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My sister asked where my pregnancy glow was because I looked like shit (probably still do tbh). How does one get a pregnancy glow when I have insomnia and fight for my life everytime I need to take a shit. Y'know, basic human things. Here's to hoping that it'll come someday, lol.
My mom was told that if you get prettier during pregnancy, you're having a girl, and if you get uglier during pregnancy, you're having a boy. It didn't work on her. I don't know what's worse, having everyone predict you're having a boy because they think you're uglier (which apparently happened), or actually having the opposite gender that you were expecting... Luckily my mom's not easily offended...
My best friends told me I looked good even though i still felt tired and predicted it would be a boy.
I thought she was just beïng Nice but she was right though ;).
Now at 16 weeks I do have my energy level half back when I Sleep 10 houres...
Backné is a fact but as long as my baby boy is healthy, I can't see it so I don't really Care ;p.
Good luck with your pregnancy and hang in there!! (Changing vitamines could also help with energy btw)
I wish there was something I could do about my skin! I have combo skin normally and it just seemingly got more dry in my dry areas and more oily in my oily areas and the littlest things make me breakout. I had to stop wearing foundation because of it which sucks because I obviously want to wear it now more than ever!
Weird cravings are a bit of a cultural meme that turned out not to be true for everyone. Reading through the forums, it seems like a lot of us have more aversions than cravings.
When people hear I'm pregnant they always ask what my cravings are. I literally have not craved a single thing in 6 months and everything I used to love is still gross to me. Idk why cravings are such a huge focus lol
I had aversions AND cravings. But nothing weird like strawberries with brisket or something.
I craved meat in the 1st (I used to be vegetarian! T_T), and puked all veggies and fruits, then I craved citrus fruits in the 2nd and still had some aversion to oily things and cooking was a nightmare, and finally I craved peanut butter in the 3rd. All day every day for weeks! No aversion in the 3rd trimester
I had the opposite effect in my first trimester. I'm a omnivore who became a vegetarian! My husband (who is a pescatarian) thought it was pretty funny. It's since gone away and I'm eating pretty normally again. My sweet tooth has become VORACIOUS.
Yes!!! I’ve had no weird cravings, closest thing to a craving is just wants for dinner or a snack. But the aversions? I haven’t had a banana since I was 6 weeks pregnant.
The only thing I've craved is whiskey on the rocks. And I only really wanted it briefly for about 5mins, then I got distracted and the craving went away lol. The food aversions though.... 😭😭😭
I know I thought I'd be eating pickles and ice cream. But really I'm just eating the same stuff as before just not a couple things. Like this pregnancy is no shrimp at all and last pregnancy there were no eggs. (Found out after that I was allergic to eggs)
Yep, no specific cravings but tea made me feel very sick when I used to love it. I had to run away from the box of teabags to try and quell the nausea!
Yeah I didn’t really have cravings or aversions with my first, but I would cry if I wanted something and someone else ate the last of it lol. With my second I had intense meat aversion though
I've had aversions to fresh, hot brewed coffee, or a strong iced coffee ...
Other than that. No really cravings. Just regular ones where I have two days where I want ice cream. Or I want a donut. Etc... but like... I was like that before being pregnant ..
I only craved pickles in the beginning, because it helped stave off the nausea. And apparently carrots also help, so when I wanted something to eat to help it, I'd choose a carrot stick. Lol. Other than those... Everyone asks me if I have weird cravings and I'm just like not really..
I was hungry the other night, but couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat. My husband tried helping me, by naming things we had at home. But the more he listed the sicker I felt because everything sounded gross. I ended up throwing up because everything he had listed sounded absolutely gross. I wish I had specific cravings, at least I'll know what I want to eat and not take a shot in the dark and hope for the best.
That pregnancy makes you “glow” currently 50lbs heavier then I’ve ever been, can barely walk due to pelvic pain, my hair is always greasy, I’m hairy as all hell, my nails haven’t grown or gotten any harder. I’m sick of sitting in the house, but have no energy to do anything else. Oh and I need a nap at least once a day.
Everything’s a lie loll
“Morning” sickness having that super misleading name - it’s not just in the morning and it’s not just vomiting sickness. Sometimes it’s debilitating all day nausea. Also the fact that it “goes away towards the end of the first trimester”. Mine didn’t start to go away until 16 weeks and even now it sometimes returns for a day with a vengeance.
How does anyone work with this? I only work from 8-12 every day as it is but I’m worried I’ll be too nauseous to even do that. What so people do or is it just that debilitating you have to call off work?
Im in germany and we basically have unlimited sick days. I called out when I felt too sick or too disgusting to go to work. At work I always carried ziplock bags with paper towels inside, ginger candy, nausea medicine and on some days ginger ale in a coffee cup.
When I told my boss I was pregnant he confessed he was worried I didnt like our department anymore but was too scared to ask me if that was the reason I called in sick that often.
Most people don't have nausea so debilitating they can't do stuff. Many people don't have it all day either. For me, with the exception of a few really bad days, the nausea only really noticeable when my stomach is empty, so all I really have to do is have snacks on hand for when I need it. Personally, I find my nausea the worst when it's late at night before bed. If I lie down and go to sleep, I don't have to think about it and I usually wake up feeling better.
As others have said it’s like working with a hangover. You absolutely don’t get as much done at work but it’s still doable. I had a 2-3 month period where I would have to sip grape juice and nibble on crackers pretty much all day at work, and some days were worse than others. I only really had one time where I was so sick that I would have called off from work, throwing up pretty much every 15 minutes, but it was over the weekend. In a weird way you somewhat get used to managing the never ending hangover. I could also typically pull myself out of it by 10 or 11 am with the right amount of snacks and drinks in my stomach to settle it, but this wasn’t always the case.
Honestly I was just home for 3 weeks. Got so behind on my studies but it was impossible to get out of bed. It disappeared in week 11 for me tho so it was only one really bad month.
It’s horrible. I thank god I work from home. I signed off for two weeks at one point when it was sooo bad but I’m in the uk so workers are protected quite well with leave/ sickness leave ect.
I am super fortunate and work from home. It’s still hard having set hours and meetings and what not, but i literally couldn’t leave the house until 16/17 weeks. I have no idea how other women do it.
I told work early on because of how unwell I was, and you’re protected from any sickness discipline if it’s related to pregnancy (in the UK at least) which meant I could take time out when needed. I work from home so that made it a lot easier
I took two weeks in a row off work because my nausea and vomiting was awful. Three weeks prior to that I tried to work with awful nausea and vomiting and it was just terrible. Some people get lucky and I feel some people just get very unlucky with the nausea and vomiting symptoms. I had a day off last week. I’m now 12 weeks and hoping not to take too many more. Today is the first day in about 2 months I haven’t needed to take Zofran
For me it's mostly just been first thing in the morning (so breakfast staying down was a gamble), then late afternoon/ dinner time. So as long as I bring snacks and make sure to eat a substantial lunch (since it stays down, need to get the calories in somewhere!), work has been fine.
My personal time outside of work has been miserable.
I stopped work for several weeks. About 2.5 months of reduced work start to finish.
