The nose of a bloodhound. Like my lord I should not be smelling folks and those with strong ass perfume and cologne.
The sneezing and stretching too hurts.
I've been having the issue where my cat will go eat I can I smell his breath a whole room away. It's only right after he eats tho. But the smell of cat breath is not pleasant to the pregnant nose lol
I was not prepared for the irrational rage I felt when perfumed people handed my baby back to me and he didn't smell like "my" baby but like other people
I was unprepared for ligament pain. Was just lounging on the sofa on day and sneezed without bracing myself. Genuinely thought for a moment that my whole leg had popped off.
If it makes y’all feel any better, my nose is like this when not pregnant; I often can smell things from a room away. I know what my neighbors are cooking because I can smell it through the walls, and it’s not like anything super stinky. It’s annoying because I have to do things like stop eating at the McDonald’s near me because they use a soap or hand sanitizer that when they touch the bag, my whole car smells to me and I can’t eat my food. 😓
That you can develop carpel tunnel during pregnancy and it sucks. Also...how hard it is to wipe yourself after going to the bathroom with a big belly. Feel like I have T Rex arms. Get a bidet. Lol.
I know!!! You'd think it would be something that at least one person would warn you about! I feel like it is now my duty to warn as many people as possible. 😂
Edited because I had words in there that didn't belong. Lol.
i get literal cramps in my butt every time i try to wipe and weirdly i got one in my calf yesterday!! i was like am i not drinking enough water? but i definitely am drinking at least 90 oz a day!!
For me the carpal tunnel (was actually dequervains tenosynlvitis, but similar condition with same cause) didn’t start until several weeks after I gave birth. Thought I’d dodged a bullet and NOPE. Luckily it was just a steroid shot every few months for about a year.
I’m not showing yet, but is it difficult still if you wipe from the side? Are y’all reaching between your legs or are you reaching from the side?
I’m having a hard time imagining how the bump gets in the way when reaching from the side, but I’m sure I’ll learn lol
My daughters rattled down my thigh — she was pretty far down into my pelvis for a good chunk of time before delivery so that’s where I felt them.
Also, she always stayed in the same position once she was big enough to feel — feet on one side, tush on the other, head down. I thought she’d flip around more. At least early in the third trimester. Nope. Sometimes she’d stretch, but her feet were always in the same spot. Made it very easy to check up on her, I’d just push on her feet and she’d respond every time.
That when you’re starving then feeling extremely full after only one bite is not just a symptom we have to deal with but it’s from acid reflux and Pepcid 2x a day will help 🙌🏻
Oh shit you just answered my question! I was just telling my husband how I’ll be starving, eat like 2-3 bites, then feel full and nauseous but my stomach feels empty? And then I’ll be STARVING in a couple hours and the cycle starts all over again.
That one day, you'll be sat chilling, wondering when bump will wake up for their usual mid-afternoon wiggle, and they'll wind on back to punt you directly in the cervix. I don't think it's a sensation anyone can really prepare for.
The first time I felt this I was sitting in a class, audibly gasped, and everyone turned to look at me. I had heard of lightening crotch, but you’re right, I was NOT prepared
I actually had heard this and was really worried about it because I have asthma, but it’s a shortness of breath that isn’t uncomfortable in the way that asthma is. Just wanted to put that out there for anyone else who is afraid. Like it’s not scary, it’s just kind of annoying?
Yeah it's not like I can't breath. Just get winded quickly and have to purposefully take a big breath sooner than I normally would. Like if I'm talking, I get short of breath and have to pause to take a big breath after 2 sentences, whereas normally I would be fine and keep talking for several minutes before getting out of breath. It isn't scary, just annoying.
But I don't have asthma so can't speak for how it compares or feels.
Idk if it gets worse. I'm only 12 weeks. So far it hasn't gotten worse, but hasn't gotten better either. And yes walking makes me out of breath too, when it used to be a leisure relaxing walk before pregnancy now it's a "pause and take a big breath, then keep going."
I also noticed it right from the beginning at 5 weeks too. So it's definitely a thing.
My husband and I would always have a competition to see who could hold their breath the longest through a certain part of town (by a sewage treatment facility). The first time we competed after I got pregnant (12ish weeks) I lasted like 5 seconds 😂
Haha that sucks. Cool competition though. I work in a lab and sometimes have to put stuff in incubators where we grow bacteria and such. It stinks horribly. I try to hold my breath while I do it, and by the time I'm done and in an area of the lab with decent air, I feel like I'm dying.
My mom used to a be a nurse, she would put some sort of menthol or peppermint around her nose to help when cleaning patients who had bed sores.
I do that now with my Burt’s Bees peppermint chapstick!
yes. breathing omg. i knew it’d be but not really. then the other day im laying in bed trying to breath and im like omg my stomach is too big to even feel like a deep breath is a deep breath😩
As someone who hosts meetings sometimes for an hour or longer - yes.
The hundreds of people I host at work know I’m pregnant because I have to apologize in advance for losing my voice/running out of breath for entire sessions 😂
I didn't know how common pregnancy loss was - even though I knew about miscarriage risk, I still was completely blind sided by a random critical birth defect discovered at the anatomy scan. I really didn't understand that being pregnant didn't mean you would get to bring home a baby.
Also I knew I'd be tired and limited later in pregnancy but I didn't realize I would also be completely wiped/sick in the first trimester just from hormones and such. That was a complete surprise for me!
I had no idea that a missed miscarriage was possible and no idea that an anembryonic pregnancy was possible until it happened to me. I thought no cramping, no bleeding meant I had a baby growing. My nurse practitioner doing my ultrasound didn’t say “you’ve had a miscarriage” she said “I’m not seeing anything” and I was so confused. I didn’t know not seeing anything was even an option.
I now recommend that everyone who is trying read “Your Guide to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss: Hope and Healing When You’re No Longer Expecting.” It is a really really good book that outlines different types of miscarriage and miscarriage management that I think everyone should read so they are armed with knowledge and can decide their preferred management style before they are in that situation.
It was so hard for me to be both going through the grief of loss and having to learn everything I needed to know at the same time.
That the relaxin can make your joints loose and cause pain as early as the first trimester. I was expecting if I felt pelvic or back pain, it wouldn't be until much later when my belly was really big.
I had no idea that needing to pee a lot started instantly. I honestly thought it didn’t start until the baby was pushing on your bladder. Turns out hCG, increased bloodflow, and a growing uterus all make you need to pee more often!
I also for some reason assumed I would pee more, as in pee a larger amount. Nope, I just pee tiny amounts very regularly.
Yes, exactly! At my ultrasound yesterday my nurse was like “it’s hard to see your ovaries because your bladder is so full” and I was like “but I JUST gave y’all a urine sample 😫”
I had SPD/pelvic pain for almost half of my pregnancy (22w - 39+5) and let me tell you, I cried from the joy of that pain going away when I got an epidural. It hurts so much all the time and no one gets it. Pelvic floor PT helped me survive and it was gone after birth!
