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A few recent posts by new moms-to-be had me smiling thinking about all of the unexpected things I've "discovered" during pregnancy...some scary, some weird, some just plain surprising, but most of which turned out to be "normal". Whether it's TMI, that no one likes to hear a pregnant woman complain, or that we may not be around a lot of other pregnant women, I do sometimes wonder how I never knew a lot of this stuff. I think it would be fun/helpful to share some of our most surprising experiences that had us thinking to ourselves "um, no one told me this was going to happen". I can't be the only one who's looked in a mirror after a shower and thought, "well this is...new" 
Some on my list are:
- Your first ultrasound may not be an abdominal ultrasound (wasn't expecting the wand)
- They make maternity bras that can help with soreness early in pregnancy (the no underwire support of a sports bra without the discomfort of being packed in)
- It's possible to use the bathroom, wash your hands, and on your way out of the bathroom have to go again...already
- Some spotting can be normal and doesn't always mean something is wrong (though you should always call your doctor)
- I know what the inside of my navel looks like (could've done without that)
- Forget feeling the baby kick...I can SEE him moving around in there!
- There's such a thing as pregnancy carpal tunnel
How about you? What had you turning to Google to find out if it was normal?
For ME:
1. That you can pee and throw up at the same time. :(
2. Morning sickness= ALL day sickness or evening sickness, it's not over in the morning!
3. Throwing up gives you no warning...be it in the bathroom or the grocery store parking lot
4. How many times I have had to use the bathroom during the night
5. you are not tired, but EXHAUSTED!
@MsMamaBear: oh my, I didn't know you could be peeing and throwing up at the same time either!not my favorite thing, especially now that my morning sickness has seemed to return.
I didn't know that once I got close to the end it would hurt sometimes when the baby moves and twists around.
restless leg syndrome - annoying!!
that nausea/sickness would return at 35-36 weeks.
that I would be 36 weeks and not have my hospital bag packed yet, but still be ready to meet our little dude.
@mrstilly: You're kidding about nausea returning, right? I JUST took off my Sea Bands. :(
One thing for me is sneezing hurts really bad, so I'm definitely not looking forward to when I laugh/cough and then have to pee.
I also didn't realize that you aren't second trimester until 14 weeks. I know, basic math, but I've never thought about it before.
I'm only 7 weeks...but there are some things that have already surprised me
*My boobs would hurt so bad that I can't sleep on my tummy and sometimes it even hurts on my side
*I am SO tired all day, but also have terrible insomnia at night
*That spotting could be normal.
*It isn't just constipation! haha! If you have IBS...the hormones can make it much worse.
*Your face will break out like you are 13 all over again! haha!
mrstilly- It may just be me who has that problem.LOL I guess my body just goes crazy!
Nausea comes back? Oh, no. I'm just feeling human again!
I got majorly freaked out when I started leaking milk during sex at 5 months. I ran and found my WTE book and frantically searched until I saw that that was normal and then I was like WHY DIDN'T THEY WRITE THIS IN BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS WHERE I WOULDN'T MISS IT.
ohheavenlyday- I just freaked out reading that! LOL But at least I got a warning!
Nothing caught me off guard more then ACTUALLY seeing my child move while IN my tummy! o_O After the initial shock wore off it was pretty awesome, lol :).
My big thing is on the emotional side:
I didn't know that it was perfectly normal to seriously FREAK out about being pregnant when you first find out & not be that excited about it. I stressed, cried & fell into depression for the first couple of weeks after I found out. I felt like I would be a horrible mom because I wasn't immediatly over the moon excited. Then all my sister-in-laws said "nope, that's normal ~ hormones are a bitch" ha!
I think the first trimester surprised me the most.
That there are some days (especially in the first trimester) that pregnancy and mono felt the same.
Waking up to eat in the middle of the night because I was absolutely starving.
My boobs were in a race with my stomach to see which could grow the most. I expected bigger boobs but not so early and so fast.
I agree with troubled. The first trimester sucked big time. i didn't even throw up but I felt like I had to 24/7. I was exhausted, starving, and I felt like I was turning green.
37 weeks sucks ass too. I'm just sayin.
My first pregnancy syptoms were the ones that took me most by surprise. The first thing was the change in my vagina. My husband and I had sex about 2 weeks after conception an my vagina no longer felt the same way it had before. My OB said that's normal. I had no clue your body changed like that.
The other thing was the change in my skin. I got really bad eczema that left me scratching and scratching all the time. My doctor also said that is normal... just annoying.