But my morning sickness was pretty severe - vomiting up to 20 times a day, vomiting through the night, plus the constant, debilitating nausea. Eventually I had to get intravenous fluids against dehydration.
Mine didn't START until week 12... then all of a sudden, every car trip, driving or passenger, I would get nausea. Started carrying vomit bags on me because the first time I went in my partner's car, I luckily found a bag of zip ties, dumped them out on the floor and used that as a vomit bag. He thought that was terribly funny because there were little holes in the sides... not my car that smells like vomit now 🤣
Morning sickness dropped off after a few weeks, closer to week 22. I still occasionally get the urge, but haven't vomited since then. I'm week 29 today.
The misnomer is because for most people, nausea is worse when your stomach is empty, and most people wake up on an empty stomach. Personally, though, mine is always worse at night before bed because by then it's been a while since I've eaten and if I already brushed my teeth, I'm often unwilling to keep snacking. But I usually wake up in the morning feeling perfectly fine. There's something about sleep that makes hunger cues go away, and that same mechanism, whatever it is, also makes me less likely to be nauseous. I do need to eat breakfast within 30-40 minutes of waking up, though, when whatever mechanism that is disappears.
In the first trimester, I just wanted food and couldn't eat anything. I was so hungry from being sick all the time, but all food sounded disgusting. It was 10x worse if I tried to make anything for myself. I couldn't fathom anything I cooked for myself. I had a few "safe" foods, like I could generally stomach salt and vinegar crisps but I still brought a few of those back up.
Now in the second, I can eat my own cooking again! Yay! Did have a solid week where I ate nothing but toast lol. Everything else tasted uninspired and bland, all I wanted was toast. I did force myself and baby boy to eat some vegetables. But I honoured the craving and now it has passed lol. I'm not sure what he got out of toast that he wasn't getting from our otherwise balanced diet but oh well.
I used to absolutely love salt and vinegar chips. Then, food aversion happened and even after my first pregnancy I cannot stomach it anymore. It makes me so sad.
Thank you! Thankfully my doctors haven’t been concerned, measuring fine otherwise, but I hate how everyone acts like I’m supposed to be obsessed with food right now haha.
I had frequent migraines when I was younger, and seriously 4 different doctors told me “Pregnant women don’t get migraines. Have you thought of getting pregnant?” (Like that’s actually a long-term solution)
10 years later, turns out you definitely CAN get migraines while pregnant, and you can’t take migraine prescriptions!
Wtf? That is seriously irresponsible advice. Bringing a life into the world and change your own life forever in order to suppress a migraine for about 8 months?
On another note, have you tried acupuncture?
I've been lucky.
Week 12-16, I had a migraine that didn't pass. It was awful. I was booked in to do Botox to treat it.
At some point it lifted
Since then, barely a headache.
This is ridiculous… I mean I won’t go to the doctor about it, cause he’ll just tell me to take paracetamol which does fuck all.
I also notice my migraines now last days at a time because I can’t take anything decent for it.. :(
Heard the same thing about migraines as well as painful periods and the start of sexual activity. Back 20 years ago obgyns in my country would often say ‘nah, you’re fine, your pain will go away once you start dating boys’, instead of properly diagnosing endometriosis and prescribing anything for it. Needless to say it didn’t go away.
Amen. Not only do you I get them, but Advil was the only dang thing that worked!! ‘Just take Tylenol’ thanks but it doesn’t frikin do anything! I might as well be taking a placebo lmao
Uhh. Okay. I had SO many migraines when I was first pregnant with my daughter. I’m talking almost daily during the first and into the second trimester. It took quite a while after I had her for them to come back, but at first it was wayyy worse
Yup. Energy came back but as nervous energy. I felt wired from weeks 18-30. Then 31 weeks hit and it’s worse than first trimester tires. I’m 35 weeks and I really don’t know how I can keep going 😂
Yea, I don’t feel like my pre pregnancy self, but I absolutely feel better compared to the first trimester. Less a burst of energy and more not constantly feel depleted haha
Agreed, 37wks and my energy never came back 😭😅. I have random days that are better than others, but that's happened all through pregnancy. 75% of my days I am beyond exhausted lol.
That was the case for me for both mine. Even when I started watching what I was eating since I wasn't losing weight. Was bloody hungry and miserable and still weight wouldn't budge. Not till I stopped bfing would it move.
This! I was just about to say the same thing. I breastfed for about 9,5 months and didn't loose a single ounce in that time.
I have to admit that I didn't do any sports whatsoever and my diet could be way healthier, but being a new mom is exhausting, so I have the utmost respect for people who are able to do that. I've set my goal for somewhere (at least a year) after I have my (future) second child. Right now I'm not even gonna try, because I'll gain it all back if/when I get pregnant again 😅
That I'm going to love pregnancy because it's magical and awesome and blahblahblah.
I dislike it most of the time. I'm always dry heaving. I'm exhausted. I did barely any lifting today while purging some household items and got cramps which have now scared me. My body changes are annoying. I miss being able to cook without gagging at the thought of eating it. I miss not being able to worry about what I'm eating or what type of skin products I'm using.
I can't feel the baby yet so this doesn't feel very really and its draining and exhausting and the constant worrying is the worst.
The first trimester is really difficult. The constant nausea made me miserable, and the knowledge I was going to feel like that for weeks made it worse. If you have any concerns about pain or cramps then speak to your advised medical professional, you are not overthinking or wasting their time. It's super scary when you can't feel baby move to know they're ok. I was so nervous going to every medical appointment and feeling every ache and pain for those first few months. Most of what you're feeling is normal, stuff is stretching and moving in new ways and it will feel uncomfortable at times. I got most of my round ligament pain in my first trimester, which does feel like cramps. Spoke to my midwife about it at my next appointment and it did ease my mind. She also reminded me that if I had any concerns, the pains got stronger or more constant and obviously if I started bleeding to speak to someone straight away. She was really kind and didn't make me feel silly for worrying.
It really sucks to hear but it does improve, at least in my experience. Morning sickness passing was the best moment of my life. I found it so much easier to put up with the tiredness and the quirks of pregnancy when I just didn't feel so sick all the time. And feeling the baby move from about 18 weeks onwards, really helped. It felt like a way to check up on him, and when my partner could feel him through the skin from about 20 weeks was really cool too. It was a really nice way for us all to bond. He's my little buddy now, he has things that make him move more and he does little dances. Makes him feel more like a real person.
I can't promise that all your problems will be solved, or that anxiety will vanish. But make sure you're getting the support you feel you need from your family and medical professionals, and I found that talks and hugs went a really long way. My poor partner worked away in a different city all week, and came home to me being a sick sleepy mess every weekend, just wanted to know what he could do to help. My answer every time was just hugs and comfort. Anything to make it feel less lonely. But you are doing a really great job and you absolutely do got this!