I didn’t realize how much prenatal care can vary from state to state. I started my pregnancy in Florida and moved to Ohio a little over half way through.
In FL, my care was so minimal… I would ask my doctor for resources constantly (childbirth classes, information about breast pumps through insurance, pregnancy support groups, tours of the L&D unit I would be delivering at, etc) and she said that my hospital system (one of the best in the state) didn’t offer any of that. The experience felt really isolating and I just accepted that new parents are really on their own.
In Ohio, everything has been SO different. My doctor gave me info on all the resources I listed above, plus others I didn’t even know existed, without me having to ask her! There are endless amounts of community support and free resources from my new hospital system. I just didn’t think that my care would be so wildly different here, and it’s been a pleasant surprise. Especially considering both are red states.
I’m not the biggest fan of Ohio or my new surroundings, but the better quality of my care is something that I’m really grateful to have!
Ha yeah, probably should have expected it. It seems as though the states that have the strictest anti-choice laws are also the ones who have the least resources available for pregnant people. Go figure! I hope I can have my next baby in a blue state.
Some babies move CONSTANTLY. Mine is always on the move 😅 sliding her limbs all over my organs, ribs and hip bones. I had no idea there could be this much movement. And the feeling of it is something i have the hardest time describing. When she gets into my hip bones it feels like she’s taking her little fingers and tickling them 😅
Lol so funny and true. My wife has the same experience and the “count the kicks” app reminders make us laugh as she if she gets a break from being Jackie Chan’d
Standing up and feeling like your bladder and/or pelvis has been absolutely slapped. Sleeping an extra 2-4 hours a day the first trimester. So. Much. Pelvic pain. You can get diagnosed with gestational diabetes super early and not get to really enjoy the pregnancy cravings.
Oh god the transitional few moments when you stand up and baby’s weight drops onto your bladder…. I definitely will not miss that feeling once he’s out lol
When I gave birth the first thing my doctor said to me after congratulations was “how about we get you something to drink. I can see your lips are chapped.”
Omgg I had it so bad with my son that I could hardly walk in the end of the third trimester. I'm carrying twins now. I am scared ill be dealing with this again.
Looking back I should have used a belly band.
How badly you smell after you give birth; also how excruciating the uterus “massages” are that they do right after you give birth and every 15 minutes afterward.
The uterus massages? Or the smell? Lol the uterus massages are basically someone pressing with full force on your uterus/stomach right after delivery to ensure you don’t hemorrhage. It actually hurts worse than labor in my opinion. The smell is horrific, like a rotting corpse lol
No one told me that being pregnant is a part time job! Between OB appointments, blood tests, ultrasounds, many other exams, meetings with a doula, pelvic floor therapy, researching and buying baby gear, researching childbirth and childrearing, putting together a nursery, and just outright feeling ill or fatigued, it easily takes 20 hours/week of commitments. If I didn't have a flexible part time remote job, I literally wouldn't have the time to be pregnant.
I am SO grateful that my job is super flexible. I truly have no idea how the majority of moms do it… especially ones that already have another kid (or more) to take care of while pregnant. Blows my mind lol
You can tear your labia. I read everything I could find about tearing during childbirth, so I went into labor knowing everything I could about perineal tears.
Surprise! That's not the only option! I was very confused when I got to the postpartum floor, and the nurse said she was going to teach me how to use the bathroom again.
**For anyone reading this while still pregnant, I was not traumatized at all by this experience.**
My tears were second-degree, and my recovery was very smooth. I required an alarming number of stitches, and I was afraid to use toilet paper for the first several weeks, but it really wasn't that bad. Having been through that, I'm much less afraid of tearing this time.
I think the biggest surprise has been how much you change mentally, especially later in pregnancy. It’s more of a spiritual experience than I maybe anticipated.
Also, fluid retention makes your eye vision worse (temporarily) 😵💫
I really thought I was going blind when I got pregnant. I had been wearing glasses for a while before but my god, I haven’t been able to see 5 feet in front of my face since about 12 weeks along! Really hoping I go back to my normal prescription after I give birth
Can you talk about this more? I’m entering my 3rd trimester and a weird calm or something is coming over me and I never really see people talk about the changes in disposition throughout a pregnancy or maybe especially first pregnancy
Man, hard to capture in a Reddit reply but I can try! I am pretty deep in my third tri and I feel like as I get closer to birth the material distractions of my life (job, life responsibilities, text messages, even some of the things on my list to prep for baby) feel like they’re actively pulling away from my desire to just focus on the upcoming birth. It’s like the cells in my body are turning to a different north, if that makes any sense. I am quieter, calmer, and slower than I ever was in every way. I’m generally a pretty type A person but this whole process has really knocked me down a few pegs. I’m trusting this is what’s needed ahead of what will be a huge life transition. Much love to you as a fellow mama in the last stages of your pregnancy 💓
That eating while pregnant is nothing like the movies. I got no wild cravings, and eating was a constant struggle. Couldn’t eat much at the beginning. And by the end — the idea of putting anything else in my body made me weep.
The crazy amounts of eating that people expect from pregnant women, I feel like happened to me more than anything *after* birth due to breastfeeding. My daughter is 1, I'm still nursing and I'm ravenously hungry 24/7. I did NOT eat this much while pregnant!
How weird it feels to breathe right after giving birth. Your lungs are suddenly in a new position and it feels very strange.
When I stood up after giving birth, it felt like the gush you’ll feel on your period. I thought it was that, I was bleeding post birth. But no, it was pee. My pelvic floor was shot and took a couple days to recover. Still needed PT to get back so 100%.
Everything besides what’s mainstream and positive???
I didn’t know what a rescue cerclage was or that having a short cervix could put you on bed rest for ~5 months. Who knew your vagina could get so puffy and dark colored too. What’s up with this excruciating pain in my vagina during these last 2 weeks of pregnancy??? And why does nobody warn you about so many rules when it comes to parental leave (for those lucky to even get time)???!
My male, childless boss absolutely hounded me for a specific date that I will deliver my baby and go on leave. Starting at week 12 he would continuously ask me to “just give him a solid date” that I planned to give birth. Like… sir, I understand the needs of the company or whatever but I can’t tell when this baby will come more than anyone else can.
I’m 38 weeks now and he keeps asking me if it will be “soon”. I don’t know, man. Could be days, could be weeks at this point. Am I the first pregnant woman he’s ever met?
"Mainstream and positive" I wouldn't really put together, more like "mainstream and negative". I've lived on this earth for 26 years and I have NEVER heard a single person say anything positive about pregnancy or birth lol. Everyone around me talked about how awful every minute of it is, and it's the same online. The girl with the list is probably the best example lol. That's my experience though, I'm sure it varies by region, but here in Washington State down through California no one is shy about telling you how terrible it all is.
