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10 Things No One Told You About Pregnancy

Everyone knows the big pregnancy symptoms – the morning sickness, the big belly, baby kicks, etc. But for every pregnancy symptom you’ve heard of there are many more surprising symptoms you may have never heard about. There were several times during my first pregnancy that I wondered out loud why no one ever told me such and such symptom could/would happen.

As part of my partnership with Florida Hospital I chatted with three experts from Florida Hospital Heather Collins birth care coordinator, Doreen Forsthe, Women’s Health Navigator, RN and Kristy Lund, RNC-OB and CCE about common pregnancy symptoms that moms are often surprised to experience. During our conversation I found myself nodding along and laughing in agreement, “Yep, I had that and had no idea it was a common symptom until it happened.”

So I am here to break down 10 things no one told you about pregnancy.

10 Things No One Told You About Pregnancy

10 Things No One Told You About Pregnancy 

40 weeks is 10 months – First, let’s clear something up. This whole pregnancy is nine months is a lie – a big fat lie. And no one told me until I was about eight weeks pregnant. There I was, sick as a dog, thinking I am two months down with seven to go only to find out that I have eight months to go. Perhaps the count is nine months because most women are about one month pregnant when they find out, but it doesn’t matter – pregnancy is 10 months.

You won’t see a doctor right away – When I found out I was pregnant I excitedly called the doctor right away for an appointment to confirm. I was shocked to learn my doctor didn’t want to see me until 8-10 weeks (I was 4 weeks). Unless there is a problem, trust the at home pregnancy test, take your prenatals and hang tight. Eventually you will become a fixture in your doctor’s office.

Extra blood means extra symptoms – Did you know that you have more blood in your body during pregnancy? All that blood can give you some unusual symptoms, like a stuffy nose. I didn’t experience this one, but Heather said it is very common. Extra blood can also cause your gums to bleed easily, mine bleed a ton when I brushed and flossed. Like many pregnancy symptoms, everything went back to normal after baby.

Your skin might not glow – I had high hopes for the pregnancy glow, instead I had acne like a teenage boy. But hormone-related acne isn’t the only funky thing your skin might do, some women get dark patches around their eyes known as the “mask of pregnancy” (chloasma). Others develop a dark purple or brown line on their belly running vertically called linea nigra. The good news is that all of these symptoms go away after the baby is born and hormones return to normal.

Leaky boobs – Even before the baby comes your breasts may start leaking, sometimes a lot. And yes, a baby crying can make it worse. The milky white discharge is colostrum, but don’t worry Heather assured me there is always plenty for baby later. You might also hyperpigmentation, which leads to the darkening of your areolas.

Say goodbye to the control of bodily functions – During pregnancy you will fart more and poop less, and there is nothing you can do about it. (Well stool softeners to help, but not fix.) At some point, I gave my husband an exasperated sigh and told him that I officially gave up saying, “Excuse me.” From that point on I just issued a blanket excuse me for every fart and burp I uttered until the end of pregnancy.

You will pee your pants – I had no idea that the luxury of bladder control was going to become a distant memory. Dubbed the Snizzle on baby boards, in my third trimester every sneeze, laugh or cough I peeed myself. TMI? Maybe, but it is true, and no one warned me. So be forewarned – don’t sneeze, laugh or cough or at least be prepared for the consequences. (Warning, this pregnancy symptom may never return to normal. Sorry!)

New aches and pains – You could waddle your way through pregnancy without any real pain, or you could end up with crazy pains like me. Pregnancy cause joint issues you’ve never had like carpal tunnel (me), sciatica, round ligament pain (me), hip pain (me), etc. The good news is that while it hurts like the dickens new pains like these will likely clear up after the hormones settle (sometimes a few months after baby is born).

Don’t expect a flood – You’ve seen it in movies a thousand times; a pregnant woman’s water breaks with a gush. I expected that, but in real life when your water breaks it is likely to be just a trickle. That could at first be confused with a Snizzle (see above). Even more likely, your water may never break until a doctor assists. Heather said that most women have to have their water broken in the hospital. I was one of those women.