I also didn't know that food cravings and aversions changed throughout the pregnancy. The first few weeks I could not get enough subway. I was literally eating subway everyday. Then one day any type of bread or meat made me want to hurl. I turned over to fruits an tomatoes and brocolli. Also in the first few weeks I craved soda and coffee, then, about the same time my food cravings switched, the smell of coffee and soda made me sick and now I can't get enough water. It's so weird.
@ShellyT: Based on what I'd read online I totally was expecting a vaginal ultrasound at my first appointment so I was surprised when mine WAS abdominal. :)
Couple of things that I wasn't prepared for:
- The rate at which my boobs grew
- Numbness in the left leg (doc said it's baby on a nerve - luckily I haven't had pain)
- Sudden weakness/shakiness (doc said it's my low blood pressure/low blood sugar)
- Bloody noses (might be partially due to the cold weather)
- Extremely dry skin/itching
@firsttimemom: My chacha changed too! I was very freaked out. My case was the opposite of yours, where things just felt so jam packed that sex just became miserable for me all around.
• The cramps! Nobody talks much about the crazy period like cramps like I had during my first trimester. The occasional twinges, yes, but not the near-constant aching. That sucked.
• Random Bloody Noses. Apparently it's from your increased blood supply and the stress on your nasal capillaries. I haven't had any since I was a young kiddo, and now I feel so lame when they hit me with no warning.
• The excess saliva. Never was a drooler until pregnancy. Talk about embarrasing!
I feel like I was lucky in that I missed the most widely known pregnancy symptoms (nausea, cravings, puking) but I was hit with all the crazy uncommon ones. The fatigue hit me like a freight train, as did all the other random stuff. Saliva, bloody nose, cramping after sex. This is one crazy ride!
i didn't know:
- i could be ravenously hungry and nauseous enough to not feel like eating anything at the SAME TIME.
- my sensitivity to smells could be so extreme that the smell of anything (anything!) could make me want to vom.
- that once my boobs started to swell i would look like i'm 15 again :)
- i would start popping out at 12 weeks.
- i would have THIS MUCH discharge...and it be completely normal. eek.
What I didn't know:
1. Morning sickness was not just for mornings.
2. You can feel sick all day long without the relief of throwing up.
3. dry/iching skin
4. nose bleeds
5. The word tired can't even describe the fatigue that came over me from day one. I'm in my 2nd trimester now and I do have a bit more energy, but still get so tired in the middle of the day that my eyes water and I get scared that my boss will walk by my office and catch me sleeping.
I'm still wondering about those women who say they loved being pregnant. I understand the miracle behind it and am so excited for this baby. I guess i just didn't know I would feel this awful. I am wishing for the next several months to fly by and I can meet my baby already.
I'm not pregnant or even trying yet but just wanted to say this is a great thread for when I am! Top 5 things I learned so far:
1. Carry plastic bags wherever I go b/c I may vomit
2. Stock up now on pads b/c discharge is a huge possibility/likelyhood
3. I may in fact pee my pants, so I need to have a change of clothes with me at all times...possibly 2 outfits
4. My vagina may go crazy and in fact not seem like my vagina at all
5. Hopefully my boobs fill out b/c right now they look like swollen mosquito bites
I love the hive 
Oh! I forgot the one that is turning me green with sickness the most. The fact that more than 80% of women have bowel movements while giving birth...like, pooping while pushing. I know no one will care and it's natural but it terrifies me.
@ firsttimemom: Trust me, YOU won't even know you pooped most likely!
@ soontobemrsM: All those things seems to be things that are good advice for the first month of mommyhood too! Your emotions go crazy (like worse than pregnancy), you literally don't feel well enough to take care of yourself let alone another human being, so much stuff comes out of you for practically a whole month it's actually unreal you don't pass out from blood loss in the first two weeks, I still have a hard time holding it when I have to pee, and my boobs hurt pretty badly when they are full of milk! It's all worth it for that little bundle of joy though!
So glad I heard about your bloody noses a few weeks ago so when I got one this weekend I didn't worry....and I thought of you! haha
I remember when I heard about the pooping for the first time. I thought "OMG!!!"
But I have heard that a good nurse will just whipe it away and not tell you...and you will not even know :-)
I think I will have a rule that they please DON"T tell me if that hpapens. I do not want to know! haha
Oooh, Bees, I've been gone for months but now am almost 7 months pregnant and came back searching for some wonderful folks with great advice - and as always, here it is!