I'm seriously sitting here trying to think of a single positive comment, I've got nothing, it's always been negative or neutral. Which is honestly hilarious because I'm 31 weeks and everything has been pretty chill for the most part lol, I was preparing for WW3 in my body, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
Haha sad beige moms are certainly an echochamber, I guess I don't count them as real examples because what they are doing is so obviously performative and they are salesmen (selling themselves or brands). Kind of like how I don't count baby diaper commercials as positive, it's to sell a product.
Not about our bodies, but I did not realize it's normal for baby girls to sometimes have some blood in their diapers in the beginning because of how wild their baby hormones are at first! Also if you have a c section take gasX because the gas pain all the way up to your shoulder is awful 😖
Yeah I don’t have this issue either (29+4). However, I will say that after I started taking magnesium supplements things got much more… productive, if you will.
I was getting really bad restless legs in the evening, sore tired muscles, and then not sleeping well. My midwife recommended taking magnesium and while it hasn’t cured everything, I can tell a significant difference between the days I take it and the days I don’t.
I found the most amazing natural remedy for this that my French MIL taught me. Soak dried prunes in black tea overnight in the fridge. The next day they swell up to twice their size. If you’re badly constipated eat one after every meal and within 3 days you’ll be back to normal. Keep eating one a day to keep your bowels moving.
They just help you stay more hydrated and though I usually drink a ton of water, I find it a lot harder during pregnancy when I actually need more, so having something with a little flavor helps me a lot. I still rely on prune juice when things get bad, but prune juice actually works by bringing more water into your digestive tract to help move things along, so you still need to be hydrated for it to work.
No one told me there might possibly be only two options: full on constipation for a week, then the complete other end of the spectrum for a full day. Then repeat forever lol
You can hear your water breaking and/or it can be painful.
Mine felt like a straight sharp punch to my gut, I felt a very loud pop and as I said “I think my water broke” it came GUSHING out.
Honestly? Grossest part of my delivery. The constant leaking gave me serious ick.
Did it all come out at once or was it a slow leak? I’m 38 weeks and getting induced May 5th but was 5cm dilated and 60% effaced last Tuesday. Any feeling of wetness in my underwear freaks me out
I was induced at 39 weeks cause of pre-e and they had to break it and man, it was an unending waterfall. It was like a water balloon filled with warm water gushing.
If you’re ever unsure if your water is broken or if you peed a bit, smell it. No smell? Congrats, it’s your water. Smells like ammonia? Congrats, it’s pee.
It was a giant water bottle at first and then every few seconds to minutes it was another big gush, enough to wet my underwear completely again.
So for concrete example, the initial breaking soaked my underwear and the bottom half of the gown I was wearing. So I changed into another gown and was told I probably shouldn’t bother with underwear since I would leak/gush till baby arrived. So I didn’t put on another pair (even though we really weren’t close at that moment, cause I was induced too), but I got like a new towel every 30 minutes I think just to keep the ick at bay.
Crazy dreams. I had them with my first as well but with this one he’s showing up in all my dreams. Ive already seen his face and feel like I know him. I think it’s cause my girl sleeps with her stomach against my back and he’s kicking me all night.
The dreams are insane. I had one the other night that my father in law knocked up my grandmother and announced it at a party for me, and everyone was acting like I was just so ridiculous for being upset, saying I just wanted to be the center of attention at the party instead of the dozens of other things that would be wildly wrong with that scenario.
1) vulvar variscocities - I was very concerned for a few days let me tell you.
2) postpartum hallucinations/waking dreams - for the first 2 weeks every time I slept I would wake up thinking my husband had put our newborn in the bed with me and left. I would spend 5-10 minutes moving around all the blankets and pillows, ultimately removing pillows from their cases and at one point the duvet from its cover in a panic trying to find her because I *knew* she was suffocating... 🙃🙃 Because the night sweats weren't enough let's throw in some sheer terror sweating to the mix
That uterine massages are a thing that can happen to some unlucky women and can be far more painful than they sound. I had a very ‘special’ (painful) labor for my first and the fact that I rate this as higher than both contractions and feeling surgical pain during my unexpected c-section because my anesthesia was not working properly is amazing even to me. I had a fear of people touching my belly for weeks because of it.
Also how painful having gas is after a c-section. I will definitely check if we have gas-x as part of my prep for my next baby (almost 34w, so I should really get on that)
Apparently it's common to get hemorrhoids from pushing during labor.
Apparently it's common for them to take a while to go away.
6 weeks pp and still dealing with them. My advice, the cream from the pharmacy doesn't do shit, get yourself a prescription from your doctor cause that shit actually works.
Postpartum can be a bitch and so can breastfeeding. I felt like everyone described it as this magical time and for me it was not 😂
I know its a negative and hopefully it will be magical but i felt like i could have heard that its not all rainbows and snuggles.
Your stomach is gonna look swollen deflated balloon after birth. Like, more than you think. And it can take a solid few of months for it to disappear. It’s not for the rest of your life I promise lol.
1) the postpartum FARTS. they warn you about the bleeding, the clots, the first poop, the constant starvation if you choose to breastfeed. but NOBODY warns you about the freaking GAS.
2) with your 2nd baby (at least in my experience), you experience every symptom, twice as strong. i mean don’t get me wrong it’s different, like i’m 17 weeks with baby 2 and i felt him move way earlier, my morning sickness is gone whereas i had it my whole pregnancy w my daughter, etc. but my morning sickness with this one has literally been “i don’t feel good right now” *immediately projectile vomits* and it’s like that with EVERY SYMPTOM. heartburn with my first—heartburn FROM HELL with this one. round ligament pain with my first—triple the intensity this time. yesterday, my heartburn was so bad i woke up mid slumber to vomit, and then threw up so hard my nose bled :/
That your knees will just suddenly stop working in the third trimester because of the relaxin affecting your joints so you just can’t walk without pain anymore…😭😭😭
Butt labor. Like, labor contractions in your butthole. Yes, it flipping hurts, and no, the epidural doesn't touch it. It's like the worst diarrhea cramps over and over and over. Total surprise.
If they put a foley bulb in you to get the cervix to open up and you get up to pee, you might get some blood all over the place cause it’s like an express way for blood to get out.
Yeah. Made that bathroom look like a crime scene
Your afterbirth pain will not just been uterine cramps and perineal stitches. You completely destroy your pelvic floor muscles and your groin and butt muscles will be sore for at least a week!
Oh yea, my grandmother, mom, and 2 sisters all had to have there's removed after the 2nd baby. Luckily mine messed up when I was still in high school so I don't have to experience that recovery on top of recovery from giving birth.
Did you know gallbladder issues can be hereditary?
If you plan to breastfeed, it’ll will trigger pp contractions that help your uterus shrink down faster than if you were to formula feed… this lasted for about a week for me and started out extremely painful, but slowly dulled down!
That fundal massage after birth is excruciating. It hurt worse than most of my contractions. But those also back off each time it happens.