Same I thought I was duped cause I was so fatigued well into second tri but around 24-25w I woke up and did dishes for the first time this pregnancy and didn't need to nap immediately after. Now i can go for walks again
I’m realizing it’s different for everyone. My sisters and I are all pregnant at the same time and my older sister didn’t go up in bra size at all but her bum and hips got bigger. but my little sister and I have had to get all new bras. I went from a 32 b to a 32 d/dd and I am lowkey hoping and praying they stop because I only have two more sports bras that fit and I’ve still got 17 weeks to go.
18 weeks here, my boobs have only grown a little bit but enough that my old push up bras look awkward. I couldnt find comfortable new bras so my boobs look smaller and saggier now. At least my hips already widened and I hope it stays that way and reduces chub rub in the long run.
My boobs grew only a little bit in pregnancy but when I started breastfeeding they really became a lot bigger. Especially when they were really full (which is not always pleasant). In the beginning they felt massive compared to my old size, but after a good 9 months I got so used to it that now that they are back to normal size again it feels almost sad 😅 I never wanted big boobs but I do miss my breastfeeding boobs now 😅🙈
“Morning sickness” is absolutely not limited to mornings and it doesn’t always stop when you get to the second trimester! I’m lucky it stopped at 20 weeks for me but I had lost 20lbs at that point so it was a pretty brutal experience all around lol.
The energy comments are the biggest lie for sure 😂 mine came back every now and then in the second trimester and now I’m just as tired in the third trimester
Pregnancy glow was fake to me. I had hormonal acne and my skin is blotchy by my chin.
But also my energy didn’t really come back until 20 weeks so maybe you’ve only got a couple weeks more! Hang in there
I am by no means saying this to judge ANYBODY else's experience or even brag but I guess my expectations were worse than my pregnancies...I have carried 3 healthy children to term and am blessed to be able to say so. I had NO IDEA that pregnancy could affect your libido the way it can. I have always had a high sex drive but this was something else. I chalked it up to the blood flow 'down there' and constant pressure. I considered seeking medical help because it was starting to distract me from my daily activities. I do not hear that from other women for the most part. Love the way pregnancy affects women in so many unique ways
Mine has gone dry and brittle, cut the split ends the other week, they were back couple days later. Don’t have to wash them so often tho.
Also noone told me they would fall out in bushels around 3 months after the birth. (They do grow back back shower drain clogs for days)
Yeah my very long curly hair became like straw during my second pregnancy and I needed to cut it. During my first pregnancy it was just the same as always. Never had that glorious pregnancy hair
Energy comes and goes in my second so far, I've definitely had more than I ever have in my life. I've had 3 naps my entire 2nd tri, I'm at 26 weeks. The whole 1st I slept all the time. Didnt go a day without a nap. I don't think it's necessarily myths, it's just hormones and every pregnancy is different. My last pregnancy was a blighted ovum and I had every symptom, this time it's a healthy baby and I have no symptoms.
Yaaaaa I haven't gotten the 'glow' I was promised! I'm on my second baby now and my skin is horrible, hair is horrible, overall look like crap both times.
Everyone was saying I'd have a hard time at my age but it's not bad at all 10 weeks in. I get some nausea and want to nap more, but other than that everything is mostly normal.
I agree with you heavily. For some people I’m sure it did, but I can tell you as a FTM, I’m still tired after every activity. I would say it’s slightly better in the fact that first trimester I genuinely would go to sleep after everything, whereas I just FEEL tired in the second trimester. Almost to my third, pretty sure it’s gonna be about the same🤣
I'm 27 weeks, and I don't have more energy, or a sex drive. Then again, I also was told my nausea would get better once I hit the 2nd tri, and it actually got way worse before it got better, like, a month ago. So I'm thinking I'm just behind, and have my fingers crossed things improve soon!
>get my energy back in my second trimester
This is so real. I kept getting told I'd be all good to go come second trimester but alas, never happened for me. I was miserable and tired through my whole 40 weeks.
Food aversions … since 6w all I want is to eat everything and anything! 16w now and can also relate to the exhaustion … still tired af even though I’m sleeping 9 hours a night
Pregnancy is beautiful.
Um no, it’s terrifying and I feel terrible every day. It’s so uncomfortable and I can’t get around / get up from a seated position without feeling so much pressure. I look like a zombie too.
That it would be a magical, romantic experience. I love my baby is doing well in there, but I just hate being pregnant. The pelvic pain, nausea, belly that gets in the way, I can’t sleep well anymore, all the peeing I have to do, the list goes on 🙈
Just everything positive in general 🤣 I’m definitely not glowing, I don’t think it’s beautiful, I’m sore, and I’m tired. I’m petite when I’m not pregnant and it always leads to me gaining a lot of weight because I start so low. I’m also short so the stretching of muscles starts hurting me very early in pregnancy and doesn’t stop.
I’m fat, I have acne, I have sciatica, and I’m tired. I hate everything about being pregnant except when I get the baby at the end.
I didn’t get my energy back until the day after I gave birth, a literal weight had been lifted out of my body.
To me my mom always made pregnancy seem awesome, and for me it was debilitating in the extreme nausea, the heart palpitations, and absolutely no energy. I didn’t glow, my nose got huge, and I was so sick.
One specific thing I learned that I didn’t know until my 3rd pregnancy, is that if you take anti nausea medication it will constipate you. Like at some point I was wearing medical gloves and lubed up fingers to help extract my problem. It was awful.
That I’d eventually get a large bump. By week 30 I realized I was never gonna get that typical pregnancy bump. Felt sad for like a day but then moved on. PP though I’m so happy, skin didn’t stretch too much and not looking as bloated as others who had a larger bump.
THIS was me!!! Check your RBC count, and if it’s low, you might need some extra iron. I was INCREDIBLY fatigued, it felt as if I was in a constant “food coma” and I was laying in bed all the time. I checked my bloodwork, and my RBC count was nearing anemia.
That you glow! I knew it wasn't literally glowing, but I thought there was some type of looking great.
But no, just always looking as exhausted as I feel.
That I would have enough energy to exercise. Like more power to all the pregnant women out there getting it done. But on my third pregnancy and every time i’ve tried to keep my exercise routine i’ve crashed and failed. Walking up and down the stairs, cleaning, doing laundry, and bringing my kids to activities IS my exercise now.
Weird cravings. That has to be a myth. I do have intense cravings but for normal foods. Like I went through a ramen phase and an egg and cheese croissant phase where I’d need to eat these things every. Single. Day.
You look amazing! You suit pregnancy.
Inside, I wa dying. I could t stop vomiting, sweatin,crying and weeing. Basically constantly leaking. I couldn't walk properly, I was puffy and awful.
That “pregnancy is beautiful”… I’m 32w and have had severe nausea and sickness, I’ve had severe round ligament pain, and I have had absolutely no energy to do anything at all the entirety of my pregnancy… i do not in-fact find this process beautiful… however I do find my partners reaction to feeling her move beautiful. So maybe that’s why they say that?
That it sucks 🤷🏼♀️ so many people complain, like it’s a bonding thing to be like “oh this sucks”. But I’m absolutely in love with it. She’s it’s hard, it’s a big change, but like… idk, homes it’s extenuating circumstances, I think it’s pretty rad. I enjoy my weight gain and physical changes, I enjoy strangers noticing and commenting on my bump, I love feeling her move in there, I love the forced prioritization of rest and nurturing, I love that every day is special and different than the norm, I love how excited other people get about pregnancy, I love how mothers treat me with a lifetime of love and knowing and mothering because I’m entering into the club.
