The Truth About Pregnancy: Part One

Pregnancy is an awesome thing.

 It's probably the most amazing and beautiful thing I've ever been through. Think about it. You spend all this time creating another HUMAN that you get to carry around with you in your belly for almost a year!

I am officially halfway through and I have a lot to say about pregnancy-the good, the bad, and the truth! Granted, I have thankfully had a very easy pregnancy so far-I have not been sick hardly any. But there are some other side effects of pregnancy that people don't tend to tell you!

These are my truths about the first half of pregnancy.

PREGNANCY IS NOT NINE, BUT TEN MONTHS LONG!

I am not entirely sure or why they say "9 months" but technically, pregnancy begins right after your last menstrual period-two weeks before you actually conceive. Most women's pregnancy last a duration or 40 weeks or ten months. So when you get to 9 months, and dont go into labor just yet-dont fret! 9 months or 36 weeks just means you have reached full term and that its "ok" to deliver at any time.

Ouch! My butt hurts!

No, I am not talking about hemorrhoids-another health issue women tend to deal with during pregnancy (thats said to come way later). I am talking about Sciatic pain! Oh boy, this is a lot of fun. Try walking or sitting or laying with a twinge of pain starting in either or both butt cheeks that run down your leg! As baby grows, they put pressure on your sciatic nerve, which starts at both buttocks and runs downward towards your calf muscles. It can not only cause pain, but numbness and tingling. This only lasted 3-4 weeks with me and it went away shortly after. 

Whoops! That was a smelly one!

This makes me laugh to even think about writing. 

Have you ever heard that all pregnant women fart... alot? Guess how true that is? VERY TRUE! Embarrassing, yes, but thanks to the slowed digestion to increase nutrient absorption during pregnancy, this increases gas-and lots of it! My poor husband, he must really love me to be able to sit near me sometimes! You honestly cannot help it. There is nothing you can do to stop it either! Have fun!

Did you just poke me!?

The first time I felt my baby kick was right at 16 weeks. I was not too sure at first because it was only a one time thing-I did not feel it again that day. But it was a feeling I have never felt before. I was laying on my tummy, texting my family-this was a couple hours after finding out he was a BOY! I was very excited and happy. And then, I felt a little poke from the inside! It was very strange. Some women says it feels like gas, but not to me. I was very sure it was him. A few days later, I felt the same thing. A few days later, I would feel it a couple times a day, getting stronger and stronger. Now, at 19 weeks and 2 days, I feel it several times a day! Sometimes, they are such strong little pokes that they catch me off guard. My husband has been able to feel the movement with his hands a couple of times so far. It is the most amazing feeling ever. Now I feel it when I laugh, eat, and talk.

Flat by morning, HUGE by night.

This is probably the strangest phenomenon I have ever experienced! Throughout your first half of pregnancy, you will notice that no matter what month you are, you will wake up with a flat tummy and go to bed looking 6 months pregnant. I still had visible abs at 4 months pregnant! Now, at around 5 months, I have developed a real bump that I wake up with now. I remember waking up one morning in tears because I thought my baby was shrinking! But surely enough like clockwork, with everything I ate and drank throughout the day, my bump slowly formed and came back. This is just due to a lot of water retention throughout pregnancy! You will know its the real thing when you wake up with it. Instead of it doing a disappearing act.

My boobs are on FIRE!!

Your breasts start growing the moment those HCG hormones start rolling in. And guess what?
THEY DONT STOP!

They grow so much that they no longer fit in anything you own! Say hello to new bras. Target has amazing and comfy nursing bras that are inexpensive that I would suggest. My biggest piece of advice is to sleeping in a supportive bra, because if you dont, your breasts will feel like they are on fire! The pain subsides a little in the 2nd trimester, but still hurts me at 19 weeks.

"I will take a pizza, sushi, fries, ice cream, and a cheeseburger, please?"

Yes! Food cravings are true. At least in the first trimester. I had no sickness so I was able to eat and crave things. I did not crave sweets very much, but I did crave CHEESE and SUSHI. I had to have it. I craved it so much that if I did not get it when I wanted it-my whole night was ruined! Yup. Thank youuuuu, hormones! They can turn you into a bitch if you are not one already. However, I controlled mine pretty well. Sometimes, I dont even feel pregnant! But according to what I hear, its a rarity to not get sick. I credit it to my staying health, gym going, and clean eating.

BUT I MUST EAT FOR TWO!

NO-you do not. Biggest myth ever. Yes, you are hungry and having cravings, but you must remember that everything you eat-baby eats too. That does not mean you need double. You should only take in 300 extra cals the first tri, 300 the second tri, and 500 in the 3rd tri and when you are nursing. This myth has been the cause of unnecessary weight gain and makes it that much harder for the baby weight to fall off. I am 19 weeks and my weight gain is at 3lbs. I eat around 2,300 cals a day and workout 4-5 times a week. I do eat clean but I do have my cheat day once a week!

I gotta go potty.

Ahhh you and the potty will get very acquainted. My biggest tip? Do not drink fluids one hour before bedtime, and make sure you go to the bathroom right before you jump into bed. Dont get me wrong- you will still go several times a night, but it makes it one trip less.

The Truth About Pregnancy Part Two will come after I experience it. Give me around 4-5 months!

Thanks for reading!