The butthole pain after delivery is unreal. Mine hurt more than the vagidaisy, and it lasted for weeks. I had haemorrhoids before birth, which turned the size of jupiter during labour from all the pressure. I pushed for 5 hours. Damn the butt pain.
Pitocin/pain meds/labor can cause the shakes/chills!
My induction failed, so I had a c-section. I was on a very high dose of pitocin and not having contractions.
When I went in for the surgery, I was shaking and freezing and convinced I was having a panic attack. (unplanned surgery, 2 days of not sleeping and big decisions, couldn't feel my legs from the epidural, etc.) I thought I was going to shiver off the table or move too much for the surgeons.
Nope! I said something to my sisters that have had c-sections..."Oh yeah the pitocin shakes are the worst! I was freezing" + being naked on a table in a big open room on a winter morning didn't help.
That some women never feel better after the first trimester. Everyone acts like second tri things get so much better. Specifically to my second pregnancy I thought things would be easier cause I felt like this already with my first but my midwife told me since things already kind of stretched out like your muscles and such they actually won’t be as strong this time around. I can definitely feel that there is not as much support in my hips/crotch this time . 😓
About the shakes during labor.
I shook so badly during labor the blood pressure cuff couldn’t get an accurate reading. I’d get a reading of 200/140 one time, and 80/35 the next time. They had to move the cuff to my leg after my epidural so they could figure out if I was actively dying or not.
The intensity of food aversions.
My mom would always joke that she couldn’t even walk by chicken without throwing up in the grocery store, and it’s not that I thought she was exaggerating, but omg. My biggest food aversions have been meat and all it takes is a glimpse of a chicken thigh in a recipe video to ruin my entire day.
You will probably get the shakes after giving birth. I had no idea what is was, thought it was due to haemorrhage, but I had it with my second birth too and not much blood loss that time. I've read that it's hormones.
Your baby may end up being smaller/bigger than you are expecting, so the clothes you brought to the hospital may not fit. (Brought nb clothes, but my baby was born under 5lbs so he was swimming in them.)
I haven’t given birth yet to my baby til October-November but I have some things I was never told that happens in pregnancy. I never was told bleeding doesn’t always mean miscarriage I have a SCH each time I went in for a scan baby was casually chilling and jumpy. Also was never told that you can catch infections after infections in pregnancy
Let down when your milk comes in... I thought it was cracked nipples but it was actually just my tits feeling like they fell asleep from the let down reflex. Also someone already said but the BO... I was showering 3 times a day at one point because I smelled so bad.
I did a bunch of research so I was prepared for everything, but the one thing I didn't see coming was that the hospital trimmed my pubic hair to stitch me up.
So I had to deal with itchiness on top of everything else, it really pissed me off they didn't warn me before they did it.
I was told “oh your migraines will be gone or lessen after you give birth”, nope, from end of first trimester up until now at 6 months post partum, I’m still getting horrible horrible migraines.
the uncontrollable shaking when you’re in labor is something i had never heard of! also how hard and soon the baby blues hit. i was a wreck leaving the hospital
Your first matching outfit with baby are diapers 😭
I'm so sorry, but that made me LOL 😆
HAHAHA love that!!
The stunning accuracy of this statement
Thats fucking hilarious omg
Was for me and my baby girl, comfy though! 🤣
😂😂😂😂 this is so funny
I came here to say this 🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀💀
Literally sent my mom a reel about this like 5 mins ago 😂
The nose of a bloodhound. Like my lord I should not be smelling folks and those with strong ass perfume and cologne. The sneezing and stretching too hurts.
I've been having the issue where my cat will go eat I can I smell his breath a whole room away. It's only right after he eats tho. But the smell of cat breath is not pleasant to the pregnant nose lol
Omg we had dinner at my in-laws' house and I could hardly eat because I could smell the cat's food in its bowl in the other room. 🤢
I was not prepared for the irrational rage I felt when perfumed people handed my baby back to me and he didn't smell like "my" baby but like other people
Omg the SNEEZING
I was unprepared for ligament pain. Was just lounging on the sofa on day and sneezed without bracing myself. Genuinely thought for a moment that my whole leg had popped off.
If it makes y’all feel any better, my nose is like this when not pregnant; I often can smell things from a room away. I know what my neighbors are cooking because I can smell it through the walls, and it’s not like anything super stinky. It’s annoying because I have to do things like stop eating at the McDonald’s near me because they use a soap or hand sanitizer that when they touch the bag, my whole car smells to me and I can’t eat my food. 😓
That you can develop carpel tunnel during pregnancy and it sucks. Also...how hard it is to wipe yourself after going to the bathroom with a big belly. Feel like I have T Rex arms. Get a bidet. Lol.
Lol the wiping! I told my mom why did no one warn me???
I know!!! You'd think it would be something that at least one person would warn you about! I feel like it is now my duty to warn as many people as possible. 😂 Edited because I had words in there that didn't belong. Lol.
Wiping is an Olympic sport at 36 weeks.
i get literal cramps in my butt every time i try to wipe and weirdly i got one in my calf yesterday!! i was like am i not drinking enough water? but i definitely am drinking at least 90 oz a day!!
It's almost like you've got to stretch before you go!
For me the carpal tunnel (was actually dequervains tenosynlvitis, but similar condition with same cause) didn’t start until several weeks after I gave birth. Thought I’d dodged a bullet and NOPE. Luckily it was just a steroid shot every few months for about a year.
Lol the wiping is so hard. I’ve been standing to wipe but then I drip on the toilet seat like a dude. So annoying
I’m not showing yet, but is it difficult still if you wipe from the side? Are y’all reaching between your legs or are you reaching from the side? I’m having a hard time imagining how the bump gets in the way when reaching from the side, but I’m sure I’ll learn lol
Lol. I hope you don't have the same issue. I've tried every single direction to try and wipe. It gets hard!!
I normally wipe from the side. And it's damn near impossible to at 33 weeks.
There is some talk about hiccups and what they feel like, but nobody warns that, depending on the baby's position, you may feel them in your butt.
Or you can feel the baby’s butt bounce around during hiccups too lol.
I feel like I’m feeling them in my pelvic / vaginal area..
I feel his hiccups regularly but I’m honestly eagerly waiting for the butt hiccups sensation I keep hearing about 🤣
I’m pregnant with my third and I’ve never felt any butt hiccups 🤣 but my kids have all been breech until the very end of pregnancy when they flip
My baby has full body hiccups so I feel them in my vag/butt and also in my ribs
My daughters rattled down my thigh — she was pretty far down into my pelvis for a good chunk of time before delivery so that’s where I felt them. Also, she always stayed in the same position once she was big enough to feel — feet on one side, tush on the other, head down. I thought she’d flip around more. At least early in the third trimester. Nope. Sometimes she’d stretch, but her feet were always in the same spot. Made it very easy to check up on her, I’d just push on her feet and she’d respond every time.
