Unprepared knowledge

I read a ridiculous amount of articles on what to expect during my pregnancy. I owned a copy of the What To Expect When You Are Expecting book. I signed up for The Bump. Not to mention I asked questions of every mom and pregnant person I knew. I wanted to be prepared. I figured I could ease my over active mind if I knew what was coming and know that I was just like the rest of the childbearing population. Here are the things I knew but I was still completely unprepared for.

• Weight gain. This is a no-brainer. Everyone knows you gain weight while pregnant. Your starting weight will determine how much you should gain. I’m 110lbs and 5’1″ so I should have gained between 25-30lbs. I gained 40 POUNDS. ALL. IN. MY. STOMACH. My belly stuck so far out I was scared I would fall over on a daily basis. I barely had any swelling so I can’t even blame water weight. I never knew how heavy an extra 40lbs could be. Not only could I barely take a shower, walking and breathing were a task. Reclining and breathing were also difficult. I know there are women who gained much more than I did, but on my tiny little frame I was sure I was going to collapse under all that weight.

• Heart burn. Dear God Almighty. As an Italian-American (okay I’m 3rd generation but we love our culture) my normal diet consists of spaghetti, lasagna, spicy sausage, black pepper, garlic, you see where I’m going. I am not accustomed to very much heartburn. My body was designed to tolerate spice and more spice and tomato sauce. By the 3rd trimester saltines and water gave me heartburn. I felt like someone poured battery acid down my throat and then it decided to come back up. EVERY NIGHT. There were multiple nights I slept in our rocking chair because it was the only way I could sleep. TUMS were a life saver, however, make sure you eat enough fiber to counter the extra calcium if you use these often. There are many other options, but make sure to discuss with you doctor before you take any of them.

• Morning Sickness. This was the one I most prayed I wouldn’t get. The 1st trimester was not kind to me. My toothbrush became the bane of my existence. I threw up every time I brushed my teeth. EVERY MORNING. Then I had to re-brush very carefully so I wouldn’t throw up again. If that wasn’t bad enough the nausea would linger for hours. I drank ginger ale and ate crackers for breakfast. Ginger ale was a heaven-sent. No caffeine and helps with nausea (a good bit of sugar but if you’ve cut out most junk foods and sodas you shouldn’t worry too much). There are these little ginger candies you can use but they are really potent. Thankfully, this only last until about week 12 and didn’t return like some in the 3rd trimester.

• Sense of Smell. They say this is one of the senses that can become heightened. I was akin to a Basset Hound. As a non-smoker my whole life, I’ve always been able to pick out smokers. Once I became pregnant, I could literally smell them at 100 feet away. Certain smells would cause instant nausea. Cigarettes were the worst but body odor was more of a prevalent issue. Whether it was just stinky unwashed people or soooo much perfume, working with the public was difficult.

• Food cravings (or lack thereof). The old pickles and ice cream cliché. I can say for a fact I never wanted this combination nor did I eat any laundry detergent. I had minimal cravings. I did go through a phase where I wanted loads of green olives. Ice cream sans pickles was a favorite especially in the 3rd trimester. And perogies. If you’ve never had one, it’s the best blend of Italian and Irish (think ravioli stuffed with potato and cheese). On the flip side, there were certain foods I couldn’t stand to eat. Boneless skinless chicken breast. I picked it out of everything and it didn’t matter how it was cooked. Add the bones in and I was fine. Sausage but only the ground kind that comes on pizza. No more supreme slices for me.

• Water intake. 60 ounces is the recommended water intake while pregnant. While this doesn’t sound unreasonable, remembering to drink those 8 ounces with every meal and snack is hard. I love water and it’s my beverage of choice but trying to make sure I stayed hydrated proved difficult, especially while at work. My doctor did not agree that the water from other beverages (or foods) counted towards this total so my juice or ginger ale just added extra fillers that didn’t even help. Some doctors will state that other beverages and food will count towards your water goal but they will often increase the amount to 80 ounces. If you are fairly active, you will require additional water as well. Some more planning on my part and this might have been an easier task and wouldn’t have led to the next topic.

• Bed Rest. 20% of women will be placed on some type of bed rest during their pregnancy. Mine was due to preterm labor most likely induced by dehydration. However, I can’t be blamed completely because even with medication and increased water intake my contraction never stopped. Luckily, I was only placed on limited bed rest so I could still shower, cook myself meals, and do light cleaning. I wasn’t able drive, work or go shopping which limited my interactions with people. With nothing better to do I watched Netflix and drank water for 7 weeks. Fortunately, I took out short-term disability before I become pregnant. So I had less stress financially while I was out of work.  *There is some controversy about bed rest and whether it’s helpful or harmful. All I know is my baby was born 4 days before my due date versus at 32 weeks. Make sure to discuss the pros/cons of any medical recommendations with your doctor and seek a second opinion if you feel it’s necessary.*

• Baby movement. Around 16 weeks (sometimes later if it’s your first pregnancy) you can start to feel the baby move. Everyone told me it would feel like flutters or butterflies. That is absolutely NOT what it felt like to me. I thought I had snakes in my stomach. Those first movements were fine but once she got bigger, I was unnerved for a few days until I got used to it. My little one was extremely active and remained so until I delivered. I never had to worry about kick counts. She became so strong that she could kick the remote or my husband’s hand off my belly. If she grows up to become a gymnast, I wouldn’t be surprised. It felt like she routinely did somersaults from one side to another. Thankfully, she stayed cleared of my lungs and ribs and caused me very little discomfort.

• Labor pains. I had Braxton-Hicks contractions regularly from about week 20 on. Near the end they were definitely stronger and would occasionally take my breath. I told my mom a week before my due date that I felt ready for the “real” pains. They couldn’t be much worse than this. No I was not. The doctors say you will know when you need to go to the hospital. They are right. The pain is nothing I can describe without falling short. It doesn’t feel like menstrual cramps. Or an upset stomach. Take the worst cramps, stomach ache and back pain you’ve ever had, add them together and multiple the pain by 100. It will still be more painful than that. Most of what I remember is severe pressure and back pain. Everyone is different but until you feel those contractions there is no way prepare for them.

What pregnancy symptoms or ailments were you unprepared for?