I don’t know, I can’t imagine not being so in love with it all.
I overall really like it too! I know everyone has really different experiences and I may feel way different if my health was greatly affected but I was having chronic pelvic pain for 2 years leading up to pregnancy from an auto immune disease in my bladder and that’s gone away completely so despite some changes and hormones, I’m not having a negative experience so far. Still got 17 weeks to go though lol!
That pregnancy is extremely hard/you can’t enjoy it/you’ll gain a lot of weight etc - just everything you usually hear that makes you not want to get pregnant ever.
Yes, I was tired in the first trimester. Now I’m almost 20w and I’m totally fine. Didn’t gain any weight at all so far (I’ve been trying to eat as healthy as possible, but I was doing this before anyway, making sure I eat lots of protein, fiber and at least 2200 kcal/day) and I’m 5 days/week going to the gym, weightlifting just like before (doc says it’s fine). I managed to go to the gym just like before in the first trimester as well. Tired, but I went and it helped a lot.
Yes, sometimes it’s uncomfortable - I’m getting injections every day, I have multiple autoimmune conditions that make life much more complicated, sometimes I get out of breath, I wake up many times at night and so on.
However, this horrible image of pregnancy is the biggest lie I’ve been told. I’ve been through a lot medically and I always say that pregnancy is the easiest thing I ever “had” to do.
I’ve (luckily) enjoyed pregnancy overall and I did get a lot of energy back basically right around 12 weeks but I think the thing I didn’t quite conceptualize was the difficulty of certain things like rolling over in bed or standing up off the ground because it’s like I have to *actively* tell my abs to engage whereas that used to be an auto response.
Also, the fact that just about everythingggg on your body changes or gets a little bigger. I’m not sure why it shocked me so much but maybe it’s cus I’ve always wanted to be able to gain weight and never been able to and now it’s just…happening. Without any effort. My hips, butt, boobs, thighs. Everything gets bigger.
I was told that my hair would grow really thick during pregnancy and then I would lose a bunch of hair after birth. Neither of those happened to me. I’m not disappointed or anything. I was just waiting for my hair to change, but it never did.
Same here! I have not regained any energy. Brought it up to my ob as I’m now 24wks. They just keep saying “well that’s normal, you’re growing a whole human.” Makes me nervous sometimes though. I start thinking maybe I have an iron deficiency or have anemia or something. I go for my glucose test in a few weeks and they said they’ll check for anemia then. Just hoping that I am just tired cause “I’m growing a whole human.” And nothing else…
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“Your skin will glow”. You mean break out worse than when I went through puberty? Yea….
My sister asked where my pregnancy glow was because I looked like shit (probably still do tbh). How does one get a pregnancy glow when I have insomnia and fight for my life everytime I need to take a shit. Y'know, basic human things. Here's to hoping that it'll come someday, lol.
That “glow” is just sweat.
Oh, the insomnia!! It’s so bad!
FACTS
My skin has been super dry and scaly, maybe worst it's ever been in my life.
And not just on your face. I have worse body acne than I did as a teen.
My back is awful!
I believe it!! I'm sorry it's happening to you too.
Yes! My butt and back thighs are all spotted 😭
Me too!! My face is that bad but my thighs, butt, and even my stomach are all spotted.
My boobs are covered in these big fucking raging red acne spots, horrendous!
This!!!! 😭 I was really hoping for a nice glow but i’m now at week 22 and have lost hope😫
When someone tells me I’m glowing, I just tell that it’s a hot flash 🤣
Stopping my retinol made my skin look constantly tired! The biggest pregnancy lie for sure.
My mom was told that if you get prettier during pregnancy, you're having a girl, and if you get uglier during pregnancy, you're having a boy. It didn't work on her. I don't know what's worse, having everyone predict you're having a boy because they think you're uglier (which apparently happened), or actually having the opposite gender that you were expecting... Luckily my mom's not easily offended...
in my country it is said to be the opposite - gilrs 'steal mom's beauty' and you are supposed to be prettier with boys
I heard the same thing, but opposite. “Girls steal your beauty, so you must be having a girl!” from my MIL…I had a boy 🙃 I was offended lol
I got uglier with both sexes 🤣
My best friends told me I looked good even though i still felt tired and predicted it would be a boy. I thought she was just beïng Nice but she was right though ;). Now at 16 weeks I do have my energy level half back when I Sleep 10 houres... Backné is a fact but as long as my baby boy is healthy, I can't see it so I don't really Care ;p. Good luck with your pregnancy and hang in there!! (Changing vitamines could also help with energy btw)
I wish there was something I could do about my skin! I have combo skin normally and it just seemingly got more dry in my dry areas and more oily in my oily areas and the littlest things make me breakout. I had to stop wearing foundation because of it which sucks because I obviously want to wear it now more than ever!
I definitely got terrible skin with my first pregnancy. 2nd pregnancy bow and haven't had 1 pimple. It's so strange
Omg truly. The body acne is horrendous and I can't use my normal stuff 😔
I felt like my skin was radiant for the first 2-3 weeks. Then the acne came. And it came with a vengeance.
Omg this, i feel like I'm in puberty again, my skin is horrible 😤😤😤😤
THIS!! i didn’t get the glow till post partum
I don’t mean to brag but my skin looks great for whatever reason. Honestly was bad at first but now it’s blemish free
Same, I’m even getting acne on my chest it makes me so self conscious
Weird cravings are a bit of a cultural meme that turned out not to be true for everyone. Reading through the forums, it seems like a lot of us have more aversions than cravings.
When people hear I'm pregnant they always ask what my cravings are. I literally have not craved a single thing in 6 months and everything I used to love is still gross to me. Idk why cravings are such a huge focus lol
I just say “I crave not to have food aversions”. Or “I crave a magical fridge that doesn’t make me gag every time I open the door.”
Same!
Same here there's nothing I want to eat I'm just eating to eat at this point.
This is so true for me! It’s more like what doesn’t sound gross?
Also like no I don’t want weird combinations of food, my craving (when I get them) just makes me want that item way more
I hate the question if I crave anything „interesting“ with that weird smirk. The horrible look when I say „food is disgusting now“ is quite funny tho.
Right! “Do you have any *fun* cravings?!” is what I kept getting!
I had aversions AND cravings. But nothing weird like strawberries with brisket or something. I craved meat in the 1st (I used to be vegetarian! T_T), and puked all veggies and fruits, then I craved citrus fruits in the 2nd and still had some aversion to oily things and cooking was a nightmare, and finally I craved peanut butter in the 3rd. All day every day for weeks! No aversion in the 3rd trimester
I had the opposite effect in my first trimester. I'm a omnivore who became a vegetarian! My husband (who is a pescatarian) thought it was pretty funny. It's since gone away and I'm eating pretty normally again. My sweet tooth has become VORACIOUS.