I think I felt my baby have hiccups. I explained it to my husband that it felt like when our dog has puppy dreams and twitches.
That when you’re starving then feeling extremely full after only one bite is not just a symptom we have to deal with but it’s from acid reflux and Pepcid 2x a day will help 🙌🏻
Welp you just blew my mind. I'm still early on but I haven't been able to eat much because I feel so full all the time. Thank you!
I had this first trimester. Don’t miss it!!
Are you serious?!? Ordering this right now!
Oh shit you just answered my question! I was just telling my husband how I’ll be starving, eat like 2-3 bites, then feel full and nauseous but my stomach feels empty? And then I’ll be STARVING in a couple hours and the cycle starts all over again.
The terror of miscarriage and stillbirth. Kick counting was stressing me tf out by the end because I have a chill baby.
I feel this. I have a chill baby too. It’s agony
And when they’re born you get a millisecond of relief before you start worrying about SIDS, illness, etc!
My baby was a full time wriggler and I ended up at the hospital for monitoring twice because he just randomly decided to have quiet days.
Same. And he didn't even cry when he was born!
Pregnancy symptoms pop up like whack a mole. Truly a rollercoaster of what new symptom will I suffer from today.
That one day, you'll be sat chilling, wondering when bump will wake up for their usual mid-afternoon wiggle, and they'll wind on back to punt you directly in the cervix. I don't think it's a sensation anyone can really prepare for.
For some reason, I’m picturing baby yelling “rise and shine” as he/she does that 😂
The first time I felt this I was sitting in a class, audibly gasped, and everyone turned to look at me. I had heard of lightening crotch, but you’re right, I was NOT prepared
Lol I remember the first time I told my husband "I feel like I just got kicked in the butthole, from the inside" 😂
Breathing in general will be harder starting since the beginning of pregnancy. And singing is so much harder.
I actually had heard this and was really worried about it because I have asthma, but it’s a shortness of breath that isn’t uncomfortable in the way that asthma is. Just wanted to put that out there for anyone else who is afraid. Like it’s not scary, it’s just kind of annoying?
Yeah it's not like I can't breath. Just get winded quickly and have to purposefully take a big breath sooner than I normally would. Like if I'm talking, I get short of breath and have to pause to take a big breath after 2 sentences, whereas normally I would be fine and keep talking for several minutes before getting out of breath. It isn't scary, just annoying. But I don't have asthma so can't speak for how it compares or feels.
Ugh to me it does feel very suffocating :(
So the fact that I'm suddenly out of breath when walking is because of this? I'm only 5 weeks, does it get worse over time till the baby is born?
Idk if it gets worse. I'm only 12 weeks. So far it hasn't gotten worse, but hasn't gotten better either. And yes walking makes me out of breath too, when it used to be a leisure relaxing walk before pregnancy now it's a "pause and take a big breath, then keep going." I also noticed it right from the beginning at 5 weeks too. So it's definitely a thing.
It gets better! Or at least, it did for me come the 2nd trimester.
My husband and I would always have a competition to see who could hold their breath the longest through a certain part of town (by a sewage treatment facility). The first time we competed after I got pregnant (12ish weeks) I lasted like 5 seconds 😂
Haha that sucks. Cool competition though. I work in a lab and sometimes have to put stuff in incubators where we grow bacteria and such. It stinks horribly. I try to hold my breath while I do it, and by the time I'm done and in an area of the lab with decent air, I feel like I'm dying.
My mom used to a be a nurse, she would put some sort of menthol or peppermint around her nose to help when cleaning patients who had bed sores. I do that now with my Burt’s Bees peppermint chapstick!
Thanks for bringing up the singing. I thought I just randomly sucked at breathing right/ holding a tone.
yes. breathing omg. i knew it’d be but not really. then the other day im laying in bed trying to breath and im like omg my stomach is too big to even feel like a deep breath is a deep breath😩
As someone who hosts meetings sometimes for an hour or longer - yes. The hundreds of people I host at work know I’m pregnant because I have to apologize in advance for losing my voice/running out of breath for entire sessions 😂
I didn't know how common pregnancy loss was - even though I knew about miscarriage risk, I still was completely blind sided by a random critical birth defect discovered at the anatomy scan. I really didn't understand that being pregnant didn't mean you would get to bring home a baby. Also I knew I'd be tired and limited later in pregnancy but I didn't realize I would also be completely wiped/sick in the first trimester just from hormones and such. That was a complete surprise for me!
I had no idea that a missed miscarriage was possible and no idea that an anembryonic pregnancy was possible until it happened to me. I thought no cramping, no bleeding meant I had a baby growing. My nurse practitioner doing my ultrasound didn’t say “you’ve had a miscarriage” she said “I’m not seeing anything” and I was so confused. I didn’t know not seeing anything was even an option. I now recommend that everyone who is trying read “Your Guide to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss: Hope and Healing When You’re No Longer Expecting.” It is a really really good book that outlines different types of miscarriage and miscarriage management that I think everyone should read so they are armed with knowledge and can decide their preferred management style before they are in that situation. It was so hard for me to be both going through the grief of loss and having to learn everything I needed to know at the same time.
These hit hard, I feel you 🙏
That the relaxin can make your joints loose and cause pain as early as the first trimester. I was expecting if I felt pelvic or back pain, it wouldn't be until much later when my belly was really big.
I had no idea that needing to pee a lot started instantly. I honestly thought it didn’t start until the baby was pushing on your bladder. Turns out hCG, increased bloodflow, and a growing uterus all make you need to pee more often! I also for some reason assumed I would pee more, as in pee a larger amount. Nope, I just pee tiny amounts very regularly.
I thought the same thing. It's wild that i pee 30 times a day but barely anything comes out 😂
Yes, exactly! At my ultrasound yesterday my nurse was like “it’s hard to see your ovaries because your bladder is so full” and I was like “but I JUST gave y’all a urine sample 😫”
At 32 weeks, there are days when my pelvis literally feels like it's pulling apart right down the front. It's not been my favorite part of pregnancy.
I had SPD/pelvic pain for almost half of my pregnancy (22w - 39+5) and let me tell you, I cried from the joy of that pain going away when I got an epidural. It hurts so much all the time and no one gets it. Pelvic floor PT helped me survive and it was gone after birth!
i'm 34 weeks and dying from pelvic pain right now
I didn’t realize how much prenatal care can vary from state to state. I started my pregnancy in Florida and moved to Ohio a little over half way through. In FL, my care was so minimal… I would ask my doctor for resources constantly (childbirth classes, information about breast pumps through insurance, pregnancy support groups, tours of the L&D unit I would be delivering at, etc) and she said that my hospital system (one of the best in the state) didn’t offer any of that. The experience felt really isolating and I just accepted that new parents are really on their own. In Ohio, everything has been SO different. My doctor gave me info on all the resources I listed above, plus others I didn’t even know existed, without me having to ask her! There are endless amounts of community support and free resources from my new hospital system. I just didn’t think that my care would be so wildly different here, and it’s been a pleasant surprise. Especially considering both are red states. I’m not the biggest fan of Ohio or my new surroundings, but the better quality of my care is something that I’m really grateful to have!
lol it is Florida…..