Crazy dreams – I am not sure what it is exactly that causes the crazy lucid dreams, but every mom I have ever talked to agreed that pregnancy dreams were the craziest. They seem to be most prevalent in the first trimester, perhaps because they are too often interrupted by trips to the bathroom later, but I remember they were crazy.

Pregnancy is a crazy time filled with all kinds of changes to your body. One thing that the experts stressed is that when it comes to talking to you doctor, there are no silly questions. As crazy symptoms arise, as your doctor about them. Talk about what to expect and believe your doctor when they assure you that this will pass when the baby comes.

Moms today have a wealth of information at their fingertips, from Google to polling Facebook friends if you have a question about something odd – reach out. But never take friendly advise (or Google) in place of talking to your doctor.

And remember, you are growing a human. All of the pain of pregnancy will fade when that sweet bundle of joy arrives.

Expecting moms in Central Florida who are interested in learning more about services offered at The Baby Place at Florida Hospital Orlando can contact the Birth Care Coordinator, Heather Collins at (407) 303-7341. 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. amy tolley says

    October 19, 2015 at 9:58 am

    great post even some of these i had no clue of

    Reply
  2. denise low says

    October 19, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    These are so true. Thank you for the information. That was a long time ago for me.

    Reply
  3. Betsy Rubendall Barnes says

    October 19, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Great post! There are a few on here that my doctor or even family and friends never told me. The crazy dreams were all the time when I was was pregnant. 🙂

    Reply
  4. G K says

    October 20, 2015 at 5:12 am

    This will come in handy when I have kids. I hadn’t heard about some of these.

    Reply
  5. amanda sakovitz says

    October 20, 2015 at 8:33 am

    I never knew you don’t see a doctor right away.

    Reply
  6. Erika W. says

    October 20, 2015 at 10:10 am

    Yup, all so true. And you will keep peeing your pants, especially after two kids…so those popular trampoline parks are a no go. HA!

    Reply
  7. Mary V says

    October 20, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    This is great information for the mom to be, when you are having the 1st baby everyone has lots of advice about someone they knew, but this post tells it like it is and what to expect Thanks

    Reply
  8. Angela Saver says

    October 20, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    This is a great need-to-know list for those expecting their first baby! Thanks for taking the time to share this!

    Reply
  9. rachel jenkins says

    December 2, 2015 at 9:22 pm

    I absolutely love this my husband and i just found out we are expecting our fourth baby!!!!

    Reply
  10. Alison says

    December 2, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    Definitely not things I’d associate with pregnancy.

    Reply
    • jen says

      December 3, 2015 at 4:05 pm

      Crazy, right?! The body does some interesting things! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Mindy McGowan says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:01 am

    Spot on! I experienced all of these during pregnancy. With my daughter, I started having bloody noses all the time. With my son, one of my ears plugged up from extra fluid for 3.5 weeks! It was no fun at all!

    Reply
  12. Shannon Sendejas says

    December 3, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    Very interesting! I had 3 out of 4 difficult pregnancies. I wish I had all this info!

    Reply
  13. Cheryl Kloesz says

    December 4, 2015 at 7:55 am

    These facts are so true! The part about peeing all the time happened to me! I especially remember when I would laugh and sneeze, there would always be “something” that managed to escape from me! LOL! Ah, those were the day! 🙂

    Reply
  14. Richard Hicks says

    December 4, 2015 at 8:59 pm

    All good stuff for pregnant women to know.

    Reply
  15. patricia delgado says

    December 5, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    add to this that your sense of smell is enhanced by a lot and that could make certain smells much more unpleasant

    Reply
  16. Carolyn Daley says

    December 5, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    I did not know that most doctors would prefer to wait eight to ten weeks to see you. I am not surprised about the crazy dreams, especially if you are a new parent.

    Reply
  17. Sarah L says

    December 5, 2015 at 11:58 pm

    Makes me glad that I’ve never been pregnant. Good things to know about.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Jen

I'm an Orlando, FL mom, a blogger and a social media junkie. I love anything crafty, Disney, Gator football, chocolate, green living, flip-flops and family movie nights.
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