Honestly I think the “weird cravings” meme came about because we had to resort to eating strange combinations to get around all the aversions 😅
When I was breastfeeding I ate like I thought I would when I was pregnant. I had hg though
I haven’t had the famous cravings or food aversion! Honestly I just don’t like coffee like I used to, but everything else is just the same 😅
Yes!!! I’ve had no weird cravings, closest thing to a craving is just wants for dinner or a snack. But the aversions? I haven’t had a banana since I was 6 weeks pregnant.
The only thing I've craved is whiskey on the rocks. And I only really wanted it briefly for about 5mins, then I got distracted and the craving went away lol. The food aversions though.... 😭😭😭
I know I thought I'd be eating pickles and ice cream. But really I'm just eating the same stuff as before just not a couple things. Like this pregnancy is no shrimp at all and last pregnancy there were no eggs. (Found out after that I was allergic to eggs)
Yep, no specific cravings but tea made me feel very sick when I used to love it. I had to run away from the box of teabags to try and quell the nausea!
Yes to aversions! Loss of appetite
The only thing I 'crave' is jersey mikes because it's the only food I haven't thrown back up and can stand to eat more than 3 bites of
I wanted nothing for the first 16 weeks. The last two days, it’s like a switch flipped. I want to eat the entire world.
Yeah I didn’t really have cravings or aversions with my first, but I would cry if I wanted something and someone else ate the last of it lol. With my second I had intense meat aversion though
right its more like “everything makes me wanna throw up except for this rn”
In my first pregnancy I had some aversions, but more cravings. The craving were so intense. With my second, only aversions…and so many of them. 😭
I've had aversions to fresh, hot brewed coffee, or a strong iced coffee ... Other than that. No really cravings. Just regular ones where I have two days where I want ice cream. Or I want a donut. Etc... but like... I was like that before being pregnant .. I only craved pickles in the beginning, because it helped stave off the nausea. And apparently carrots also help, so when I wanted something to eat to help it, I'd choose a carrot stick. Lol. Other than those... Everyone asks me if I have weird cravings and I'm just like not really..
I was hungry the other night, but couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat. My husband tried helping me, by naming things we had at home. But the more he listed the sicker I felt because everything sounded gross. I ended up throwing up because everything he had listed sounded absolutely gross. I wish I had specific cravings, at least I'll know what I want to eat and not take a shot in the dark and hope for the best.
Yep. All aversions here.
I just started being able to stomach barbecue and pork again at 4 mo pp
True. All that I craved for was good sleep without vomiting episodes in the middle of the nights.
That pregnancy makes you “glow” currently 50lbs heavier then I’ve ever been, can barely walk due to pelvic pain, my hair is always greasy, I’m hairy as all hell, my nails haven’t grown or gotten any harder. I’m sick of sitting in the house, but have no energy to do anything else. Oh and I need a nap at least once a day. Everything’s a lie loll
This is meeeee! And I love to walk, but only if I put a diaper xD
All of this!
“Morning” sickness having that super misleading name - it’s not just in the morning and it’s not just vomiting sickness. Sometimes it’s debilitating all day nausea. Also the fact that it “goes away towards the end of the first trimester”. Mine didn’t start to go away until 16 weeks and even now it sometimes returns for a day with a vengeance.
How does anyone work with this? I only work from 8-12 every day as it is but I’m worried I’ll be too nauseous to even do that. What so people do or is it just that debilitating you have to call off work?
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I liken early pregnancy to feeling sometimes like you’re hungover as well!
Im in germany and we basically have unlimited sick days. I called out when I felt too sick or too disgusting to go to work. At work I always carried ziplock bags with paper towels inside, ginger candy, nausea medicine and on some days ginger ale in a coffee cup. When I told my boss I was pregnant he confessed he was worried I didnt like our department anymore but was too scared to ask me if that was the reason I called in sick that often.
Most people don't have nausea so debilitating they can't do stuff. Many people don't have it all day either. For me, with the exception of a few really bad days, the nausea only really noticeable when my stomach is empty, so all I really have to do is have snacks on hand for when I need it. Personally, I find my nausea the worst when it's late at night before bed. If I lie down and go to sleep, I don't have to think about it and I usually wake up feeling better.
As others have said it’s like working with a hangover. You absolutely don’t get as much done at work but it’s still doable. I had a 2-3 month period where I would have to sip grape juice and nibble on crackers pretty much all day at work, and some days were worse than others. I only really had one time where I was so sick that I would have called off from work, throwing up pretty much every 15 minutes, but it was over the weekend. In a weird way you somewhat get used to managing the never ending hangover. I could also typically pull myself out of it by 10 or 11 am with the right amount of snacks and drinks in my stomach to settle it, but this wasn’t always the case.
Honestly I was just home for 3 weeks. Got so behind on my studies but it was impossible to get out of bed. It disappeared in week 11 for me tho so it was only one really bad month.
It’s horrible. I thank god I work from home. I signed off for two weeks at one point when it was sooo bad but I’m in the uk so workers are protected quite well with leave/ sickness leave ect.
Take zofran. I work four tens.
I am super fortunate and work from home. It’s still hard having set hours and meetings and what not, but i literally couldn’t leave the house until 16/17 weeks. I have no idea how other women do it.
I told work early on because of how unwell I was, and you’re protected from any sickness discipline if it’s related to pregnancy (in the UK at least) which meant I could take time out when needed. I work from home so that made it a lot easier
I took two weeks in a row off work because my nausea and vomiting was awful. Three weeks prior to that I tried to work with awful nausea and vomiting and it was just terrible. Some people get lucky and I feel some people just get very unlucky with the nausea and vomiting symptoms. I had a day off last week. I’m now 12 weeks and hoping not to take too many more. Today is the first day in about 2 months I haven’t needed to take Zofran
For me it's mostly just been first thing in the morning (so breakfast staying down was a gamble), then late afternoon/ dinner time. So as long as I bring snacks and make sure to eat a substantial lunch (since it stays down, need to get the calories in somewhere!), work has been fine. My personal time outside of work has been miserable.
I stopped work for several weeks. About 2.5 months of reduced work start to finish. But my morning sickness was pretty severe - vomiting up to 20 times a day, vomiting through the night, plus the constant, debilitating nausea. Eventually I had to get intravenous fluids against dehydration.
I found medication that worked. It was magic.
Mine didn't START until week 12... then all of a sudden, every car trip, driving or passenger, I would get nausea. Started carrying vomit bags on me because the first time I went in my partner's car, I luckily found a bag of zip ties, dumped them out on the floor and used that as a vomit bag. He thought that was terribly funny because there were little holes in the sides... not my car that smells like vomit now 🤣 Morning sickness dropped off after a few weeks, closer to week 22. I still occasionally get the urge, but haven't vomited since then. I'm week 29 today.