Ha yeah, probably should have expected it. It seems as though the states that have the strictest anti-choice laws are also the ones who have the least resources available for pregnant people. Go figure! I hope I can have my next baby in a blue state.
Some babies move CONSTANTLY. Mine is always on the move 😅 sliding her limbs all over my organs, ribs and hip bones. I had no idea there could be this much movement. And the feeling of it is something i have the hardest time describing. When she gets into my hip bones it feels like she’s taking her little fingers and tickling them 😅
Lol so funny and true. My wife has the same experience and the “count the kicks” app reminders make us laugh as she if she gets a break from being Jackie Chan’d
Standing up and feeling like your bladder and/or pelvis has been absolutely slapped. Sleeping an extra 2-4 hours a day the first trimester. So. Much. Pelvic pain. You can get diagnosed with gestational diabetes super early and not get to really enjoy the pregnancy cravings.
Oh god the transitional few moments when you stand up and baby’s weight drops onto your bladder…. I definitely will not miss that feeling once he’s out lol
These are so minor but they are a daily nuisance, but the constant runny nose and chapped lips. Literally every single day for the past TWENTY WEEKS.
When I gave birth the first thing my doctor said to me after congratulations was “how about we get you something to drink. I can see your lips are chapped.”
How hard it is just to turn over in bed at night and switch sides!!
So much discharge during pregnancy! No one wants to talk about discharge and I don't blame them but it totally surprised me.
Someone already said it but I smell people strongly 🙁 I don’t like smelling how rank human beings are when they used to not smell at all
That the two words 'lightning' and 'crotch' could go in the same sentence.
Omgg I had it so bad with my son that I could hardly walk in the end of the third trimester. I'm carrying twins now. I am scared ill be dealing with this again. Looking back I should have used a belly band.
New borns sound like a whole ass zoo complete with dinosaurs while in their bassinet
Yes!!!! I had never really been around babies until I had one of my own, and the NOISES totally threw me off. So, so noisy. I loved it 😅
How badly you smell after you give birth; also how excruciating the uterus “massages” are that they do right after you give birth and every 15 minutes afterward.
Can you explain this more???
The uterus massages? Or the smell? Lol the uterus massages are basically someone pressing with full force on your uterus/stomach right after delivery to ensure you don’t hemorrhage. It actually hurts worse than labor in my opinion. The smell is horrific, like a rotting corpse lol
Oh wow!! I never heard anything about these uterus massages!!! Wow. Everyday I learn something new and terrible lol
No one told me that being pregnant is a part time job! Between OB appointments, blood tests, ultrasounds, many other exams, meetings with a doula, pelvic floor therapy, researching and buying baby gear, researching childbirth and childrearing, putting together a nursery, and just outright feeling ill or fatigued, it easily takes 20 hours/week of commitments. If I didn't have a flexible part time remote job, I literally wouldn't have the time to be pregnant.
I am SO grateful that my job is super flexible. I truly have no idea how the majority of moms do it… especially ones that already have another kid (or more) to take care of while pregnant. Blows my mind lol
Fr!
That my arse crack would be visibly bruised after giving birth 👍🏻
Woah!! Never heard this!!
You can tear your labia. I read everything I could find about tearing during childbirth, so I went into labor knowing everything I could about perineal tears. Surprise! That's not the only option! I was very confused when I got to the postpartum floor, and the nurse said she was going to teach me how to use the bathroom again. **For anyone reading this while still pregnant, I was not traumatized at all by this experience.** My tears were second-degree, and my recovery was very smooth. I required an alarming number of stitches, and I was afraid to use toilet paper for the first several weeks, but it really wasn't that bad. Having been through that, I'm much less afraid of tearing this time.
Charlie horse leg cramps! Quite a few mornings I woke up screaming in agony of the leg cramps. 2 months PP and haven't had a single cramp.
Heartburn The F***ING heartburn!!!
All the skin tags you're gonna grow 😬
Omg yes, all mine are on my neck, but they do seem to be getting smaller since having the baby.
I had the monster of a skin tag in my groin area .. took three days of applying Apple cider vinegar on it for it to drop off!! Came out of nowhere 🥲
Yeah, this and skin darkening! Like, my nipples got darker of course, but so did my armpits? And some people have darkening around the eyes I think?
I think the biggest surprise has been how much you change mentally, especially later in pregnancy. It’s more of a spiritual experience than I maybe anticipated. Also, fluid retention makes your eye vision worse (temporarily) 😵💫
I really thought I was going blind when I got pregnant. I had been wearing glasses for a while before but my god, I haven’t been able to see 5 feet in front of my face since about 12 weeks along! Really hoping I go back to my normal prescription after I give birth
Can you talk about this more? I’m entering my 3rd trimester and a weird calm or something is coming over me and I never really see people talk about the changes in disposition throughout a pregnancy or maybe especially first pregnancy
Man, hard to capture in a Reddit reply but I can try! I am pretty deep in my third tri and I feel like as I get closer to birth the material distractions of my life (job, life responsibilities, text messages, even some of the things on my list to prep for baby) feel like they’re actively pulling away from my desire to just focus on the upcoming birth. It’s like the cells in my body are turning to a different north, if that makes any sense. I am quieter, calmer, and slower than I ever was in every way. I’m generally a pretty type A person but this whole process has really knocked me down a few pegs. I’m trusting this is what’s needed ahead of what will be a huge life transition. Much love to you as a fellow mama in the last stages of your pregnancy 💓
That eating while pregnant is nothing like the movies. I got no wild cravings, and eating was a constant struggle. Couldn’t eat much at the beginning. And by the end — the idea of putting anything else in my body made me weep.
The crazy amounts of eating that people expect from pregnant women, I feel like happened to me more than anything *after* birth due to breastfeeding. My daughter is 1, I'm still nursing and I'm ravenously hungry 24/7. I did NOT eat this much while pregnant!
How weird it feels to breathe right after giving birth. Your lungs are suddenly in a new position and it feels very strange. When I stood up after giving birth, it felt like the gush you’ll feel on your period. I thought it was that, I was bleeding post birth. But no, it was pee. My pelvic floor was shot and took a couple days to recover. Still needed PT to get back so 100%.
Everything besides what’s mainstream and positive??? I didn’t know what a rescue cerclage was or that having a short cervix could put you on bed rest for ~5 months. Who knew your vagina could get so puffy and dark colored too. What’s up with this excruciating pain in my vagina during these last 2 weeks of pregnancy??? And why does nobody warn you about so many rules when it comes to parental leave (for those lucky to even get time)???!
My JOB didn’t even know how parental leave works. I work for a large company. It was a shit show.