I'll have to add some of my "well.....oooooo k" moments too!
1. That you can lose weight in your first trimester (for me because every food seemed gross to me for weeks!) and be assured that the baby is getting whatever he or she needs anyway.
2. That you can get intense cramps during the first trimester (way worse than period cramps for me!) and it can be ok and nothing to worry about.
3. That the cramps you can get after an orgasm can be even worse (this scared me SO much and after googling I found out that it's nothing to worry about). Ruined THAT part of my life for 12 weeks, ha ha!
4. That having to buy breast pads at 6 months isn't common, but isn't unusual either. I didn't even know it was possible for my boobs to leak anything yet!!
5. That some people will actually think it's acceptable to tell you your butt looks bigger, and that even after measuring out of desperation and realizing it's not true, you won't feel any better (seriously, who does that?!).
6. That you can get cramps in your legs in the middle of the night that will send you shooting up out of bed, which is probably best because you have to pee anyway :)
7. That you can fall completely and head over heels unconditionally in love with a tiny little being months before you ever actually meet her (or him) :)
Regarding #3 of your list- I am going through the same thing- what is up with that?
-Definitely the cramps in the first trimester! It makes sense that it would happen, because your uterus is growing and all, so why is that never advertised?
-my arms and legs fall asleep very easily, I was not expecting that
Hmm.. how about the fact that during pregnancy, it seems that sneezing and peeing are no longer mutually exclusive events?
I was shocked by the amount of discharge. I had no idea. Also- no one told me that your sex life may turn completely non-existant. The thought of sex literally turns my stomach, and I have never had that problem. Yeah, some people get their sex drive back in the 2nd tri, but some don't. It's good to know both.
@Tatum: I don't know!! I assume it has something to do with your uterus stretching (which causes cramps for some people anyway), and orgasms cause your uterus to contract, so that brings on the cramps.... I hope it stops for you soon, though if you're like me you'll wait a while before even trying again ... soooo not worth it, ha ha!
Wow, this is the most interesting post I have ever read on WeddingBee. Wow ladies, wow. Just when I thought I wouldn't mind having babies with my soon to be hubby you gotta go and tell me all of this!
I thought I knew a lot, but apparently this was agreat question to pose because I didn't know the BM was as common as it is...so, I guess I'll be pooping on a table in a year or two. LOL And I didn't know your breast leak before a baby...so, I guess I should watch out for the wet tshirt contest. LOL
This is sooo Unbelievable... thanks Hive I will be thinking about this all day tomorrow! All day!!!! Yay to be a "WOMAN".... "TO BE A WOMAN"!!!
@MuchGreater: Awww don't get freaked out. Not everybody poops despite what that book claims. :)
Plus you're just seeing a list of all the crappy stuff but I don't think anyone experienced every single thing listed here. I personally never got ANY morning sickness. Although I did throw up once, but I'm pretty sure it was from bad food.
@firsttimemom: I didnt poop :) I did fart on the nurse but I apologized and that was that!!
The most amazing feeling is right after the baby comes out! It feels like you just had the most amazing poop of all time except you pooped out a living breathing human lol.
My visit to the Dr. this morning reminded me of another one that may be helpful for those TTC...that in many cases your OB/GYN practice is your doctor. Meaning if the practice you go to consists of multiple doctors, your delivery doctor could be any one of them who happen to be on call that day, not neccesarily the OB/GYN you've been seeing for years. I didn't realize this before I got pregnant (though it makes sense that your doctor of choice can't be on call 24/7). I loved the OB/GYN I'd been seeing for my yearly check ups, but only started seeing her after being less than impressed with others in her practice so when baby came along I switched practices to one where I have greater comfort in the pool of doctors that will deliver my baby. Moral of the story, if you're TTC in the next few years, ask your doctor about how their deliveries work (assigned doctor vs. on call doctor pool) and try a few new docs out in the practice so you're confident in your dr. choice when the time comes.
@ChantelleyLace: That made me laugh harder than I have in a while... thanks for that!! LOL!
nobody ever told me:
---if you start seeing stars or feeling it's suddenly too warm and youre fanning yourself while everyone is in coats, means this could be it!!!
---that prenatal vitamins make you nauseated on an empty stomach
---you can get nauseated as early as 4 weeks!