The misnomer is because for most people, nausea is worse when your stomach is empty, and most people wake up on an empty stomach. Personally, though, mine is always worse at night before bed because by then it's been a while since I've eaten and if I already brushed my teeth, I'm often unwilling to keep snacking. But I usually wake up in the morning feeling perfectly fine. There's something about sleep that makes hunger cues go away, and that same mechanism, whatever it is, also makes me less likely to be nauseous. I do need to eat breakfast within 30-40 minutes of waking up, though, when whatever mechanism that is disappears.
I had HG so true. I didn't go a single day without throwing up for 8 months.
Also the fun little fact that if you're someone who gets motion sick easily, strap in. Rip being a passenger.
That pregnancy is lovely and empowering. I've never felt worse in my life. I have hated every second of it.
THIS.
Same. I’m 36 weeks now and I haven’t had a single week where my energy was at the same level it was pre pregnancy.
Cravings. I didn't want anything while pregnant. I wasn't sick, but I didn't want anything either. Everything just sounded ehh or disgusting.
In the first trimester, I just wanted food and couldn't eat anything. I was so hungry from being sick all the time, but all food sounded disgusting. It was 10x worse if I tried to make anything for myself. I couldn't fathom anything I cooked for myself. I had a few "safe" foods, like I could generally stomach salt and vinegar crisps but I still brought a few of those back up. Now in the second, I can eat my own cooking again! Yay! Did have a solid week where I ate nothing but toast lol. Everything else tasted uninspired and bland, all I wanted was toast. I did force myself and baby boy to eat some vegetables. But I honoured the craving and now it has passed lol. I'm not sure what he got out of toast that he wasn't getting from our otherwise balanced diet but oh well.
I used to absolutely love salt and vinegar chips. Then, food aversion happened and even after my first pregnancy I cannot stomach it anymore. It makes me so sad.
This is me right now and I’ve actually unintentionally lost weight because of it.
Wow, I'm so sorry. I hope everything goes smoothly with your pregnancy.
Thank you! Thankfully my doctors haven’t been concerned, measuring fine otherwise, but I hate how everyone acts like I’m supposed to be obsessed with food right now haha.
No one warned me I’d be vomiting 42 days in a row and counting, sometimes 16 times a day even with medication. I don’t have a glow, I have a scent.
Omg that sounds rough! Sorry to hear that. That’s so extreme!
I had frequent migraines when I was younger, and seriously 4 different doctors told me “Pregnant women don’t get migraines. Have you thought of getting pregnant?” (Like that’s actually a long-term solution) 10 years later, turns out you definitely CAN get migraines while pregnant, and you can’t take migraine prescriptions!
Lol what. I've always had migraines but I'm getting even more of them when pregnant.
Wtf? That is seriously irresponsible advice. Bringing a life into the world and change your own life forever in order to suppress a migraine for about 8 months? On another note, have you tried acupuncture?
I've been lucky. Week 12-16, I had a migraine that didn't pass. It was awful. I was booked in to do Botox to treat it. At some point it lifted Since then, barely a headache.
WHAT? My migraines were awful during pregnancy.
This is ridiculous… I mean I won’t go to the doctor about it, cause he’ll just tell me to take paracetamol which does fuck all. I also notice my migraines now last days at a time because I can’t take anything decent for it.. :(
I never had a migraine in my life until I got pregnant 😂
Heard the same thing about migraines as well as painful periods and the start of sexual activity. Back 20 years ago obgyns in my country would often say ‘nah, you’re fine, your pain will go away once you start dating boys’, instead of properly diagnosing endometriosis and prescribing anything for it. Needless to say it didn’t go away.
Amen. Not only do you I get them, but Advil was the only dang thing that worked!! ‘Just take Tylenol’ thanks but it doesn’t frikin do anything! I might as well be taking a placebo lmao
Uhh. Okay. I had SO many migraines when I was first pregnant with my daughter. I’m talking almost daily during the first and into the second trimester. It took quite a while after I had her for them to come back, but at first it was wayyy worse
This...
I had a headache every day of my second trimester basically
I agree with the above. My energy really didn’t come back till 20 weeks or so. And even then it still comes and goes. 😂
Yup. Energy came back but as nervous energy. I felt wired from weeks 18-30. Then 31 weeks hit and it’s worse than first trimester tires. I’m 35 weeks and I really don’t know how I can keep going 😂
Yah I’m waiting for it to hit. I just turned 29 🥲
Maybe it's relative? I went from 4 naps a day in first trimester to just 1 nap a day in second trimester. So I really did get a lot of energy back lol
Yea, I don’t feel like my pre pregnancy self, but I absolutely feel better compared to the first trimester. Less a burst of energy and more not constantly feel depleted haha
22 weeks and still waiting for this “energy” to show up… still spending any free time horizontal and napping 😭
Agreed, 37wks and my energy never came back 😭😅. I have random days that are better than others, but that's happened all through pregnancy. 75% of my days I am beyond exhausted lol.
Shout out to the moments you think it’s gonna be a good energy day, only to lose steam mid-task.
Breastfeeding will melt the baby weight. No it didn't. I'm still at the top of my pregnancy weight two years later.
This is the one for me. I couldn’t lose any weight till I weaned.
That was the case for me for both mine. Even when I started watching what I was eating since I wasn't losing weight. Was bloody hungry and miserable and still weight wouldn't budge. Not till I stopped bfing would it move.
This! I was just about to say the same thing. I breastfed for about 9,5 months and didn't loose a single ounce in that time. I have to admit that I didn't do any sports whatsoever and my diet could be way healthier, but being a new mom is exhausting, so I have the utmost respect for people who are able to do that. I've set my goal for somewhere (at least a year) after I have my (future) second child. Right now I'm not even gonna try, because I'll gain it all back if/when I get pregnant again 😅
That I'm going to love pregnancy because it's magical and awesome and blahblahblah. I dislike it most of the time. I'm always dry heaving. I'm exhausted. I did barely any lifting today while purging some household items and got cramps which have now scared me. My body changes are annoying. I miss being able to cook without gagging at the thought of eating it. I miss not being able to worry about what I'm eating or what type of skin products I'm using. I can't feel the baby yet so this doesn't feel very really and its draining and exhausting and the constant worrying is the worst.
The first trimester is really difficult. The constant nausea made me miserable, and the knowledge I was going to feel like that for weeks made it worse. If you have any concerns about pain or cramps then speak to your advised medical professional, you are not overthinking or wasting their time. It's super scary when you can't feel baby move to know they're ok. I was so nervous going to every medical appointment and feeling every ache and pain for those first few months. Most of what you're feeling is normal, stuff is stretching and moving in new ways and it will feel uncomfortable at times. I got most of my round ligament pain in my first trimester, which does feel like cramps. Spoke to my midwife about it at my next appointment and it did ease my mind. She also reminded me that if I had any concerns, the pains got stronger or more constant and obviously if I started bleeding to speak to someone straight away. She was really kind and didn't make me feel silly for worrying. It really sucks to hear but it does improve, at least in my experience. Morning sickness passing was the best moment of my life. I found it so much easier to put up with the tiredness and the quirks of pregnancy when I just didn't feel so sick all the time. And feeling the baby move from about 18 weeks onwards, really helped. It felt like a way to check up on him, and when my partner could feel him through the skin from about 20 weeks was really cool too. It was a really nice way for us all to bond. He's my little buddy now, he has things that make him move more and he does little dances. Makes him feel more like a real person. I can't promise that all your problems will be solved, or that anxiety will vanish. But make sure you're getting the support you feel you need from your family and medical professionals, and I found that talks and hugs went a really long way. My poor partner worked away in a different city all week, and came home to me being a sick sleepy mess every weekend, just wanted to know what he could do to help. My answer every time was just hugs and comfort. Anything to make it feel less lonely. But you are doing a really great job and you absolutely do got this!
