the joys of pregnancy

Disclaimer: If you've never been pregnant before, read at your own risk. Also, this is a really long post.

Before we decided to have kids, I was aware that pregnancy could have some less-than-fun aspects. Apparently I was not aware of the full extent and range of potential symptoms. Here, I will detail some of the lovely things I've been able to experience. :) (I really hope this comes off as sarcastic and funny, as it's meant to be, instead of just complaining.)

Wait, now you're pregnant?

*Note: When referring to our baby, I will be calling her Bean. For some reason, we didn't call her anything but "our baby" for a long time, but when we found out she's a girl, I decided I wanted a nickname for her and settled on Bean (and variations).

Nausea and Vomiting: This one is obvious. Lots of women have "morning sickness." I had even been warned that that's a misnomer and it can easily last all day. Fortunately, my nausea wasn't as bad as it could have been, even though it did last all day most of the time. (I'll spare you the details on the vomiting.) I count myself lucky that I was still able to work and wasn't stuck on the couch all day. Of course, after 2 months of that constant icky feeling, it was getting a little tiresome, especially since I was mostly eating toasted/buttered bagels, crackers, and juice. Around 14 weeks, I started feeling better. Smells weren't bothering me quite as much, and I even started cooking again (poor Brian didn't have a decent meal during that time, as far as I know).

Burping: I never really had a problem with burping before and had never even been taught how to burp (surprising, since I have three older brothers). But now I can burp like a champ. Embarrassingly, I often don't have enough control to slowly let them out or produce smaller, quieter burps. Even Brian has been impressed by my manly belching.

Bloody Gums: My gums started bleeding (slightly) when brushing my teeth. I actually thought it was because I had started using a night guard for teeth grinding. I was pretty sure it wasn't because of flossing, since I never floss and hadn't started again. ;) Anyway, then I read an article online about things they don't tell you about pregnancy, and I discovered that it's actually not uncommon to have bleeding gums. I suppose I should start flossing, but meh.

Fainting: Ok, so I haven't actually passed out yet. But I've had several near-misses. It always happens at work, when I'm working in the glove box. I've decided it's probably because I get overheated (big rubber gloves all the way up your arms don't circulate air very well). My doctor actually told me it's normal and it's usually because of low blood sugar or low blood pressure. I make sure to keep my knees slightly bent (not locked) and not be hungry while I'm working. It's a little scary to suddenly break into a cold sweat and have the blackness start closing in around your vision. Fortunately, I've always been able to get out of the glove box before anything actually happens.

Colds: The second trimester has been pretty good thus far, but I caught a cold a few weeks ago. I knew there wasn't much you could take during pregnancy, but it hadn't been an issue before that. I ended up coping with cough drops and a little Tylenol. Fortunately, that cold was short-lived. However, I got sick again 4-5 days ago, and this one is much worse - sinus headache, sensitive eyes, cough, brief 101 degree fever, etc. I know plenty of people get sick during pregnancy, but I can't help but worry and hope that our little Bean won't be affected.

Cold Sores/Impetigo: I started getting cold sores sometime in middle or high school, and impetigo has been a problem since I was little. It was no surprise, then, that they have come with a vengeance during pregnancy. In the first month or two, I had two giant cold sores back-to-back, followed by a nice outbreak of impetigo. Again, the doctor told me these things are normal because your immune system is compromised so the baby isn't seen as something foreign to be destroyed. I've dealt with these sores long enough that, although they're uncomfortable and inconvenient, I can handle them well enough. Bean is worth it. :) And actually, the latest outbreak of impetigo came at the same time as the first cold that I caught. I didn't have a current prescription of the cream/ointment that I usually use (I had used an expired tube when I had it before), so I went to the doctor for a new one. He put me on oral antibiotics instead, and I think that may have actually helped shorten the cold (see above). Blessings in disguise.

Cramps: Menstrual-like cramps are pretty normal in pregnancy. I didn't think they'd be a big deal because I rarely had them before. And actually, they haven't been a huge deal, but I do get them more frequently now, almost always on my right side. It's always from random things like rolling over in bed, standing up, or coughing. Sometimes they've been so sharp that I've doubled over in pain. Luckily, mine have never lasted longer than about 20-30 seconds. Along with those fun cramps, I had heard that charley horses weren't uncommon either. A few weeks ago, I fell asleep on the couch; when I woke up to go to bed for real, my leg cramped up and I couldn't get up for a minute. It was pretty intense, but I'm grateful it was short-lived. 

Nosebleeds: I've only had one, but it actually came within 5 minutes of the aforementioned charley horse. After finally getting off the couch, I was pulling stuff together to take upstairs. When I bent over, I felt my nose starting to drip then realized it wasn't snot. Good thing I started reaching for a Kleenex as it was dripping. Brian actually gets nosebleeds sometimes, so when I realized I didn't know how to stop it (I never get them), I had to ask him what to do. I ended up plugging my nostril with some toilet paper for a while. Unsophisticated, but it did the trick.

Back Pain: I had lower back pain occasionally before pregnancy, so I shouldn't have been surprised that it would come back. It wasn't an issue until a few days ago, after I probably overdid it during Thanksgiving. I was on my feet for a good portion of the day on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as part of Friday. By Saturday night, I was starting to feel it. I almost didn't go to church on Sunday (and probably shouldn't have because of my cold germs) because I could only stand straight for 10-20 seconds before having to bend over or sit again. This back pain has been much more intense than previous bouts I've experienced. (Last night, I told Brian that if this is anything like labor, or if labor is worse, I'm definitely getting an epidural. He responded, "This is a good time for me not to say anything, right?") Thankfully, I have some wonderful friends who are looking out for me and gave me some great advice, so I'm doing much better today. One of them even lent me her back brace and this magical stuff called Biofreeze (sort of like IcyHot).

Fetal Movement: I've talked about this before, and it's not a bad thing. It's pretty fun to feel Bean moving around. I was noticing today that her kicks seems to be stronger and more deliberate now (before, it just felt like twitching). I even got to see my belly move today. Unfortunately, she's still being shy for Brian - when he came over to watch, she stopped moving. He did finally feel her kick about a week ago, though. I told Brian this is the only time she'll be allowed to kick me or anyone else and get away with it. ;)

Other Things: There are several other things that I've experienced lately, but all of them fall in the realm of TMI. I'll leave them to the imagination. :)