Things You Go Through During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the miracles of life, but it’s something that you won’t understand until you go through it yourself. Pregnancy is a long ten months – they tell you it’s nine, but for all intents and purposes, pregnancy lasts ten months. It’s a long time to feel your body shift and change to accommodate building a human being from scratch. Your whole body changes and your hormones ramp up along with it. As miraculous as pregnancy is, there is a lot that people don’t tell you about it, which can make some of the experience a shocking one if you’re not adequately prepared.
From doctors appointments, internet month by monthly pregnancy checklist information, consultant meetings and more – pregnancy is a busy time in life. There will be happy tears, happy smiles and plenty of things that will give you joy. Along with that, there are ‘Things You Go Through During Pregnancy’ that you really need to know, and here we talk about seven of them.
It Can Hurt
Okay, so we’ll get this one ‘Things You Go Through During Pregnancy’ out of the way early. Everyone talks about the pain of labour, pushing a baby out and the infamous “ring of fire” feeling you get to experience as your baby crowns. However, many people don’t mention that the actual act of pregnancy can be pretty painful!
Your pelvis softens and widens, which causes aches and pains, and as the muscles surrounding your hips and thighs start to slacken to allow for the growing baby, you’ll feel something called “round ligament pain”. This is all designed to support the weight of the uterus and the baby – and it isn’t comfortable. Along with this, you’ll have backache, heartburn, achy ribs when the baby kicks and – if you’re unlucky – headaches. Pregnancy is painful – joyous – but painful.
It Can Be Icky
Oh, the fluids your body will produce are going to make you go nuts. Your body is beating for two, so you’ll sweat more, you’ll produce more discharge than usual -this is to prevent infection travelling from the vagina to the womb, your boobs may leak colostrum, and your bowel movements will most likely change too. It’s all fluid all the time, and it’s not particularly nice. Invest in some cloth pads to catch the breast leaks and discharge, and up your fiber intake to help the poops.
It’s The Crying Thing
Happy tears, angry tears, sad tears – if you thought that you’d felt the whole spectrum of human emotions before now, pregnancy is a whole new ball game. You will move through emotions at lightning speed, because your new baby is playing havoc with your hormones. I promise, you’re not crazy – you’re just feeling all the feelings a lot more deeply than you usually do.
Unsolicited Advice
Be warned that you are you going to hear; “I did it and my kid was fine” more times than you will count. It seems that once you’re pregnant, everyone believes that you need to hear all of their experiences and this can get very boring very quickly. Yes, little Susan probably did eat solid food at three months and is top of her class at Uni, but all of this advice is going to be damaging to you. As a new mother, it’s crucial to do your research with the right sources. Don’t forget – most of that ‘grandmotherly’ advice is outdated now. Do your best for your baby, and be safe with it.
The Anxiety Is Very Real
You do not have to be an anxious person to experience new mommy anxiety. When you watch The Terminator and his visor zooms in on all of the threats around him, it’s pretty cool, right? Well, you now have this super power and all it does is give you a reason to panic. You will feel the fear of everything around you, and it’s not fun to deal with that. Talk to your doctor if your panic is getting too much for you to handle. Your fear is not invalid – but you do need help to manage it.
You Will Wonder What You’ve Done
Oh, it’s a normal part of the process. You just committed your life to another human being; it’s human to wonder what on earth you just did. What I can tell you is that this is going to be one of the best experiences of your life. And through all the ups and downs, excitement and anxiety, you will get through this pregnancy, and look forward to the next step of parenthood, and a feeling of completeness.
Your Belly Will Stretch
The human body is a marvel, but even newly pregnant women become shocked at how fast their body changes, and how different they feel as a result. Your skin may stretch to the point of popping (not Alien-style), but stretch marks are a thing! Be sure to moisturise well around your stomach, consider using body oils or body butters for the best type of moisturising. But also remember that stretch marks are normal and absolutely nothing to be worried about – and in this case they’re a sign of the miracle of the pregnancy and the many things you go through during pregnancy.
Photos by Amina Filkins
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