What they don't tell you about pregnancy Part I
Hello All! I am in my third trimester of pregnancy and it's been quite a ride! There's so much that I want to share with you! Today, however, I want to share the huge surprises that I've had for the past 7 months!
**Disclaimer: No two pregnancies are alike! What I have dealt with could be the opposite for you!**
1. Weight Loss!
So, my before pregnancy weight was around 155 lbs. At my first appointment I hadn't gained any weight and by my January appointment I had actually lost 2 pounds. My next appointments showed that I was gaining a few ounces a month. Eventually, I got to 162 and then by the next appointment I, again, lost a pound and some change. Last month (April) I had reached 165 and now I'm at 168 and gaining about a pound a week (standard weight gain for the end of the third tri)!During this entire time my doctor kept telling me to not worry about the weight loss and at my very first appointment had even told me to not gain a lot of weight (in total she said I should only gain about 25 pounds the entire pregnancy) so that I wouldn't complicate my labor and delivery. She also said that I'll have plenty of time to gain weight at the end of my pregnancy. Now that goes against everything I had ever heard about pregnancy! What! Don't stuff your face? Don't eat everything in sight? That's one of the things I was looking forward to haha. I didn't have any morning sickness at all, in fact I've only up chucked once, and that was because of the stupid glucose test (more on that later). So why did I spend 2/3rds of my pregnancy between 155 and 165?....
2. Food Aversions!
You guys, I spent the entire first trimester of my pregnancy (and some of the second) mentally and literally gagging at almost any hot food. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore good food and I love to cook, but I hardly went near the stove for months. In the movies, on TV and even online you'll see where pregnant women usually only dislike one thing, maybe it's hot dogs, or a particular smell. In real life though, I've spoken to many pregnant woman who are/were in the exact same boat as I was. I kid you not, I lived off of raw fruits and veggies, cold cuts, salad and yogurt. It drove my husband crazy because he was convinced I wasn't eating enough but even the smell of cooked meat made me ill. It all smelled rancid. Also, I wasn't eating often because I was hardly ever hungry. One day my husband went to work at 10am and didn't return until 7pm and I'd had my prenatal vitamin, some peanut butter crackers and something to drink, that's it.
3. The Return if Your Appetite
About mid way through the second trimester (much to my husbands relief) my appetite returned. HOWEVER, I am no longer a mean eating machine. When I'm hungry I'm famished and I think I can eat two Whoppers, a large order of onion rings, an apple pie, and large smoothie, But by the time I start eating, I eat a small cheese burger, half a small fry and some juice. But I do eat a lot more frequently now I get so full so fast and after reading a lot of online forums with other preggos, that's apparently normal. Who knew?
4. Baby Kung Fu
In the movies you see women feel the baby kick for the first time and they get all starry eyed and that's it. Now the starry eyed part is absolutely true! I started feeling my son (it felt like dozens of teeny bubbles pooping ) at around 15 or so weeks. By March (about 20 weeks) he was kicking hard enough that I could see it. Now at 32 weeks this little boy can deliver a blow hard enough for me to have to stop what I'm doing and get myself together. It's also difficult to sleep when he's very active so I just have to wait for him to calm down. The sharp, sudden, stinging pain of being kicked in your bladder is awful. Also, the pain of having your pelvis hit continually is pretty bad too. Babys are very active during and after you eat, especially if you've had anything sweet. So imagine getting full, settling down, and then having someone massage your full stomach firmly and continually for 30 minuets or so. Yea, you get the picture. But even though it's uncomfortable at times, it's the most amazing feeling in the world and the opposite is the scariest, which leads me to number 5.
5. Babys Day Off
Once my baby started moving on a regular basis (they say about 28 weeks but he was moving frequently before then) I was instructed to pay attention to his movements and perform a "kick count" daily. A kick count is when you have a snack and lay on your left side (for optimal blood flow to the baby) and count how many movements (kicks, flips, and wiggles) the baby makes in 2 hours. The standard healthy amount is 10, however, I usually reach 10 in about 30 minutes and have heard from other moms that it varies from baby to baby. What I didn't know is that some days the baby will have a chill day. They won't move quite as much and the movements might not be as strong as usual. Now there is a difference between a chill day and something just being wrong so always always listen to your gut and err on the side of caution. The first time this happened to me I was terrified. I told my husband he wasn't moving as much and immediately started counting kicks. Much to my relief I got my normal 10 in about 30 minutes (Base your kicks off of what YOUR CHILD usually does, if I had only gotten 10 in 2 hours I would have been at the hospital immediately). But I was still confused about the decline in movement so I did some googling and called my doctor. Both sources informed me (and reminded me) that a baby is still a person, so just like you and I, some days they just like to relax.
That's all for Part I because I don't want to make this a super long post, but be on the look out for Part II!!! Feel free to leave any comments and questions!
XOXOXO
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