February 13, 2019

What I Learned About Pregnancy

It's been two years since my pregnant days, but when I asked on Instagram what posts people would like to see, someone asked me to share some of the things I learned about pregnancy. I aim to please, and so, here are my top 10 things I found out during pregnancy. There are a lot more things about pregnancy, but I wanted to share based on MY experience.



  1. The fatigue is REAL!!! Before I found out I was pregnant, during the first month, I was exhausted ALL THE TIME. I slept a whole lot, and people probably thought I was being lazy. I chalked it up to my physically demanding job at the time. I worked in retail, and the holiday season was about to start, and I had to be at work very early in the morning, and most days did a lot of standing. By the time I got home, I would feel completely wiped out. Heck, I used my lunch times at work to take naps too. It really didn't dawn on me that I could possibly be pregnant. 
  2. After the first two months or so, I used to ask my mum and sister why they didn't warn me about how uncomfortable pregnancy is/can be. I know it's not the same for everyone, but I felt uncomfortable most of the time. You can't really explain the discomfort - you just know that lying down, sitting down, standing up, half-sitting, half-lying, etc - everything simply feels slightly uncomfortable at best
  3. Hormones galore!!! I'm a person who cries. When I'm really angry, I cry. When I'm tired, I cry. When I watch a moving commercial, tears spring to my eyes... as well as when I hear a beautiful song. So imagine me as a pregnant woman. On strict bed rest. Whose husband was on the other side of the world. Enough said. 
  4. I didn't expect my feet to get bigger. Yes, I know it happens to most women. But I already had large feet to begin with, and I really hoped they would stay the same size. Not only did my feet get bigger, my calves did as well. I wasn't too happy with it, and even though I used to like buying shoes at a point in my life, I wasn't thrilled about going shopping for size 10 shoes. 
  5. I didn't really know how labor and delivery worked. You think you know from hearing stories and watching women give birth in movies. You think you know, but you have no clear idea unless you've actually witnessed someone having a baby. Nobody really tells you the details. It wasn't until I watched a video on one of the baby apps I used, that I got a much clearer idea of what labor and delivery looked like. I will admit that I was mildly traumatized after watching the video - it was INTENSE! Nobody EVER mentioned to me that after you deliver the baby, you also have to "deliver" the placenta, abi is it afterbirth? Sha, after the baby comes out, there's more.
  6. This one might be TMI, but listen, it surprised me. Peeing was an adventure! Pregnant women find themselves needing to drink a lot of water, and also pee a lot more frequently. But that wasn't the surprising part. What shocked me was how slowly the pee came out. I thought it was just me, until I googled it and saw that it's pretty common. Like you know you need to pee and fly to the bathroom, only to sit there waiting for the pee to come... and eventually finish. 
  7. As a follow up to the point above, Laughing, Coughing, Sneezing could make you pee a little. I'm really sorry for the TMI guys. Let's not dwell on this, but pantyliners could come in handy.
  8. Pregnancy Brain is not fake! Maybe because I wasn't in Atlanta for my sister's two pregnancies, or around on a daily basis with my friends' pregnancies, but I didn't know that pregnancy brain was a thing. I found out really quickly, because I forgot the simplest things! Once while at work, I needed to get into the break room and I could not remember the security code. This is a number that I punch at least 10 times a day, and I could not for the life of me remember the sequence. I literally stood and just looked at the door helpless... and then asked a 70-year old coworker to please help me get in. LOL!
  9. Who knew that pregnant women have the most random dreams? Apparently Pregnancy Dreams are also a thing, where pregnant women seem to have more frequent and colorful or vivid dreams. The one I remember the most had me in a World War Z situation with Brad Pitt and zombies. Brad seemed to know me, but I remember wondering why there were zombies and whether they could see me. And no, I hadn't watched the movie in a very long time.

    Mummy if you're reading this, you can stop here - no need to read the next point. I love you!
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  10. Even though it happened to people I know, I never thought I would be banned from having sex. Me? I like sex! I looked forward to preggo sex for the two months my husband would be available. But on my very first visit to the OB-GYN, they put it completely off the table, because I had a high-risk pregnancy (due to my age, weight, and having a short cervix). So, yeah. That made me sad. And also being on strict bed rest (my Maternity Photo Shoot almost didn't happen) Oh well, I have a beautiful daughter, aye?!

Alrighty, I think that's enough on the pregnancy lessons. If you've ever been pregnant, what surprised you about pregnancy?

8 comments:

  1. i still have post pregnancy brain! sometimes i forget somethings that makes me wonder if i am still the same me or i metamorphosed into someone else.

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  2. MA'AM. You had me at #1. I'm so tired of being tired!!! Also, I'm a fellow crybaby, but oddly enough, being pregnant has turned me into the opposite... cold blooded, lol. I'm not mean/passive, i'm just not as easily moved when it comes to the emotional stuff. Crazy how hormones influence us all so differently.

    "Sha, after the baby comes out, there's more." I AM DEDDD 💀😂

    Thank you so much for this post. I needed it.

    Xx http://theactivespirit.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The fatigue is not of this world!!!!

      LOL that your pregnancy is making you less emotional. That's really different.

      Congratulations by the way. I pray you have an easy pregnancy, and a healthy baby. God bless your family.

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  3. Every single thing about pregnancy surprised me. I was surprised I didn't enjoy it, and how people thought I was being delirious when I told them so. It's so much hard work and we're honestly not praised enough for it. This whole 'oh, billions of women have gone through it before you' doesn't make it easier on anyone. I understand why it's a hard journey though, because the reward at the end of it is unimaginable. And I'd do it again :)

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    Replies
    1. Honestly from what I experienced, NOT enjoying your pregnancy, is an unpopular opinion. You're right that people tend to look you as if you're crazy if you voice out that you're not enjoying pregnancy (whether it's been easy or not). In fact, I almost felt guilty about saying I was uncomfortable, because I thought people would judge me as being ungrateful after being public about trying to conceive.

      Motherhood should be celebrated. It is NOT AT ALL easy. Not while pregnant, and definitely not after delivery.

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  4. Thanks for sharing Berry! I'm in my first trimester and exhausted all the time gosh. I look forward to my second trimester when I'm supposed to have my energy back.

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    Replies
    1. Awwww, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your energy will come back. But get all the sleep you can now. Once baby comes, you may not remember what sleep feels like.

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I'd love to hear from you about this post! Let's all learn and share our worlds.