazy. Different parts of the pregnancy will cause you to react in emotional ways. Don’t feel bad. Just know that it will pass and you will feel better soon. Always reach out for support when you are feeling down. It will only make things a little easier for you.

I hope this list helps you feel a little more prepared for what’s to come. Also remember that I write based on my experience and in no way is this the holy grail. If you feel anything that you are unsure about, reach out to your doctor or midwife!

What are some other things that women go through during pregnancy that no one ever tells you?