What didn't you anticipate about being pregnant?

NeonNoon

What took you by surprise with either this pregnancy, or a previous one?  Or did it turn out to be about what you thought it would be?

I knew about needing extra calories, MS, peeing, physical discomfort etc.  But I didn't quite expect the extent of the physical demands of pregnancy.  The fatigue was crazy and I didn't realize how much extra sleep I would need (I don't think H fully understands that even this late in the game); not to mention the mysterious aches that appear and disappear.  One upside that took me by surprise is the sense of serenity and normalcy that pregnancy brought along.

mandyreads

This time around it has been the exhaustion and contractions. Oooh boy. Never had Braxton Hicks before with my other girls. But they sre getting stronger and stronger.

abookworm

I'm surprised at not having as much MS with this one. I don't know if it's good and due to changing my diet since I'm a borderline diabetic who's probably a full blown one by now (I do test daily though), or if it's not good. We'll see.

mindaa

I'm still early on, I'm sure there are many more surprises in store!

For now, it's been how quickly I started feeling more tired - no time to prepare! MS was different than I expected. While I'm happy I wasn't sick all the time, the way I avoided being sick, by constantly force feeding myself like a Christmas ham, was totally unexpected. As was the rapid weight gain!

I also agree that I'm pleased by how "settled" and normal I feel with this major life change. Of course, after 2+ years of TTC, I wouldn't really say I'm surprised that I'm relieved to have some closure. And happy that my 1T "nerves" went away pretty quickly. 

supersarah77

Along the lines of what you said @NeonNoon‌, I'm surprised by how physically limited I am while pregnant. I'm exhausted easily, winded easily, restricted from lifting and vigorous exercise due to complications... Although I shouldn't be surprised, it was this way last time, too!

lcwed

How exhausted I am.  I can't remember if I was this exhausted early on with DD, but I wasn't over the summer.  Of course, over the summer I wasn't working, but I was still active and doing stuff.  I'm hoping that means something this time around.

Samuelismomma

That I would have contractions like this:( my pregnancy was great until 3 rd trimester. I had preterm labor but not all the time with ds. I thought another preemie wouldn't happen. I have no idea why.

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NeonNoon

Sorry you're feeling so awful @JimBobCooter & everyone else who is unwell.  I hope things get better for you in the coming weeks.  It's OK if everything isn't getting done promptly or perfectly.  You'll get to it eventually.

I was pretty miserable up to about week 15 when things (very) gradually started to improve.  My house was a mess, I wasn't getting any work done, I had no energy for exercise or even going out, H had to make extra food runs because I couldn't cook, and I was eating carbs all day (when I wasn't sleeping).  I was reconsidering our plans for having more kids.  Thankfully, things are more manageable now and I hope they will be for you too!

mdogan29

Yes, I agree with you guys. I've watched a lot of Baby Story and known people who have had babies and generally they don't have complaints, so I was really surprised how tired I am - both mentally foggy & physically, that I'm not sleeping very well and the pain I had. I felt like it would be more enjoyable as well. Maybe because we're older we get tired more easily?

The sickness lasted until week 18 for me and I felt like I was partially robbed of my happy 2nd trimester, but once I got past that, then other stuff just popped up!  Although, my SIL just told me she had terrible MS her whole pregnancy (16 years ago when she was 33), but she decided to stop at one! Some people have it better than others and each pregnancy is different, even your own pregnancies. This is my first, so I just didn't know what to expect! Certainly not burps that could compete with DH's (like I chugged a beer or something!)!

I was really excited when the baby started moving and I could feel him multiple times a day --- and I still am!! --- but some of those kicks are pretty jolting, I'm worried that they might become more painful the bigger he gets.

marijaa333

I'm surprised by the discomforts: constipation, minor headaches, random tummy aches, crazy fatigue... I'm also concerned about recovery from labour. Because a lot of this was unexpected, I'm also worried about what I will feel when the little one arrives. I really love my one on one time with the husb and I hope we can still be "us" once the baby is here.

jerseygirl227

Love reading these posts!