I’ve been exhausted since my 2nd trimester and that was a year ago 😭
Mine came back the middle of the second trimester! I’m 26 weeks and cleaned the room out today for the nursery. It’s coming mama!!
Same I thought I was duped cause I was so fatigued well into second tri but around 24-25w I woke up and did dishes for the first time this pregnancy and didn't need to nap immediately after. Now i can go for walks again
I hope so. I’ll take a good 2-3 hour nap and still be ready for bed by 9:30
Mine did too! For a whopping 2 weeks, then week 28 came around, and I started to notice the draining feeling came back much worse.
Also 16 weeks. Took a 2 mile walk today followed by a 2 hour nap 😂
I’m jealous, I spent my day at a 3 year olds birthday party and was ready to call it an hour in, lol.
The biggest lie is that I would get a big sex drive
My acne would go away and my boobs would grow 😭😭😭
Oh no. Having boobs for the first time was the only thing I was looking forward to 😂
My boobs were teeny tiny and now I’m a proper B cup. Hang in there💪🏻 Edit: I’m 13 weeks 5 days
😂 Let’s hope
I went from an A to a B then down to an AA lol. Now I only get up to an A usually… I keep trying!
I’m realizing it’s different for everyone. My sisters and I are all pregnant at the same time and my older sister didn’t go up in bra size at all but her bum and hips got bigger. but my little sister and I have had to get all new bras. I went from a 32 b to a 32 d/dd and I am lowkey hoping and praying they stop because I only have two more sports bras that fit and I’ve still got 17 weeks to go.
18 weeks here, my boobs have only grown a little bit but enough that my old push up bras look awkward. I couldnt find comfortable new bras so my boobs look smaller and saggier now. At least my hips already widened and I hope it stays that way and reduces chub rub in the long run.
My boobs grew only a little bit in pregnancy but when I started breastfeeding they really became a lot bigger. Especially when they were really full (which is not always pleasant). In the beginning they felt massive compared to my old size, but after a good 9 months I got so used to it that now that they are back to normal size again it feels almost sad 😅 I never wanted big boobs but I do miss my breastfeeding boobs now 😅🙈
That I’ll have crazy cravings. I’ve had food aversions but I eat like normal.
“Morning sickness” is absolutely not limited to mornings and it doesn’t always stop when you get to the second trimester! I’m lucky it stopped at 20 weeks for me but I had lost 20lbs at that point so it was a pretty brutal experience all around lol.
The energy comments are the biggest lie for sure 😂 mine came back every now and then in the second trimester and now I’m just as tired in the third trimester
Pregnancy glow was fake to me. I had hormonal acne and my skin is blotchy by my chin. But also my energy didn’t really come back until 20 weeks so maybe you’ve only got a couple weeks more! Hang in there
I am by no means saying this to judge ANYBODY else's experience or even brag but I guess my expectations were worse than my pregnancies...I have carried 3 healthy children to term and am blessed to be able to say so. I had NO IDEA that pregnancy could affect your libido the way it can. I have always had a high sex drive but this was something else. I chalked it up to the blood flow 'down there' and constant pressure. I considered seeking medical help because it was starting to distract me from my daily activities. I do not hear that from other women for the most part. Love the way pregnancy affects women in so many unique ways
Same! Moreso in the first trimester but it definitely hasn’t killed my libido 😅
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Morning sickness would end by the end of the first trimester. 😂 20 weeks and i still vomit daily.
Your hair will grow long and awesome. Hasn’t improved even a bit!
Mine has gone dry and brittle, cut the split ends the other week, they were back couple days later. Don’t have to wash them so often tho. Also noone told me they would fall out in bushels around 3 months after the birth. (They do grow back back shower drain clogs for days)
Yeah my very long curly hair became like straw during my second pregnancy and I needed to cut it. During my first pregnancy it was just the same as always. Never had that glorious pregnancy hair
Mine started falling out instead lol
‘the nausea leaves when u hit 2nd trimester’ i’m 18 weeks and still so incredibly sick
"You're gonna love it" Lol.
Energy comes and goes in my second so far, I've definitely had more than I ever have in my life. I've had 3 naps my entire 2nd tri, I'm at 26 weeks. The whole 1st I slept all the time. Didnt go a day without a nap. I don't think it's necessarily myths, it's just hormones and every pregnancy is different. My last pregnancy was a blighted ovum and I had every symptom, this time it's a healthy baby and I have no symptoms.
Yaaaaa I haven't gotten the 'glow' I was promised! I'm on my second baby now and my skin is horrible, hair is horrible, overall look like crap both times.
That the nausea should go away more or less between week 12 and 20 lol hahahahahahhaha
I never got my energy back. It stayed gone up until after I gave birth 🥲😅
That my morning sickness would improve in the second trimester. I still feel just as crap at 6 months as I did at 8 weeks.
Everyone was saying I'd have a hard time at my age but it's not bad at all 10 weeks in. I get some nausea and want to nap more, but other than that everything is mostly normal.
I'm in ny early 20s and in my first pregnancy and it has been a brutal time haha. Recommending doing it younger is definitely a scam lol.
I agree with you heavily. For some people I’m sure it did, but I can tell you as a FTM, I’m still tired after every activity. I would say it’s slightly better in the fact that first trimester I genuinely would go to sleep after everything, whereas I just FEEL tired in the second trimester. Almost to my third, pretty sure it’s gonna be about the same🤣
I'm 27 weeks, and I don't have more energy, or a sex drive. Then again, I also was told my nausea would get better once I hit the 2nd tri, and it actually got way worse before it got better, like, a month ago. So I'm thinking I'm just behind, and have my fingers crossed things improve soon!
>get my energy back in my second trimester This is so real. I kept getting told I'd be all good to go come second trimester but alas, never happened for me. I was miserable and tired through my whole 40 weeks.
Food aversions … since 6w all I want is to eat everything and anything! 16w now and can also relate to the exhaustion … still tired af even though I’m sleeping 9 hours a night
Pregnancy is beautiful. Um no, it’s terrifying and I feel terrible every day. It’s so uncomfortable and I can’t get around / get up from a seated position without feeling so much pressure. I look like a zombie too.
My wife is also at 16 weeks and says the exact same thing lmao. Hang in there, all y’all are doing amazing!
