11 Things you Didn’t Know Might Happen During Pregnancy
This post was written by me through an activation with HireInfluence on behalf of YourCareEverywhere.com. Although I received compensation for participating in the campaign, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
There are many pregnancy myths out there, and there are many facts that should be widespread knowledge, but aren’t.
When I was pregnant with M, I read up on everything there was to know about pregnancy. With Baby Y, I was too busy dealing with a cranky toddler, who sensed the oncoming competition.
Having a one stop resource for information can be vital for a smooth and happy pregnancy, and when it’s presented in an easy to consume format, you can simply sit down with a cup of coffee and relax while you read!
YourCareEverywhere is an amazing one-stop resource for anything health-related, but they present it in a way that works. I didn’t feel like I was reading a medical journal. I felt like it was my big sister talking to me, telling me about her experiences.
Between the app and the website, all the information that I need for the various stages of my life is at my fingertips.
When I read about these 9 Pregnancy Myths, I was truly surprised by some (and #6 was truly life-changing 😉 ). But that brought to mind some things I wanted to share with you, things that can happen during pregnancy that you may not know about. As you prepare for the blessing that’s about to come, be well-informed and educated and you’ll get life started on the right foot.
11 Things that can happen during pregnancy that you may not have heard of:
1. You may be miserable.
This subject is taboo.
No one wants to be the one to “admit” that their blessing is making them miserable. But depression and anxiety during pregnancy is extremely common, and talking more about it can help normalize it, and make it feel like less of a disgrace when it happens. I shared my story here.
2. You might be full of energy.
We all talk about and relate to the “tired pregnant woman” but we rarely hear about those crazy bursts of energy.
When I was pregnant with Baby Y, I tackled so many organization projects that had been waiting for years (of course in-between stages of totally neglecting everyday tasks like the dishes.) Those bursts of energy kept me going and lifted my spirits, as accomplishing a large task can often do.
3. You might not actually get any cravings.
Obviously, every pregnant woman craves chocolate and pickles, right?
Well, not really. Some of us just crave FOOD. Lots and lots of FOOD…
I never really had any specific cravings while pregnant, I was just always really hungry. But I never knew what to eat because I never craved anything… Of course that meant that I wandered the house and purged it from top to bottom from anything edible… By the way, you may want to check out this pregnancy myth if that happens to you.
Which brings me to my next point:
4. Some people crave non-edible items!
Some pregnant women crave non-food items. How many calories in a cup of dirt?
This is called pica and definitely warrants a chat with your healthcare provider, since you don’t know how safe or healthy it is, and it may stop you from eating the things you should be eating (the same can be said for some “food items, I suppose?)
5. You may start hating your favorite foods:
I have a thing for ketchup flavored potato chips.
Before I was pregnant with M, I was eating them daily. When I was pregnant with him I couldn’t touch a chip unless it was totally bland. I’ve sine recovered…
But it’s kind of cool to know that your taste in foods can totally change during pregnancy. Look at the impact our children can have on us!
6. You might actually lose weight!
Again, always follow up with your doctor, but did you know that some people lose weight during pregnancy? Sometimes it’s due to sever nausea, or sometimes better eating habits can help an obese woman lose some extra weight, while the baby gains. To be sure, always check in with your doctor.
7. You may need to do some heavy-duty shoe shopping:
I was quite thrilled during my first pregnancy with M when I saw that my shoes were fitting fine… but then came along Baby Y, and I went up a shoe size.
There were two perks involved: one, I got to do lots of shoe shopping with plenty of justification. And two, this took me out of the “average” range of shoe size, which is always out of stock, into a large size 9.5, with its full racks and clearance sections. So hurray for expanding bones!
8. You can even have an allergic reaction to pregnancy:
Okay, well not exactly an allergic reaction.
PUPPP is a rather mysterious situation where a pregnant woman breaks out in hives. It happened to me actually AFTER M was born in the first days postpartum (and there seems to be some correlation between induction – as I was induced – and PUPPP) but it is more common during the third trimester.
I was pretty surprised when this happened, but a bit of research showed that such rashes are not uncommon.
9. Your belly might learn to dance:
I remember quite clearly sitting on a bus, noticing only how badly I needed to pee and how far I still was from home, when the lady sitting across from me said to me “Your baby is in a good mood.”
I look down to see my belly quite visibly jumping up and down.
Granted, M was an active little fetus, who liked to break dance in his spare time, but it never failed to amaze me to see the signs of life from the outside.
10. You’ll be delighted to vomit:
Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration – no one enjoys a good barf, but since you’ll likely be constantly anxious about the welfare of your fetus. In those first few weeks I was sure that this was too good to be true (pregnancy did not come very easily for me) and was waiting for the blessing to suddenly end. Every time a wave of nausea hit me, it was as if my baby was telling me, “Don’t worry, Mama, I’m hanging in here…”
11. You might feel more glamorous and better than you’ve ever felt before:
I was suffering from adult acne before my pregnancy with M, and then just like that it disappeared.
I have suffered from chronic migraines for as long as I can remember. During both pregnancies, and all through breastfeeding, it mostly disappeared. And when I stopped breastfeeding, they returned.
Pregnancy is a time full of challenges, and blessings, all working toward the ultimate gift – and an experience so rewarding that nothing can compare.
Find out what you can expect every week of pregnancy, along with an enormous health resource to take you through the various stages here!
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YourCareUniverse, Inc. All rights reserved. Information from YourCareEverywhere does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See a certified medical professional for diagnosis and treatment. Individual treatment, diet, and exercise results may vary.