---that its okay to take naps, its not taht I'm lazy, I'm tired
--that I would be dry heaving while walking down the sidewalks in front of people, any minute of the day
---nobody told me I would be eating round the clock to feel better; I must have increased my caloric intake by 30%
---that my sleep would be disrupted by this need to use the bathroom 3x a night, wow
@Soon2beeMrsM:Yes those things MAY happen. but the thing about pregnancy is it is so different for everyone. #1-4 on your list didn't pertain to me at all. nor did I have crazy hormone emotions - in fact, I frequently reminded my husband how lucky he was that I was so not hormonal!! I was crazy tired and queasy in the first trimester, peed all the time, got giant boobs and was surprised at how darn long it took to show - despite the fact that my clothes stopped fitting early on....
i didn't know that you could throw up so much in a day that all the blood vessels in your face pop.
that in a months time you can go from an A to a D in bra size
that you will never have more vivid and just plain weird dreams in your life!
that waking up in the middle of the night to find a pool of blood on your pillow from your nose is normal.
waking up and you you cant see out of one eye. which i later found out blurry vision is a symptom of pregnancy and is also normal
that one minute you are in shorts and a t shirt in a foot of snow and the next you are wearing 5 sweaters and a parka cuddled up by the fire place.
bursting into tears, and your SO asks whats wrong and you have no idea why your crying but you are.
when the dr says he wants to check your cervix , hes going to use his fingers
Sneezing so hard you kinda pee
Crying during the credits of a movie because the song is sad
Coming to terms that there are mommy types out there that are batsh!t crazy
Drinking so much water you feel like a water buffalo
this post scares me haha my sister is pregnant right now and she always gets these crazy pains and her MOOD SWINGS OMG she went from the nicest person ever and turned into a complete biitch. i know its the hormones but we all know its really her just out of her "shell" her skin changes, eating habits.. the fact that shes changing all the time it just seems so scary. I don't know how you ladies do it... and how terrifiying it must seem throught the whole process. I applaude all you moms and moms to be! seriously... men don't have to do squat.
Haha I can name what I've learned from my sisters four pregnancies.
Mood swings:my first exposure to pregnancy in 6th grade. I come running in the door and my sister is laying on the couch bawlingher eyes out asking me to hug her. I go to hug her awkwardly and ask her whats wrong. In between sniffles and tears she wails out "I dont know but I love you so much!!"
Throwing up: It's awesome to sleep in on the weekends when your in middle school. Not awesome to be woken up at odd hours on saturday morning because the bathroom sink shares a wall with my bedroom.
Pooping while giving birth: This one shocked the hell out of me when I heard it COULD happen. For my sister it didn't with all four of her girls BUT when they were giving her the epidural on the first one she had to sit up and all she could say was "ow ow owowow doctor have you ever had someone fart on you before?" him: " um no not yet. But if you do thats perfectly okay" her:" Good because it feels like I'm going to" She didn't but it was still funny all the same.
The afterbirth: It looks like a flattened brain. (Remember I was in 6th grade) That's all I could think of. And whil we're on the subject... My cousin was only three years older and definitely at the wrong end and saw the baby come out. She ran to the bathroom and threw up (She still hasn't had kids and when she does she wants two. At the Same time to get it over with. She was a little traumatized. haha Great birth control!!)
Leaking: This might be exclusive to my sister and probably gross. But I was really grossed out when she started leakin so at unexpected times she thought it would be the funniest thing to squirt me .... Yeah funny sis. thanks. Again.
Ice: During the birth she couldn't get enough ice.
Food: Finding out what foods grossed her out and eating them in front of her anway. (mean I know but it was payback for her giving me a cup of "koolaid" when I was really thirsty and gulping it down only to spit it out and realize it was wine) She liked to play tricks on me a lot then too. I blame the pregnancy for that!
Also, some more things: Yes you can squeeze my hand hwile your pushing but PLEASE not so hard!! OW!
I found out Even though I didn't have a license and wasn't of age I drove through downtown traffic to see my niece being born. (They told me she was coming. I got there and she was no where near close)
OMG babies go through so many diapers!! WTH!!! I had no idea until then. And my sister has four girls so you can imagine between diapers and toilet paper what they go through!
That's all I can remember for now. But seeing the baby kicking was probably one of the most awesome things I have ever seen and felt.
And now that they're all here, it's even more awesome because I'm the fun aunt that spoils them!! yeeee!!! :D Looking forward to our own in a couple years!! More him than me! haha He wanted me to get pregnant while he was deployed so "I won't have to deal with your crazy hormones... I don't know if you'll let me survive to the end" Gotta love him.
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