25 September 2010

Pregnancy Lies

For the most part, I think I've had a very normal pregnancy. But I have definitely noticed some things that women told me would or wouldn't happen a certain way that have just not been the same for me.
  • Your morning sickness will be gone by 14 weeks. Let's try 21 weeks.
  • Your hair is amazing when you are pregnant, and you don't shed. My hair is the same. I shed the same amount.
  • Your energy will sky-rocket in the second trimester. While I definitely felt my energy rebound after the first few exhausting weeks, I never felt like I had exceptional energy during the second trimester. Of course, that may have to do with the fact that I was low on iron, as I found out last week after my iron test. And maybe the longer I am in the third trimester the more I will realize that I had great energy levels in the second. We shall see.
  • You won't have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom during the second trimester. I understand the logic behind this: during the first trimester your uterus mostly grows downward, causing you to need to use the bathroom more than usual. In the second trimester, your uterus really begins to grow outward, and that is alleviated until the third trimester when your uterus just grows and grows and grows. I had about two weeks where I wasn't waking up in the middle of the night to use the loo. It was a lovely two weeks, and it was so very, very, very long ago.
  • Weird cravings. I just haven't had any. I know that that is not a straight and fast rule, but it is something that you hear a lot about, but I didn't have issues with it really. In fact, there were few things that I really craved at all. I do love pickles, but I've always liked them. I also love chocolate milk, but I've also always liked that too. I just happen to like them a little more than usual right now. But I've never had a craving that justifies going out and satisfying it RIGHT THEN (or sending Eric out, which, let's be honest, is the more likely solution.)
  • Moodiness. I had a few weeks of being pretty unstable (by my standards - it's possible I was very even-keeled compared to other people.), but since then I've felt pretty normal. As when I am not pregnant, things get touchy when I haven't eaten properly or haven't slept properly (Yes, I am in fact an infant.), but that sort of moodiness is not unique to pregnancy.
Now, I know that most of what I've heard are generalities, and for the most part I think I've fit into those generalities. But these are few things that have caused me to raise my eyebrows and wonder what the heck every body else was talking about.

2 comments:

Packrat said...

If (when) you do this again, just be prepared for everything to be different. ;)

Ana said...

Right there with ya on the so-called "cravings". I remember being pregnant with Michael and eating tomato sandwiches and/or microwave bake potatoes. With Jonty I had cucumber and mayo sandwiches. People would say to me (after the fact) - "Oh, so those were your cravings?"
"No. Those were foods I could keep down."
I never had cravings - I more or less gravitated towards foods that I either didn't throw up or at least threw up comparatively less than other foods.

And I bet you got a lot of this being ill - everyone and their aunt bombarding you with "remedies" for morning sickness. One person actually suggested BOILED rice. I just think that sounds utterly DISGUSTING - regardless of being pregnant or no.

I stick by my bananas recommendation though - taste the same comin' back up as they do going down - gross but TRUE!