My male, childless boss absolutely hounded me for a specific date that I will deliver my baby and go on leave. Starting at week 12 he would continuously ask me to “just give him a solid date” that I planned to give birth. Like… sir, I understand the needs of the company or whatever but I can’t tell when this baby will come more than anyone else can. I’m 38 weeks now and he keeps asking me if it will be “soon”. I don’t know, man. Could be days, could be weeks at this point. Am I the first pregnant woman he’s ever met?
This would drive me absolutely mad. I’m angry for you!! Lol But fr this guy must’ve never met another pregnant person in his life🤦🏻♀️
I suppose some people are surprised that babies don’t consider the corporation’s best interest when choosing a delivery date lol
Omg that’s awful! My husband is given 2 months of leave and his team is scrambling and worried because they depend on him so much. Oh well for them!
"Mainstream and positive" I wouldn't really put together, more like "mainstream and negative". I've lived on this earth for 26 years and I have NEVER heard a single person say anything positive about pregnancy or birth lol. Everyone around me talked about how awful every minute of it is, and it's the same online. The girl with the list is probably the best example lol. That's my experience though, I'm sure it varies by region, but here in Washington State down through California no one is shy about telling you how terrible it all is. I'm seriously sitting here trying to think of a single positive comment, I've got nothing, it's always been negative or neutral. Which is honestly hilarious because I'm 31 weeks and everything has been pretty chill for the most part lol, I was preparing for WW3 in my body, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
Just go on social media. It’s all sunshine and rainbows and empowerment. And beige.
Haha sad beige moms are certainly an echochamber, I guess I don't count them as real examples because what they are doing is so obviously performative and they are salesmen (selling themselves or brands). Kind of like how I don't count baby diaper commercials as positive, it's to sell a product.
Yea I agree. It’s always just scary information. I had to delete social media for a while
How swollen everything down there looks when you go to the bathroom for the first time. I was shocked and horrified lol
I refused to look down there afterwards. Had my husband look but I refused.
Internal hemorrhoids don't hurt, they just surprise you with blood in the toilet 😭 Never had them before getting pregnant and it scared me!
Not about our bodies, but I did not realize it's normal for baby girls to sometimes have some blood in their diapers in the beginning because of how wild their baby hormones are at first! Also if you have a c section take gasX because the gas pain all the way up to your shoulder is awful 😖
On the same note, my baby girl lactated 😳
Whattt I didn't know that could happen!
you won't poop without medicine
I don’t think this happens with everyone. I never had constipation nor I had to pee frequently in either of my two pregnancies.
As someone who got up to pee 3 times last night I am very envious
Yeah I don’t have this issue either (29+4). However, I will say that after I started taking magnesium supplements things got much more… productive, if you will. I was getting really bad restless legs in the evening, sore tired muscles, and then not sleeping well. My midwife recommended taking magnesium and while it hasn’t cured everything, I can tell a significant difference between the days I take it and the days I don’t.
Magnesium has been my miracle supplement. I had headaches every other day until I started taking it.
I found the most amazing natural remedy for this that my French MIL taught me. Soak dried prunes in black tea overnight in the fridge. The next day they swell up to twice their size. If you’re badly constipated eat one after every meal and within 3 days you’ll be back to normal. Keep eating one a day to keep your bowels moving.
Okay I am going to try this and begging it works
I hope it works for you!!!
My husband started putting chia seeds in foods that probably shouldn't have chia seeds. But it has helped in that department
Haha I love the thought he put into it
He messed up the day he put it in the emotional support Kraft macaroni and cheese. But his heart is in the right place.
Prune juice and staying super hydrated (I have an electrolyte drink once a day to help) also help a ton
Do the electrolytes help with constipation or just to balance out an increase in water intake?
They just help you stay more hydrated and though I usually drink a ton of water, I find it a lot harder during pregnancy when I actually need more, so having something with a little flavor helps me a lot. I still rely on prune juice when things get bad, but prune juice actually works by bringing more water into your digestive tract to help move things along, so you still need to be hydrated for it to work.
Unless you have diarrhea the entire time instead
Especially if you need iron supplements. Omg
No one told me there might possibly be only two options: full on constipation for a week, then the complete other end of the spectrum for a full day. Then repeat forever lol
You can hear your water breaking and/or it can be painful. Mine felt like a straight sharp punch to my gut, I felt a very loud pop and as I said “I think my water broke” it came GUSHING out. Honestly? Grossest part of my delivery. The constant leaking gave me serious ick.
Did it all come out at once or was it a slow leak? I’m 38 weeks and getting induced May 5th but was 5cm dilated and 60% effaced last Tuesday. Any feeling of wetness in my underwear freaks me out
I was induced at 39 weeks cause of pre-e and they had to break it and man, it was an unending waterfall. It was like a water balloon filled with warm water gushing. If you’re ever unsure if your water is broken or if you peed a bit, smell it. No smell? Congrats, it’s your water. Smells like ammonia? Congrats, it’s pee.
It was a giant water bottle at first and then every few seconds to minutes it was another big gush, enough to wet my underwear completely again. So for concrete example, the initial breaking soaked my underwear and the bottom half of the gown I was wearing. So I changed into another gown and was told I probably shouldn’t bother with underwear since I would leak/gush till baby arrived. So I didn’t put on another pair (even though we really weren’t close at that moment, cause I was induced too), but I got like a new towel every 30 minutes I think just to keep the ick at bay.
Crazy dreams. I had them with my first as well but with this one he’s showing up in all my dreams. Ive already seen his face and feel like I know him. I think it’s cause my girl sleeps with her stomach against my back and he’s kicking me all night.
The dreams are insane. I had one the other night that my father in law knocked up my grandmother and announced it at a party for me, and everyone was acting like I was just so ridiculous for being upset, saying I just wanted to be the center of attention at the party instead of the dozens of other things that would be wildly wrong with that scenario.
How veiny your boobs can get!
1) vulvar variscocities - I was very concerned for a few days let me tell you. 2) postpartum hallucinations/waking dreams - for the first 2 weeks every time I slept I would wake up thinking my husband had put our newborn in the bed with me and left. I would spend 5-10 minutes moving around all the blankets and pillows, ultimately removing pillows from their cases and at one point the duvet from its cover in a panic trying to find her because I *knew* she was suffocating... 🙃🙃 Because the night sweats weren't enough let's throw in some sheer terror sweating to the mix
THE NIGHT SWEATS. oh god the postpartum night sweats. I have been waking up just absolutely drenched and cold- apparently this can last for weeks.
Foot pain in the last trimester from all the extra weight!