For me, the first surprise was that I was pregnant at all!  I went off the pill a year ago and BF and I decided that whatever happened would happen.  Still, I thought for sure I was too old.

I, too, was surprised at how tired I am.  Ugh.  I'll go to lay down for 30 minutes and two hours will pass by.  Some days are good, and some days I just wanna spend the whole day in bed.  It's kinda frustrating, but I am listening to what my body needs.

Oh, and I got lost in JC Penney last night.  And that surprised me, lol.  Isn't it too early to have foggy pregnancy brain?

mattandlora

1 - The craziness of having a toddler while pregnant. I knew it would be bad, but I wasn't expecting THIS. He wants me to carry him, but I can't. He kicks and squirms at bedtime and it hurts my belly. I can't sleep a full night through because of the pregnancy / peeing, but also because of his teething.

2 - So I have this bad cough right now, and a baby on my bladder.....

Shon77

I had no clue how hungry I would get.....I am like pac man, I swear at times I feel as if I can't get full! To top it off at this point  I consume mostly  carbs- before I found out I was pregnant I was eating a paleo/primal diet ( mostly meat, fruit and veggies) Now I can hardly stand lean meat- haven't looked at broccoli in 2 months and am a fruit and carb addict- Also the MS is out of control, I'm always dizzy, tired and hormonal. I was also very much into weight training. Now the I can barely lift my head off my pillow let alone squat my max of 285. I'm PRAYING things get better. I'd love to go back to they gym and start eating healthy again however for now my goal is simply survival. This is baby # 5 so I thought I had things down packed by now but  this baby has completely messed up my entire understanding- I thought I'd coast thru this pregnancy, gain very little weight, work out, eat healthy etc so far- the complete opposite has taken place....

NeonNoon

Hi @Shon77.  I used to be Primal before pregnancy too.  There are a couple of other ladies on here who are/were Paleo as well.  I couldn't do broccoli, green salads, stews, or meats while the MS was at its worst.  I'm now eating my normal Primal foods plus potatoes.  I had only barely gotten going on the work-out side, but the first trimester knocked me down big time too.  I am now back to doing some easy body weight stuff, and walking, though I've dropped HIIT completely.  I must say, it's a lot easier to make progress with all the extra estrogen, even though you're not supposed to push yourself.  Everyone is different, but I hope you can get back to your diet & exercise soon.

Shon77

Thank you so much NeonNoon for sharing! I was feeling so bad about my change in lifestyle- I thought I was the only one lol I'll be going into my 2nd trimester in a week or two so maybe things will start to look up from there. It is very encouraging that you were able to go back to eating primal after the MS ended, I so hope that is the case with me as well.

niknak1208

My brother is HUGE into Paleo. He keeps trying to bring me on board and actually I'm game but I can't get my hubby on board! I don't know why he's not into it.. I mean it's meat and veggies.. how can you not like that?? To me, the things you're giving up are not really that big of a deal in the first place. I'm still a little bit nauseous but when I can I would really like to be more Paleo. I was just about to dig into crossfit when I got pregnant too!  I decided not to try that yet since that's something that was new that I had not been doing pre-pregnancy. I was doing a lot of lifting though and I haven't gotten back into that. When I was very early pregnancy, I was still doing some weights because I worked SO hard on my arms and I didn't want to lose it! But I can already feel that I'm softer which bums me out. This is always what happens to be.  I'm doing super well and then I get pregnant and fat..  get over that hump and have to get into it all again. 

mindaa

@Shon77

You are definitely not alone! I'm a vegetarian rock climber who has gained 15 pounds in 15 weeks. I've been craving bacon, and get winded during the warmup. (and now that I'm finally feeling more normal, there's a frickin' Christmas party every day). It's been very surprising and discouraging. Am really looking forward to a fresh start in the new year!

I also lurk on TB health & exercise board - some good encouragement & suggestions there. 

darbyo2

I had one super positive surprise. Before getting pregnant, I would have a large cup of coffee in the morning and would drink unsweetened tea or diet coke after that. Any time I have tried to kick the caffeine habit in the past, I have had a massive headache by the next day that made me cave in. Well, when I found out about our little one, I was really worried about all the caffeine. I started having just a small cup of coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. To my surprise, I had no headache! After a few days I went to half caff... still no headache! After a couple more days I went caffeine free and have had nothing but water since! In fact, I can't handle the thought of drinking anything else right now. Crazy!

