*This is a collaborative guest post
You may think you know everything there is to know about pregnancy. If you have friends who’ve been pregnant, they’ve likely told you everything to expect. Still, there are a few things that people always fail to mention. Read on to learn more about the things no one tells you about pregnancy.
1. “Morning” Sickness Doesn’t Just Happen in the Morning
Morning sickness is perhaps one of the biggest misnomers of all time. While some people wake up with nausea that resolves by lunchtime, many others will experience “morning” sickness at any and all times of the day. Some get it in the afternoon or evenings, and some unlucky women experience it all the time.
2. Strangers Will Get Personal
For some reason, pregnancy seems to give strangers a license to say whatever they want to you. They’ll ask all sorts of personal questions about your weight gain and symptoms. They may even feel they have the right to make comments about things you’re doing wrong, such as drinking a coffee or gaining too much weight.
And that’s just the comments. Strangers will also feel like they can touch your belly without permission. Get ready for random people to touch you anytime you’re out in public.
3. Cardiac Arrest is a Threat
You hear about all sorts of things that can go wrong during your pregnancy, but you probably don’t think much about heart issues. While rare, cardiac arrest is a condition that affects around 1 in 30,000 expectant mothers. If you have difficulty breathing or experience severe chest pains, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately.
If you do stop breathing due to cardiac arrest, it’s safe to perform CPR on pregnant woman. It’s also safe to use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) to perform CPR in pregnancy. It’s always crucial to everything you can to resuscitate, as you could be saving two lives instead of just one.
4. Sleeping Becomes Difficult
Everyone talks about how much sleep you’ll miss once the baby is born, but they rarely talk about how difficult it is to sleep while you’re pregnant. Once you hit the third trimester and your belly gets enormous, it’s so hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. Everything hurts, especially your back, legs, and feet. If nothing’s hurting, then the baby may move around a lot, adding to your discomfort.
You may find yourself tossing and turning most of the night. Often, once you manage to get comfortable enough to drift off to sleep, it’ll be time to get up and go to the bathroom. You’ll probably have to go a few times a night. You may want to invest in a pregnancy pillow to help you get comfortable.
5. Enjoy Your Last Few Months Without a Child
While you’ll likely spend the majority of your pregnancy anxiously awaiting the moment when you’ll hold your baby in your arms, it’s also essential to take that time for yourself and your partner. Don’t feel guilty about doing things you love, such as binge-watching a tv show, taking long showers, or going out to dinner.
Once you have your baby, everything will change, including the amount of free time you have. While you’re going to love caring for your child, it’s a full-time job. It may be a while before you get time to do some of those things you enjoyed before having your baby.
6. Every Pregnancy Is Different
Once you get through your first pregnancy and move on to your second one, you may think you know what to expect. However, as most second-and third-time mothers will tell you, every pregnancy is different. Just because your first pregnancy is difficult doesn’t mean your second one will be as bad.
Symptoms can vary wildly from one pregnancy to the other. You may have horrible morning sickness with one pregnancy and feel great with your next. You may not gain much weight with your first baby but may gain a lot with your second or third.
7. Birth Is Just the Beginning
For most of your pregnancy, you may be primarily focused on making it to your due date and then getting through labor. You might feel like things will slow down once that happens. However, once you get the baby home, that’s when the real fun begins. You’ll realize that you have this incredible baby that you also have to figure out how to raise.
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy is a miracle and is often one of the most incredible parts of your life. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without its ups and downs. While you may face lots of unexpected moments while pregnant, try to enjoy the ride. In a few short months, you’ll have your baby, and that will make everything worth it.
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