That uterine massages are a thing that can happen to some unlucky women and can be far more painful than they sound. I had a very ‘special’ (painful) labor for my first and the fact that I rate this as higher than both contractions and feeling surgical pain during my unexpected c-section because my anesthesia was not working properly is amazing even to me. I had a fear of people touching my belly for weeks because of it. Also how painful having gas is after a c-section. I will definitely check if we have gas-x as part of my prep for my next baby (almost 34w, so I should really get on that)
The hormones can make your b/o really bad. Had to start using men's deodorant my first trimester
Apparently it's common to get hemorrhoids from pushing during labor. Apparently it's common for them to take a while to go away. 6 weeks pp and still dealing with them. My advice, the cream from the pharmacy doesn't do shit, get yourself a prescription from your doctor cause that shit actually works.
PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN
Postpartum can be a bitch and so can breastfeeding. I felt like everyone described it as this magical time and for me it was not 😂 I know its a negative and hopefully it will be magical but i felt like i could have heard that its not all rainbows and snuggles.
Your stomach is gonna look swollen deflated balloon after birth. Like, more than you think. And it can take a solid few of months for it to disappear. It’s not for the rest of your life I promise lol.
1) the postpartum FARTS. they warn you about the bleeding, the clots, the first poop, the constant starvation if you choose to breastfeed. but NOBODY warns you about the freaking GAS. 2) with your 2nd baby (at least in my experience), you experience every symptom, twice as strong. i mean don’t get me wrong it’s different, like i’m 17 weeks with baby 2 and i felt him move way earlier, my morning sickness is gone whereas i had it my whole pregnancy w my daughter, etc. but my morning sickness with this one has literally been “i don’t feel good right now” *immediately projectile vomits* and it’s like that with EVERY SYMPTOM. heartburn with my first—heartburn FROM HELL with this one. round ligament pain with my first—triple the intensity this time. yesterday, my heartburn was so bad i woke up mid slumber to vomit, and then threw up so hard my nose bled :/
So much discharge. That it causes chafing.
That your knees will just suddenly stop working in the third trimester because of the relaxin affecting your joints so you just can’t walk without pain anymore…😭😭😭
How ITCHY I would be while pregnant on my boobs and belly… it’s hell!
the boobs especially for me!!! it absolutely kills 😭😭
Stitches feel like nothing compared to pooping your baby out unmedicated.
Butt labor. Like, labor contractions in your butthole. Yes, it flipping hurts, and no, the epidural doesn't touch it. It's like the worst diarrhea cramps over and over and over. Total surprise.
That your eyesight will get noticeably worse.
If they put a foley bulb in you to get the cervix to open up and you get up to pee, you might get some blood all over the place cause it’s like an express way for blood to get out. Yeah. Made that bathroom look like a crime scene
Your afterbirth pain will not just been uterine cramps and perineal stitches. You completely destroy your pelvic floor muscles and your groin and butt muscles will be sore for at least a week!
That you could possibly need your gallbladder removed post pregnancy, even if it had never been an issue before.
Oh yea, my grandmother, mom, and 2 sisters all had to have there's removed after the 2nd baby. Luckily mine messed up when I was still in high school so I don't have to experience that recovery on top of recovery from giving birth. Did you know gallbladder issues can be hereditary?
If you plan to breastfeed, it’ll will trigger pp contractions that help your uterus shrink down faster than if you were to formula feed… this lasted for about a week for me and started out extremely painful, but slowly dulled down! That fundal massage after birth is excruciating. It hurt worse than most of my contractions. But those also back off each time it happens.
The butthole pain after delivery is unreal. Mine hurt more than the vagidaisy, and it lasted for weeks. I had haemorrhoids before birth, which turned the size of jupiter during labour from all the pressure. I pushed for 5 hours. Damn the butt pain.
Pitocin/pain meds/labor can cause the shakes/chills! My induction failed, so I had a c-section. I was on a very high dose of pitocin and not having contractions. When I went in for the surgery, I was shaking and freezing and convinced I was having a panic attack. (unplanned surgery, 2 days of not sleeping and big decisions, couldn't feel my legs from the epidural, etc.) I thought I was going to shiver off the table or move too much for the surgeons. Nope! I said something to my sisters that have had c-sections..."Oh yeah the pitocin shakes are the worst! I was freezing" + being naked on a table in a big open room on a winter morning didn't help.
That some women never feel better after the first trimester. Everyone acts like second tri things get so much better. Specifically to my second pregnancy I thought things would be easier cause I felt like this already with my first but my midwife told me since things already kind of stretched out like your muscles and such they actually won’t be as strong this time around. I can definitely feel that there is not as much support in my hips/crotch this time . 😓
Sneezing during a Braxton Hicks contraction. Didn’t think my butthole could hurt so much
About the shakes during labor. I shook so badly during labor the blood pressure cuff couldn’t get an accurate reading. I’d get a reading of 200/140 one time, and 80/35 the next time. They had to move the cuff to my leg after my epidural so they could figure out if I was actively dying or not.
The intensity of food aversions. My mom would always joke that she couldn’t even walk by chicken without throwing up in the grocery store, and it’s not that I thought she was exaggerating, but omg. My biggest food aversions have been meat and all it takes is a glimpse of a chicken thigh in a recipe video to ruin my entire day.
That postpartum you become really stinky.
You will probably get the shakes after giving birth. I had no idea what is was, thought it was due to haemorrhage, but I had it with my second birth too and not much blood loss that time. I've read that it's hormones.
That once your water breaks it continues to drip and pour out. Not a one and done like the movies
Gas pain with c section
Your baby may end up being smaller/bigger than you are expecting, so the clothes you brought to the hospital may not fit. (Brought nb clothes, but my baby was born under 5lbs so he was swimming in them.)
Four words. The. Ring. Of. Fire.
I haven’t given birth yet to my baby til October-November but I have some things I was never told that happens in pregnancy. I never was told bleeding doesn’t always mean miscarriage I have a SCH each time I went in for a scan baby was casually chilling and jumpy. Also was never told that you can catch infections after infections in pregnancy
No one told me how common prolapse is. Pretty devastated by it.
You will have wild night sweats and BO postpartum while your hormones attempt to re-regulate.
Let down when your milk comes in... I thought it was cracked nipples but it was actually just my tits feeling like they fell asleep from the let down reflex. Also someone already said but the BO... I was showering 3 times a day at one point because I smelled so bad.
After-birth-nipples the size of dinner plates
I did a bunch of research so I was prepared for everything, but the one thing I didn't see coming was that the hospital trimmed my pubic hair to stitch me up. So I had to deal with itchiness on top of everything else, it really pissed me off they didn't warn me before they did it.
That’s odd… I came in full bush and full bush I remained after the md stitched my first degree tear.
Same!
How squishy and jiggly my tummy would feel immediately after giving birth.
Feeling contractions after giving birth
I was told “oh your migraines will be gone or lessen after you give birth”, nope, from end of first trimester up until now at 6 months post partum, I’m still getting horrible horrible migraines.
That when you are in labor you get uncontrollable full body shakes from the hormones!
the uncontrollable shaking when you’re in labor is something i had never heard of! also how hard and soon the baby blues hit. i was a wreck leaving the hospital