I am one of those people who likes to just take things as they come. I don’t want to read about all of the side effects and pains and symptoms and possibilities- of anything. But especially in pregnancy. Partially because WHO HAS TIME for that. Seriously. And also because I don’t want all that in the back of my head as I navigate through this new experience. If I have some weird symptom- sure, I’ll address it. But I don’t want to spend 9 months looking for weird side effects during the process of building a human. And because of that- I have avoided most of the common ailments that a lot of pregnant ladies face. Heartburn, face swelling, hands or feet swelling, back pain, joint pain—you know….All the best parts of pregnancy.
Anyways. I say all that to say. I went into this process pretty blind. I was only thinking about two things; growing the baby, and then pushing it out.
So some of the things that I DID experience caught me off guard…
Breathing like a scuba diver/ Gigantic Dinosaur
I have had a stuffy nose for 8 months now. (Yep, I am 8 months pregnant.. you do the math…). I NEVER expected that I would go through my days breathing like a high school girl on the mile run test day. I have to pace myself in conversations. Not even something cool like a workout- but I have to actually consciously make sure that I don’t talk too much or too fast or I’ll be out of breath. Don’t get me started on how it feels to go up the stairs. Or get off the couch. I remember at about 6 months I legitimately almost cried myself to sleep- I was breathing so loud and so heavy that I was keeping myself awake. I definitely never expected that.
Allllll my taste buds changed.
I can tell that I am growing a Reece baby because all I want is sugar. And not like high quality fancy stuff that I’m normally into- I’m talking gas station candy. I just need it. I don’t want chocolate- (I know!!), I don’t want ice cream, I don’t want baked goods. I- want- Licorice. And air heads. And those gummy life savers that NO one likes. Except 6 year olds. Guys! I can’t stop eating gummy life savers. SEND HELP.
I didn’t expect to miss laying on my stomach.
Because why would any human ever think of that until its’ taken away from them!! I have less than one month people!! That’s the real countdown.
My dignity
Well. I definitely haven’t stopped trying… it’s just that no amount of trying can help the crazy things that happen in your body. I basically shower twice a day now- because I sweat THAT much… And I need Ben to still kinda sorta like having me around. Also- I pee so often that it literally doesn’t make sense to close the door. I calculated how much time it saves me to pee with the door open.
NINE minutes a day people!
That comes out to 2,430 minutes over the course of the pregnancy. And 40 HOURS all together. All those micro-seconds add up to a LOT. So Benny, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry. I can’t dedicate that kind of time to closing the door when I get up to go pee. I have other things to do. Like shower again.
Alcohol
This one was weird… because I honestly couldn’t tell ya the last time I drank before I was pregnant. Benny is not a drinker and I’m not really into drinking alone… so I just don’t. But SHEEEEEEESH. I swear I dream about pina coladas. And Margaritas. And Mai Tais. And beer. Maybe once the baby is here I will go back to being indifferent… but I am currently planning on insisting my nurse bring me a cocktail as soon as that baby is out. (Ok, not REALLY. Don’t freak out.)
The R O L L E R- C O A S T E R of Emotions.
Ok- I should’ve expected this one. My bad on pretending it wasn’t going to happen. But guys, over these past 8 months I have gotten insanely mad at the grocery store music more times than I can count. For those of you who have seen me furiously perusing in Fred Meyers…I PROMISE I am not a terrible person. And I don’t hate anyone. But if they play one more Abba song… I swear I will lose it. Mamas… please tell me I will go back to being normal someday??
The Peace
For the first few months of pregnancy, I just ignored the idea of having to birth a baby. I shrugged it off as “far away” and just left it at that. But as the months went ZOOMING by, I could feel myself getting anxious. In the last week I’ve realized that while 9 months is essential to grow a healthy baby, it’s also essential to get the soon-to- be Mama in her optimal head space. Only recently, I have found myself becoming more and more confident in my body to do what it was created to do. I feel at peace knowing that my body was designed for this specific process. I don’t have to try to figure it out or make something happen that isn’t supposed to. And with that, I’ve felt some serious peace come over me as the last few weeks unfold.
I actually love my pregnant belly
I never expected to like my belly. It always seemed like just the hassle you had to go through to get to the cute baby at the end. But I love walking around town looking like I’m about to pop. People look at me like they’re super proud. Or like they can relate. Either way, I feel like a part of a really big club. And it’s kinda cool…Most of the people I look up to are moms and NOW I get to be one too.
Pregnancy is a lot of things. And pretty much everyone will have a different story and different experience. But those are a few of the things I experienced that caught me off guard. Some good, some bad, and some super silly. Either way- they all add up to create one heck of a ride! What did you experience that you didn’t expect?! Was it the same for every pregnancy or was it new and different every time? Or if you haven’t had a baby yet, what are you looking forward to the most?!
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