I'm also surprised by my cravings. If something pops into my head, I better eat that or I won't be able to eat at all. I now have a new appreciation for the cliche of running out in the middle of the night for ice cream and pickles. These cravings are not suggestions. They are demands!

mattandlora

@Shon77 - I was Paleo/Primal before the pregnancy and did crossfit 2-3x per week. Now, at 23 weeks, I am still puking 1-2x per week and still can't eat meat unless it is disguised in something else. (Example - chicken is a no, but chicken pot pie is fine). I haven't been able to exercise since the 2nd pink line showed up. I'm too tired and have trouble keeping down enough food and fluids to justify "wasting" them through sweat and exercise. I'm starting reformer pilates after the holidays just to get some flexibility and core strength back. I was supposed to start this week but got sick with a horrible cough.

abookworm

I too have quit drinking coffee after bring chained to that 20 year habit, and can only tolerate water, or fruits blended up in the blender as a drink. I'm so happy that I'm free from that morning hot beverage habit!

HGT96

Let's see... The all day sickness, constipation, stuffy nose, drooling, leg cramps, physical limitations, stretching pains, kicks in the crotch. I thought I knew what I was getting into. I had no idea but I wouldn't change it for the world.

marijaa333

Me three on losing my taste for coffee - except I miss it!

ewenner

Shon77, I cannot stop eating!  I will take that any day, however, over MS, which I have been blessed to not have at all.  I have also been surprised by how winded I get doing little things, and the lightheadedness that I often feel.  My OB says it's from not drinking enough water, but I feel like if I drink any more, I will float away!   

vballbaby

I'm sorry ladies but what is MS? I can't figure it out duh! Hoping everyone feels good tonight I've enjoyed reading your stories even tho I'm not prego yet muscle soreness?? That's my best guess. I know I'm gonna feel like a dope when someone explains it to me.

abookworm

MS stands for morning sickness, nausea

Bigboneded

OMG, the drooling! I told DH he is contagious... he has always woken to a wet pillow, me only since 3rd tri! Yuck. And the burps :-)
I was completely surprised to get diagnosed with GD...
numb fingers, my carpal tunnel got soooo much worse.
FTM, so feeling the babies moving has been so great, I smile all the time! :-)

mandyreads

Yes...drooling has amplified in the last couple weeks. So horrible in the 3rd trimester.

charlie+7

I didn't anticipate cramping, how sore boobs could be or how fat my inner thighs could get! Also struggling with how's body looks due to change. Focussing on the little miracle that's happening instead.

Shon77

You women are nothing less than amazing...  I'm SO glad there are others that can relate to how I feel and what is happening to my body...  So many of your comments had me literally laughing out loud and feeling better about my carb addiction and my lack (or maybe absence of training would be a better description)  with each post -  Also yes....the drooling has me floored...I'm just waiting for the embarrassing moment when  my husband figures it out-  ( he says I'm beautiful when I'm sleeping) well that will be the end of that! And also the super gas! Only when I eat certain veggies which I haven't been into in the past few months but I really want to get back on track however I feel sorry for the family when that happens - It got so bad my first month  that I'm ashamed to say  I told the kids if I "pooted" they had to take the blame for it, the smell was bad enough to tare the paint off the walls ...They refused until I promised to pay them- now that I think about it maybe I won't go back to broccoli lbs...Its cheaper to leave it out of my diet.

MySallyGirl

That I'm so stinking tired even this early in the game.  I forgot about that!

carrieoz_76

I'm just at the end of the first tri, and a ftm, so everything is a surprise. But what surprised me most was that I traded worrying about whether my body was operating properly, as I saw it, with worrying about whether I could sustain this baby through a pregnancy. I guess I thought everything would be hunky dory once/if I got my BFP (haha). I'm trying to enjoy the process more, but it's a struggle!