I knew pregnancy was never going to be easy, but I can honestly say there are so many things I didn’t realise would be an issue. Of course, myself like so many of you no doubt had heard about morning sickness in the first trimester, getting bigger and just generally feeling more tired. However there are so many things that nobody tells you before getting pregnant. As I write this, I am just coming into my seventh month of pregnancy. I feel blessed to have got this far but I can’t say that road has been easy and I know I’ll have more things to face in the next couple of months.
But I thought I’d share some of those things that surprised me during those seven months which will hopefully either better prepare you for the future or make you feel that you aren’t alone if you are currently going through it. But please remember that if you are concerned or unsure about anything, seek medical advise. This is just a bit of tongue in cheek writing and is in no way medically backed.
Morning sickness is not just in the morning & not just for the first trimester
Ok so I knew that morning sickness can happen at anytime of the day. That was something that didn’t surprise me. However what did surprise me was that I could be asleep and suddenly wake up because I felt like I was going to be sick. Before pregnancy, I had always been one of those lucky ones that as soon as I fell asleep, the sickness eased. But not during pregnancy.
The other thing about morning sickness that I wasn’t prepared for was that it doesn’t just last your first trimester. It can and has for me, stuck with me the whole pregnancy so far. I remember being about ten weeks pregnant and looking forward to the sixteen week mark, thinking that the sickness would ease. How wrong was I!
Ok so admittedly, I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. They couldn’t have picked a more difficult name right? But it basically means that you have extreme morning sickness that you either have to be on medication to ease or that you will end up hospitalised. But what really surprised me was how common HG really is.
Medical staff will suddenly listen to you
Ok so take this one with a pinch of salt. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has known something isn’t right with their health but has felt brushed aside from doctors. As if you’re making it up or it’s all in your mind, despite the fact we know our own bodies. Well when I got pregnant, that suddenly changed. Any small thing that was niggling me was listened to, explored and more importantly, explained to me.
Pregnancy is an amazing thing but it also comes with a lot of risks too. Medical staff don’t want to brush anything aside anymore and are happy to check out any concerns you might have.
Your voice can change
This is something that I’ve only recently started to notice. Swelling in your vocal cords can mean that some of the higher notes in your voice are gone and instead replaced with lower notes. Whilst I’m not sounding like Brian Blessed just yet, I’ve definitely noticed a change.
A mother’s blood can be dangerous to her baby
Again, something else I was diagnosed with which I didn’t even know was a thing. I feel like if you had a pregnancy bingo of all the things that could be an added complication, I’m slowly ticking them off the list. My blood is Rhesus negative whilst my baby’s blood is positive. Because of this, Rhesus disease would most likely affect my baby and so I have to have anti-d injections to prevent this.
You can crave something but not actually be able to stomach it
I thought my cravings would be all the sweet or savoury stuff and to be fair, it’s not very often I get a craving. Having said that, every so often, I get a craving for a McDonald’s cheeseburger. You’re probably thinking that is ok in moderation right? The thing is, no matter how much I crave it and sometimes give into that craving, the smell and the taste mean it just doesn’t stay down for long.
Gingivitis is incredibly painful
Gingivitis in pregnancy is basically where a pregnant women’s gums become more sensitive due to the hormonal changes in your body. This can lead to inflammation of the gums and often they will bleed. Let me tell you, its so painful.
A bloody nose
Sticking with the blood theme, I can’t even tell you when the last time I blew my nose without there being some blood was. It was honestly that long ago. I think I was probably around six weeks pregnant. Don’t worry, I don’t mean it’s streaming, however there is just always a little bit of blood there, especially in the mornings.
The thicker, shinier hair is great, but not the body hair
I had a bit of an understanding that pregnancy made your hair grow thick and healthy. However, maybe it was naïve of me, but I didn’t think that would include body hair too. My bump for example could give something from planet of the apes a run for its money!
Strangers will talk to you about your changing body
This is something that still gets to me seven months down the line. I can be at a supermarket checkout and the cashier will notice my bump, before starting a conversation about how my body will be changing. It’s not really the conversation I want to be having whilst packing my bags thank you.
Bump shaming is a real thing
When your bump starts to show, you either get the “your bump is tiny, are you sure you’re pregnant and not just fat”. Or it will be the “your bump is huge, are you sure there is just the one baby in there”. Whilst to some this might seem a joke, when your body is changing and your hormones are all over the place, this can be really damaging.
Final thoughts
I hope you found this post interesting. I wanted to share some of the things that aren’t included on most medical websites. Was there anything I’ve mentioned that surprised you? Let me know it the comments.
Other posts you might enjoy:
How I’ve found the first trimester of pregnancy
The Kelly Diane Report 
One response to “10 Things nobody tells you about pregnancy”
100% people will talk to you about the body change, these are accurate and I agree people don’t talk about some of these because first time for me.
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