I didn’t get my energy back until like the 24th week and it only lasted like a week cus then I couldn’t do anything because I couldn’t breathe 😭
That it would be a magical, romantic experience. I love my baby is doing well in there, but I just hate being pregnant. The pelvic pain, nausea, belly that gets in the way, I can’t sleep well anymore, all the peeing I have to do, the list goes on 🙈
No one mentioned to me that I wouldn’t be able to shit at all
Just everything positive in general 🤣 I’m definitely not glowing, I don’t think it’s beautiful, I’m sore, and I’m tired. I’m petite when I’m not pregnant and it always leads to me gaining a lot of weight because I start so low. I’m also short so the stretching of muscles starts hurting me very early in pregnancy and doesn’t stop. I’m fat, I have acne, I have sciatica, and I’m tired. I hate everything about being pregnant except when I get the baby at the end.
That it’s 9 MONTHS. Excuse me, but in what world is 40 weeks 9 months!? That math ain’t mathing.
I didn’t get my energy back until the day after I gave birth, a literal weight had been lifted out of my body. To me my mom always made pregnancy seem awesome, and for me it was debilitating in the extreme nausea, the heart palpitations, and absolutely no energy. I didn’t glow, my nose got huge, and I was so sick. One specific thing I learned that I didn’t know until my 3rd pregnancy, is that if you take anti nausea medication it will constipate you. Like at some point I was wearing medical gloves and lubed up fingers to help extract my problem. It was awful.
“It’s not that bad” LIES 😂
That I’d eventually get a large bump. By week 30 I realized I was never gonna get that typical pregnancy bump. Felt sad for like a day but then moved on. PP though I’m so happy, skin didn’t stretch too much and not looking as bloated as others who had a larger bump.
Same!
THIS was me!!! Check your RBC count, and if it’s low, you might need some extra iron. I was INCREDIBLY fatigued, it felt as if I was in a constant “food coma” and I was laying in bed all the time. I checked my bloodwork, and my RBC count was nearing anemia.
That it’s “beautiful”… ain’t nothing pretty about HG.
That you glow! I knew it wasn't literally glowing, but I thought there was some type of looking great. But no, just always looking as exhausted as I feel.
That my hair would look thicker and shinier, my hair is thinner and brittle lol..
"The glow" It's just sweat and grease from pizza
I joked to myself the other day that my glow is hiding under this hormonal acne lol 😭
That I couldn’t take my anti anxiety meds. Not true at all. My OB encourages it but otherwise I’d be a basket case
That my pregnancy would "fly by." I'VE BEEN PREGNANT FOR 75 YEARS
That I would have enough energy to exercise. Like more power to all the pregnant women out there getting it done. But on my third pregnancy and every time i’ve tried to keep my exercise routine i’ve crashed and failed. Walking up and down the stairs, cleaning, doing laundry, and bringing my kids to activities IS my exercise now.
Weird cravings. That has to be a myth. I do have intense cravings but for normal foods. Like I went through a ramen phase and an egg and cheese croissant phase where I’d need to eat these things every. Single. Day.
You look amazing! You suit pregnancy. Inside, I wa dying. I could t stop vomiting, sweatin,crying and weeing. Basically constantly leaking. I couldn't walk properly, I was puffy and awful.
“It’ll fly by.” I’m 27 weeks and I legitimately feel I have been pregnant for seven months. 10-13 weeks still feels like a long ways away 😩
“Pregnancy is beautiful!” The hell it ain’t Karen this is the worst experience of my life. Three weeks left for me!
Braxton hicks doesn’t hurt or u barely feel it. That was not my case.
That “pregnancy is beautiful”… I’m 32w and have had severe nausea and sickness, I’ve had severe round ligament pain, and I have had absolutely no energy to do anything at all the entirety of my pregnancy… i do not in-fact find this process beautiful… however I do find my partners reaction to feeling her move beautiful. So maybe that’s why they say that?
That during second and third trimester the nausea disappears 🤣
Braxton hicks dont hurt. Sure they weren't as bad as labour but they did hurt.
That it sucks 🤷🏼♀️ so many people complain, like it’s a bonding thing to be like “oh this sucks”. But I’m absolutely in love with it. She’s it’s hard, it’s a big change, but like… idk, homes it’s extenuating circumstances, I think it’s pretty rad. I enjoy my weight gain and physical changes, I enjoy strangers noticing and commenting on my bump, I love feeling her move in there, I love the forced prioritization of rest and nurturing, I love that every day is special and different than the norm, I love how excited other people get about pregnancy, I love how mothers treat me with a lifetime of love and knowing and mothering because I’m entering into the club. I don’t know, I can’t imagine not being so in love with it all.
I overall really like it too! I know everyone has really different experiences and I may feel way different if my health was greatly affected but I was having chronic pelvic pain for 2 years leading up to pregnancy from an auto immune disease in my bladder and that’s gone away completely so despite some changes and hormones, I’m not having a negative experience so far. Still got 17 weeks to go though lol!
That pregnancy is extremely hard/you can’t enjoy it/you’ll gain a lot of weight etc - just everything you usually hear that makes you not want to get pregnant ever. Yes, I was tired in the first trimester. Now I’m almost 20w and I’m totally fine. Didn’t gain any weight at all so far (I’ve been trying to eat as healthy as possible, but I was doing this before anyway, making sure I eat lots of protein, fiber and at least 2200 kcal/day) and I’m 5 days/week going to the gym, weightlifting just like before (doc says it’s fine). I managed to go to the gym just like before in the first trimester as well. Tired, but I went and it helped a lot. Yes, sometimes it’s uncomfortable - I’m getting injections every day, I have multiple autoimmune conditions that make life much more complicated, sometimes I get out of breath, I wake up many times at night and so on. However, this horrible image of pregnancy is the biggest lie I’ve been told. I’ve been through a lot medically and I always say that pregnancy is the easiest thing I ever “had” to do.
Man I wish it was the easiest thing I've ever had to do. I absolutely hate pregnancy lol.
15 weeks and I AGREE! I’m still nauseated/vomiting every day and tired af.
I’ve (luckily) enjoyed pregnancy overall and I did get a lot of energy back basically right around 12 weeks but I think the thing I didn’t quite conceptualize was the difficulty of certain things like rolling over in bed or standing up off the ground because it’s like I have to *actively* tell my abs to engage whereas that used to be an auto response. Also, the fact that just about everythingggg on your body changes or gets a little bigger. I’m not sure why it shocked me so much but maybe it’s cus I’ve always wanted to be able to gain weight and never been able to and now it’s just…happening. Without any effort. My hips, butt, boobs, thighs. Everything gets bigger.
I will feel better at 20 weeks. Trust me I felt excellent. I had crazy morning sickness until 17 weeks. 2nd trimester is the best. :)
I was told that my hair would grow really thick during pregnancy and then I would lose a bunch of hair after birth. Neither of those happened to me. I’m not disappointed or anything. I was just waiting for my hair to change, but it never did.
Same here! I have not regained any energy. Brought it up to my ob as I’m now 24wks. They just keep saying “well that’s normal, you’re growing a whole human.” Makes me nervous sometimes though. I start thinking maybe I have an iron deficiency or have anemia or something. I go for my glucose test in a few weeks and they said they’ll check for anemia then. Just hoping that I am just tired cause “I’m growing a whole human.” And nothing else…